regulations, about which the clergy and gentry in many parishes took such laudable pains, they would bestow their attention in procuring a correction of some few things in the catechism of the church of England, for the benefit of their young people; which loudly called for it.

But I shall name only one, says he, which is to be met with near the beginning of the catechism; when, after repeating the Apostles' creed, the child being asked, "What dost thou learn by these articles of thy belief?" He is made to answer, 66 "First, I learn to believe in God the Father, who hath made me and all the world. Se condly, in God the Son, who redeemeth me and all mankind. Thirdly, in God the holy Ghost, who sanctifieth me and all the elect people of God."

:

Now this seems plainly to put into the child's mouth, false reasoning, and wrong conclusions, and to make it assert what upon the very face of the thing is not true. For the Creed begins with declaring, that there is one God, the Father Almighty, and maker of all things; and never says any thing of any God the Son, or God the Holy Ghost but merely that Jesus Christ, the only or beloved son of God, was born of Mary, a jewish woman, and put to death by Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor in Judea : adding afterwards, that there was a Holy Ghost, or Holy Spirit to be believed in; whatever was to be understood by it. But there is no intimation given, that these two last named, the Son and the Holy Ghost, are each of them Gods, as well as God, the Father Almighty: which, nevertheless, the poor children are made to declare, that they believe to be taught by the Creed.

The guests were particularly offended with the rudeness, as it was called, of these remarks. One lady in particular, a great admirer of the composition and close reasoning of the Creed of St: Athanasius, observed that the gentleman might have chosen a more proper subject to

descant

descant upon; that there was no occasion for so much exactness in teaching young children; and that if the doctrine of the Trinity was not in so many words to be found in the Apostles' Creed, it might easily be understood to be comprehended in it, as there were the names of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and it was a doctrine which all knew was to be found in the Scriptures.

There being no reply to be made to such a long string of suppositions without proof, the gentleman begged pardon for having given offence inadvertently, and so the matter ended. Soon after the strangers took their leave.

Volusian is satisfied that the worship of Jesus Christ is idolatrous.

VOLUSIAN.-When they were gone, Volusian remarked, how easily we were all imposed upon by taking things, in our early youth, upon trust, as infallibly true, from our parents and teachers, and in consequence adhering to them without examination ever afterwards, and this to such a degree, as not to endure their being called in question by others. This, proceeds he, seems to be the state of mind of the company just gone, and might have been mine, had I not enjoyed the advantage of friends of a more liberal cast, who are for bringing all things to the test of reason and scripture. But from this little ventilation of the matter, for which we are extremely obliged to Synesius, I now see, what I own I never before at

tended

tended to; that the Apostles' Creed, so called, the oldest of all the Creeds, though not drawn up by the Apostles, is perfectly Unitarian: which affords a strong proof, that the Christians immediately following the Apostles were also perfect Unitarians. How does light break in from all parts, when the bandage of superstition is once taken off the eyes, as from mine lately! In such a state, the progress from error to truth is most rapid; of which I have had happy experience, whose opinions in so short a space of time have undergone such a total change, that from having looked upon the Holy Jesus all my life as the Supreme God, I am convinced by evidence, which must in time convince all the world, that he was only a mortal Being, most highly favoured and beloved of God.

But although I am now entirely satisfied about this, I can by no means allow, as I before remarked, that I was an idolater in worshipping Jesus Christ in the days of my ignorance; or that all my friends and acquaintance, who still worship him, are idolaters; or my ancestors, and the whole Christian world now, and for ages past. For idolatry is represented in the sacred writings as a heinous sin, for which men are liable to the severe displeasure of Almighty God: an idea which I cannot entertain of any, who are sincere, however erroneous, in their worship of Jesus Christ. If I am mistaken in this matter, I beg to be set right..

PHOTINUS.-I do not wonder, Volusian, replied Photinus, that your fair and honest mind should reject such an unworthy thought, concerning the

righteous,

righteous, moral Governor of the world, as that he should condemn his frail offspring of mankind, and subject them to the most lasting sufferings, for opinions, which however wrong they might be, were held by them very innocently; often the effect of early prejudice, hardly ever to be overcome; or owing to a superstitious awe and dread of inquiry into certain subjects, or the want of opportunity of better information; of which class were you yourself, and thousands and ten thousands now, and in former ages, who have joined in the idolatrous worship, which has prevailed in the Christian church, in all countries.

But the idolatry, against which the judgments of God were denounced in the sacred writings, was very different from that which has obtained among Christians. We find from Moses, that the heathen worship of their false gods in his time countenanced and encouraged the grossest lewdness, and the most shocking vices, nay, that these made a part of it. And in later times, among the polite Greeks and Romans, the most horrid enormities and unnatural practices were boasted of, as sanctified by the examples of the deities they worshipped; so that the idolatry of the heathens was threatened with such severe punishment of old, not as a speculative error, but because it was attended with the most shocking vice and immorality.

But nothing of this kind can be charged upon the idolatrous worship of Christians, that it directly encourages vice and wickedness. And although the Almighty

and

and infinite Being is dishonoured and degraded by his creatures, being put on a rank and in competition. with him, and made the objects of prayer and divine worship; and much detriment to the morals of many indirectly results from it, which are things greatly to be lamented: still those who act thus under a state of invincible ignorance, must be acknowledged guiltless. So that you may make yourself easy, Volusian, as to your former practice in this respect, though you can by no means be cleared from the imputation of idolatry

in it.

VOLUSIAN. You have given me some satisfaction, replies Volusian, in the mitigated account of the idolatry, with which, without scruple, you charge the Christians' worship of Jesus Christ. But you seem to have forgotten, that you have not yet proved your accusation, nor shewn wherein their idolatry lies.

PHOTINUS. I beg your pardon, says Photinus, and thank you for reminding me-of my fault, and of what I ought myself to have attended to. I shall therefore make the attempt to verify my assertion: and as I hold it to be a matter of great moment, I hope I shall express myself so as to be intelligible, not only to you, but to all the Christian world, if it could hear

me.

Idolatry then I call the worship of false gods, the paying of divine honours to a creature.

And such idolatry is forbidden by the light of nature. For reason teaches the diligent searcher into the origin of himself and the universe around hi.n, that every thing is the workmanship of one wise, benevolent, all

governing