Rights of the Christian Church, the Authors of which bestow a fufficient Share of their Wit and Satyr upon this design of Confeffions, which we are now treating of.

Were these the only Enemies which Creeds had to deal with, there would not be fo great caufe to fear the Iffue of the Conteft; and our Church, which ftill remains perfwaded of their Ufefulness and Neceffity, would be eafy in a Difpute, where they had only to struggle with the common Enemies of Chriftianity: But it were extremely unjuft to affirm that all the Oppofition which we find Confeffions meet with, flows from thefe impure Springs of a fecret Infidelity, or at leaft a cold Unconcernednefs about the Doctrines of Christianity, and it must be acknowledged that Perfons of a quite different Complexion, and who are moved by Reafons not fo inconfiftent with a Love to Truth and a fincere Value for Religion, have confpired in the Defign of abolishing all Creeds and humane Telis of Orihodoxy.

Many whom in Charity we are bound to believe endowed with real Goodness, by a miftaken Fondnets for the truly noble Protef tant Principles of Liberty and private Judgment, and by a mifled Zeal for the honour of Divine Revelation, and the peculiar Authority of the holy Scriptures, and by other Reafons of the like Nature, have been infenfibly determined to entertain very unfavourable Sentiments of Creeds; which they thought were fcarcely reconcilable with the facred Prerogatives of the Bible, and the Privileges of a Chriftian, and were afraid could not mifs to be atten ded with very unhappy Confequences: Though no doubt fuch plaufible Prejudices against Confeffions, have upon other Accounts found an easier Paffage into the Minds of thofe, who being Disenters from established Churches, are, as we noticed above, naturally averfe to an Authority which they are notMafters of; or of fuch in the Establishment, as are confcious of their having departed from the publick Doctrine of the Church, and embraced Opinions inconfiftent with its Articles.

Such Prejudices againft Confeffions have mightily prevailed of late amongst the English Diffenters, and many have been imprefs'd thereby; as appears particularly by fo great a Number's having, on the occafion of a late unhappy Event, zealously declared their Opinion, that no Affent to any humane Forms fhould be required as a Term of Chriftian or minifterial Communion, that the Truths of Divine Revelation fhould be exprefs'd only in the Words and Phrates of the holy Scriptures, and that all other Tefts of Orthodoxy fhould be entirely laid afide.

The fame Thoughts of Confeffions feem alfo to be entertain❜d by thofe of the Church of England, who are the most zealous. Advocates for Liberty, and claim a juft Share of our Eficem for their unwea ried Labours in'Defence of fo glorious a Caufe,and their heroick Oppofition to Civil or Ecclefiaftical Tyranny. Several ofthe moft notedMinifters and celebrated Authors in Geneva and Switzerland, fuch as the younger Turretine, Ofterwald, and Werenfelfius, may perhaps be reckoned of the fame Party,and appear plainly enough to have received very

different

different Notions of Confeffions, from what thofe Churches formerly entertain'd.

There are a great many Paffages in feveral Authors which touch this Queftion, but fo far as we have had occafion to know, it is moft directly handled and the Arguments against Creeds are most plaufibly reprefented, by the Remonftrants in the Preface to their Confeflion, and Epifcopius's Defence of it; by an anonymous Writing entitled, De pace Ecclefia reftituenda Confilium, publifh'd by Le Clark in his Bibliotheque boice, Tom. 7. pag. 401. by the Rights of the Chriftian Church, And principally by the ingenious Author of the Cccafional Paper, VOL. II. Numb. ift, Of Orthodoxy, where that Matter is difcourfed of with the greatest Strength, or rather Specioufnels of Argument, and the beautifulleft Embellishments of Wit and Language, as well as with the keeneft Edge of Satyr; and where at the fame time that Creeds are expofed in the fevereft manner, a Regard is ftill maintained for Religion, and facred Matters are treated with a becoming Decency and Reverence.

And indeed this is what affects us in the moft fenfible manner, that in defending the Ufe our Church makes of her Confeffion, we have to deal with Friends as well as Enemies; and are obliged to enter the Lifts with thofe, with whom we agree almoft in every thing elfe, and yet difagree fo unfortunately about the neceffary Methods of maintaining the Purity of that Faith, for which we all pretend an equal Regard,

Hat we may give our Readers a full and impartial View of this we find our felves obliged to differ, we fhall as fhortly as may be, reprefent the Grounds upon which the Clamour that hath of late been made against Confeflions is raifed, and the Reafons which have determined many learn'd and fober Men to form Notions fo much to their Difadvantage: Nor fhall we willingly diffemble any thing, that may juftify the violent Oppofition made to Articles of Faith, or may tend to render the Arguments against them either more convincing or more plausible.

They think then that any Tefts of Orthodoxy of humane Compofure, feem inconfiftent with that noble fundamental Principle of the Reformation, The abfolute Perfection and Sufficiency of the holy Scriptures to all the Purposes of Truth and Salvation; and that it is in the facred Writings alone we can find the genuine Doctrines of Christianity, where they are expreffed with a juft Extent and Perfpicuity, and therefore any other Forms of Doctrine become abfolutely ufelefs. They think that no Phrafes can be fo well adapted to the Nature of Divine Things, or calculated to preferve the Purity of Religion, as thofe which the Holy Ghost infpiring the facred Writers hath thought fit to ufe, and that therefore the forming Creeds confifting of the Words of Mens Wifdom,is a notorious Difrefpect to the facred Writings, and inconfiftent with that high Efteem and Veneration which hould be paid them: And it argues a prefumptuous Confidence, if Men could devife Expreffions that are more proper or clearer

then

than thofe of the facred Oracles; or as if the Purity of Faith could be better maintained by humane Inventions, than by a steady Adherence to the only Rule of our Faith, and by thinking and fpeaking as it does: It feems to be an evident Encroachment upon the Authority of the Bible, to fet up fubordinate Rules of Faith, which fhall fhare with it in the deciding of Controverfies, and be appealed to as a Touchftone of Truth; and that with whatever fair Colourings fuch a Pretence may be varnished over, it really undermines the Foundations of our Religion, tends to create in the People a Difefteem and neglect of the Scriptures, to make them build their Faith upon a humane Model, and form their Judgment of others, not by the Conformity of their Sentiments to Divine Revelation, but by their implicite Affent to the established Creeds: Upon which account those who are zealous for the Honour of Divine Revelation, cannot fail to apprehend the difmal Confequences of Pretenfions fo injurious to it, and look down with Anger and Contempt upon its unworthy_Rivals.

The very Frame and Defign of Confeffions, feem to them alfo to be an Invafion upon the Rights of Mankind, and the Liberties of a Chriftian, by which every Perfon hath a Title to examine impartially all Doctrines propofed to him, and then judge for himfelf, efpecially in Matters of eternal Importance, and which refpect a Religion, that not only allows but commands the ftricteft Enqui ry into all the Parts of it, and which can never fubfift without a Freedom of Thought, and a rational Choice: No Man therefore, or Society of Men have Authority to judge for another, and compofe Syftems of Doctrines to which they can demand his Affent and as fuch a Claim is affuming and arbitrary, fo it is mean and inglorious in a Chriftian to fubmit to it, and, contrary to the Commands of his heavenly Mafter, to call any Man Rabbi upon Earth; And he who yields his Neck to this Yoke eafily, betrays and gives up the most valuable and unalienable Right of a reafonable Creature, to think for himself, fee with his own Eyes, aud in every "Matter to judge according to the best Light he can get of the true "Merits of a Caufe. (a)

"

It appears to them alfo that the Authority claimed, even by the Proteftant Confeffions of Faith, is bottomed upon the fame Foundations on which the Church of Rome hath erected fo exorbitant a Domination, and fupported by the like Pretences; and that all Creeds gradually tend to the fame execrable Tyranny ulurped by that Church; that 'tis extremely hard to conceive what Submiffion can be required to any humane Compofures, without eftablishing them into Rules of Faith, and laying a Foundation for their being exalted to the fame high Place that is invaded by the Papal Decrees: That this hath been the conftant Tendency of fuch Compofures, and an Elevation they afpired to; and that all the plaufible DiftinAions that were made by their Abettors, and the modeft and fair

(4) Occafional Paper, Vol. 2, N. 1. pag. 9.

Appear

Appearances they might put on at the Beginning, ferved only to impofe upon the Weakness of the People, and make Attempts of this kind more dangerous.

For as the learned Epifcopius tells us, "The Devil knows that "Tyranny is univerfally abhorred by Mankind, and therefore he is too cunning to attempt the barefac'd Promoting of it: He more artfully flips in by undifcerned Chinks; and gradually "winds himself into a Station, to which he could not make his "Way by the ftraight Road. Firft he perfwades Men in order

to preferve the Purity of Doctrine, to compofe Confeffions about "Matters that are not abfolutely neceffary to be known or believed, "and thus far the Affair goes on eafily: Then he urges a Confent to thefe Articles as a Bond of Peace and Union; good still! "Next Measures must be taken that this Confent be kept inviolable, this alfo is fpecious enough, and is an Encouragement to "farther Advances; therefore he loudly cries up the Neceffity of Forms and Creeds to be fubfcribed, fo as not only a Confent, "but a Perfeverance in that Confent may be promised. And this 66 is the firft vifible Step to the Tyranny of Men and tyrannical "Confeffions of Faith, by this way it is not hard for the Devil to "afcend to the highest Elevation of Tyranny, especially if fuch a "Creed be venerable for its Antiquity, and unfhaken hath out"brav'd many Perfecutions; if it hath been ftoutly defended against Adverfaries, and be fortified and recommended by the Blood of "Martyrs who adhered to it; all thefe are Supports and Helps by "which the Devil makes way for establishing the most ambitious Aims of humane Authority.

And as the Power grafped at by the Church of Rome, is of the most fatal Confequence to the Liberties of Mankind, and overthrows the moft effential Principles of all Religion; they are justly jealous of the leaft Approaches to it, and are perfwaded they ought to guard against the firft Appearances of that monftrous Power, and therefore abandon all humane Creeds, the Authority whereof they think looks that way.

Upon this Account alfo, they think that thefe Proteftants which impofe fuch Confeffions upon any Man, are ftill more inexcufable than the Papifts: "And that Men who feparate from the Church of Rome on the Foot of a private Judgment, that pretend to no In"fallibity, and own the Bible to be a perfect adequate Rule that "needs no Additions to eik it out and make it a complete Dire&tory; that Men that live and breathe upon this Principle, and can juftify their own Conduct by nothing elfe, that they "while they are engaged in a pretended Defiance to this implicite Faith, fhould yet make their own Sentiments and darling Opinions the Standard of Truth and Orthodoxy, is both an Iniquity and a Folly not to be endured. (6)

6.

(b) Occafional Paper, Vol. 2. N. 1. page 15.

It

It is to be obferved alfo in their Opinion, that Confeffions are only Engines of Force and Power; that they are framed by fuch as are uppermoft, fubfervient to their own Schemes and Defigns; and must always follow the Dictates and Notions of the Majority, upon whom Error and Fancy have generally a stronger Influence than Truth and Reafon, and therefore feem of very little Weight in determining a Question, and extremely unfit Tools to promote the Interest of Truth and Freedom. They hinder Men from an impartial Enquiry, and prepoffefs their Minds with Prejudices: They na turally beget in their Admirers, a mean, narrow and confined Turn of Thought; and contract all his Faculties of reasoning with in the little Bounds of a System, or a Creed made to his hand : They are the greatest Difcouragement to Learning and Advances in Knowledge, by the Hardships which they expofe any to, that shall dare to make further Progrefs than his Neighbours in the Discove ries of Truth, or recide from the old Maxims; they make Men afraid of rectifying their Miftakes, and hinder them from an unbiaffed Search, left thereby they fhould find the Falfhood or Uncertainty of any Article of a Creed, which they have obliged themfelves to maintain: "And thus they are the greatest Enemy, and the most effectual Impediment to the making or publishing any new Difcoveries, how important, demonftrable, or ufeful fo ever they be; they are a noble Security against growing wifer than thofe who went before us. (c)

Such Creeds appear alfo to them to give their Votaries little and unworthy Notions of Chriftianity, and of Church-Communion; and to make them confine thefe within the Limits of their own Party and Schemes: And fo tend to beget in them a fowr uncharitable perfecuting Difpofition; to infpire them with Rage and Fiercenefs against thofe who differ from them, and an Impatience of the leaft Contradiction; and fo inflame their Paffions, as to make them deaf to all Confideration and cool Thought: They breed in Men a haughty and imperious Temper, and feed them with the Fancy that every Man fhould think as they do; and thereby foment Hatred and Animofities, till at length Men arrive at the Infolence to ufurp the Judgment-feat of Chrift, and excommunicate and anathematize all thofe who difagree with them,and thereby they are of a Spirit entirely oppofite to the Genius of Chriftianity, and counteract the great Delign of it. They have a fatal Tendency to extinguifh thefe noble Virtues of our Religion, an unbounded Love, a diffufive Charity, a mutual Forbearance; and a Management of all Differences and Difputes with Meeknefs, Humility and an Opennefs of Mind: And that therefore they are of the most dangerous Confequence to the Peace and Happinefs of Mankind, and a Scandal to our holy Profeffion; and feem abfolutely inconfiftent with the Apostles Rule, Phil. 3. 15. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: And if in any thing ye be otherways minded, God

Shall

(c) Occafional Paper, Vol. 2. N. 1. page 14.