poifon the minds of men, than refresh and nourish them.

There remains one confideration, which, we hope, will be a full and clear anfwer to the objection. When it is brought as an argument to perfuade any church to lay afide the ufe of Confeffions, that fuch reftraints are a great hindrance to farther advances in knowledge, and are accompanied with mighty prejudices to religion and learning, fuch things will be understood as that church will think real prejudices; and the difcoveries which would otherwise be made must be fuch as the fociety will value and defire to promote; otherwife the preventing them can never be urged with them as an argument against their Confeffions.

But now we are, what every church must neceffarily be with refpect to their own ftandard, fully convinced, that religion and learning can no wife be fo well promoted as by a conformity to our Confeffion, and by men who maintain the principles which it teaches; and that, fo far as any deviate from them, they wander our of the paths of true knowledge, and it becomes the more improbable that Chriftian learning can be improved by their labours.

Our Confeffions cannot be alledged to have the leaft bad influence upon the highest advances in ftudies agreeable to them. They do not lay the fmalleft restraint upon minifters to explain the fcriptures with greater force and evidence, to difcover new arguments, whereby the truth may be vindicated with the greateft dexterity, and the doctrines and commands of Chriftianity recommended to the faith and practice of mankind, intheir brightest glory and lovelieft excellency. They may be as knowing in the original languages, ancient customs, ecclefiaftical hiftory, and all other

parts

parts of theological learning, and improve them to as great advantage, as they are able. They may reafon with as much clofenefs and perfpicuity, and be as cautious to use a weak uncertain argument as they defire. They may fall upon the newest and best ways of anfwering objections, and putting an end to controverfies in the most ingenious and clear manner; and in all these things, a man is at perfect liberty, without any bias from the authority of creeds, to go beyond his neighbours, and excel the reft of the church.

No difadvantage is done to any new discoveries, except thofe that may be defigned for the defence and propagation of doctrines contrary to the public ftandard. Now it is plain, fo long as any fociety remains convinced of the truth thereof, they must look upon all fuch difcoveries to be directly contrary to the intereft of religion, or to the growth of true and folid learning; and all the feeming learning and labours which tend this way, must be thought by them fteps towards real ignorance, and fo far an extinguishing the light of truth.

C

I admire the works of thofe from whom I may differ in other refpects, and acknowledge the great benefits that our common religion may receive from their ftudies; but fo long as I am, for example, what the world calls a Calvinist, and in my confcience fully convinced of the divine originat of the principles which diftinguith that party, I cannot help believing, that these labours which are defigned to oppofe Calvinism, must be in fo far oppofite to truth and knowledge, and that they can only tend to improve learning, falfely fo called, to the growth of what the Apostle names philofophy and vain deceit *.

• Col. ii. 8.

And

1

And while this is the view which a church hath of things, must she not think that the restraints of her Confeffions are the fureft means to promote true and valuable learning, instead of being a hindrance to it? And is it not a palpable abfurdity, to fuppofe the objection of our adverfaries fhould be of any weight with her, when the is convinced that a contrary management would only tend to discover to the world new arts of fophiftry, and fill it with perverfe difputers endued with more cunning and fubtilty? and that the thing encouraged thereby would be the learning of the man defcribed by the Apostle, 1 Tim. vi. 3. ? "If any man teach otherwife, and confent not to wholesome words, even the words of our "Lord Jefus Chrift, and to the doctrine which "is according to godlinefs;" ver. 4. "he is proud, "knowing nothing, but doting about questions "and ftrifes of words, whereof cometh envy, "ftrife, railings, evil furmifings," ver. 5. "per"verfe difputings of men of corrupt minds, and "deftitute of the truth," &c.

It is true, that we do not reckon it impoffible, but that discoveries of fome truths may be made, not only new, but contrary to fome of our present principles; for we do not fancy that we are infallible, and abfolutely fecured from miftakes: but then we can only think, that an opinion of an adverfary may poffibly be true, while, at present at leaft, it appears highly probable that it is false; whereas we think it in the laft degree probable, that the contrary fentiment is true, and only pof. fible that it may be falfe; in which cafe, I think it evident, that we must be determined more by the probability, than by the bare poffibility, and accordingly think that found Christian learning will be in the likelieft way to increafe when that principle is adhered to.

(4.) THERE remains now only one objection against Confeffions to be confidered, namely, the disturbances and animofities they occafion in the world, and the great difadvantage they are to peace and charity. "Hi enim libri," fays an author of that fide, "origo et fomentum adhuc "fuerunt tot litium, altercationum, rixarum, "infectationum, contentionum, fimultatum, a"cerbitatum, conviciorum, condemnationum, et “nefandarum diftractionum; quibus nunquam "carebit ecclefia dum illorum librorum et fcrip. "torum autoritas ftabit *."

What we have reprefented upon the last argument, may in a great measure be applied to this objection alfo; and therefore a very few obfervations upon it will be fufficient to anfwer it. In the first place, it may, we believe, without prefumption, be affirmed, that any mifchiefs and diforders which can be laid to the charge of Confeffions have been almoft wholly owing to the abufe of them, and their having been built upon wrong foundations, and enforced with unjultifiable arguments.

It was when creeds claimed an abfolute fubmiffion, and implicit faith; when they were edged with the fword, and carried along with them blood and torture, that they became very dangerous tools, and fatal to the peace of mankind. Confult the history of the church in all ages, and it will be found, that perfecution, and an invafion upon the rights of others, a humour of imposing the faith of the prevailing party upon the minority, and enforcing this invafion on the confciences of Chriftians, by fines, imprisonments, and death itself, were the fprings of all the evils complained of.

* Vide De pace ecclefiæ reftituenda confilium, apud Clericum; Bibl. choifie, tom. 7. p. 40z.

But does this in the least affect that authority of Confeflions, which, as we have proved, is perfectly confiftent with all the moft extended rights of a rational creature, and takes its rife from the unalienable and fundamental privileges of all fo. cieties? Is it an objection against creeds which are recommended by none but equitable and rational arguments, and are not urged upon others against their confciences, nor are attended by the dreadful train of deaths and tortures, which contain the fting and poison of the Papal decrees, and, if they be taken away, afford an eafy access to reap the fweets and advantages of Confeffions, without the alledged hazards?

Thefe uncharitable heats, bitter invectives, and calumnious mifreprefentations of perfons and things, which are too oft to be found amongst contending parties, with all the other melancholy fruits of divifion which difquiet mankind, and difturb their peace and happiness, are not owing to a vigorous zeal for thofe doctrines which appear to be according to truth and godlinefs, nor to a high esteem and fteady adherence to our principles concerning creeds; but they are to be entirely attributed to the unfanctified paffions of mankind, and thofe affections and inclinations which have not been purified by the grace of God, nor brought under the obedience of the gospel, our pride and vanity, and worldly-mindedness, fondness of applaufe, eftcem of our own schemes and performances, and all the other branches of selflove.

It is these that raife all the ftorms which tofs about mankind, and have broken the harmony of focieties, and the peace of families; thefe have blown up the coals of contention, and fed the flames which have fo long devoured the world. Thefe corrupt unbroken hearts of ours make us

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