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preference to the truth, no one will deny who considers well what human nature is. And in a little time what has been thus corrupt ly embraced, may be, and often is very sincerely believed. But does this sincerity remove all stain of sin? Not unless the eternal nature of truth can be changed by being opposed. The longer any one perseveres in error, and the more firmly he adheres to it, the great, er is his sin.

Because it ought to be granted, and is granted, that men have no right to pronounce authoritatively wherein these errors consist, and to inflict the proper punishment, it doth not therefore follow that it will not be done by Almighty God; since he knoweth the heart, and can discern where error is voluntary and obstinate, or invincible, if such there ever be. Nor again does it follow, because it belongs to God to judge and award the penalty, we may not therefore tell men the truth, and endeavor to give them warning of the judgment to come; and to assure them how much it stands them in hand to see well to it, that they be not led into error by their delusive passions. To tell them either in our words, or by our conduct, that it is a mat ter of indifference what they believe, for every kind of faith is equally acceptable to God, is to flatter them with false hopes which can never be realized. It is in short, directly saying that in religion there is no such thing as truth; a proposition to which no christian can knowingly and intentionally assent.

If reason alone will lead us to such a conclusion, let us now see what is taught by him who is greater than our reason, and knoweth all things. And here, what means our Savior when he says that men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil? And again, they will not come unto him that they may have light? These assertions certainly imply that to embrace and persevere in error, from corrupt inclination, is a sin. What is to be understood by the unprofitable servant in the parable, who hid his lord's money in the earth? This servant was condemned merely for negligence, in not improving the talent which had been committed to his hands. From this then We are taught that to neglect our powers, not to make use of the reason we have, and thereby fall into error and unbelief of the truth is a sin, for which God will condemn us in the last day.

And what says St. Paul of himself? Though he verily thought he was doing God service, while he was persecuting his church; yet, notwithstanding the sincerity of his faith, he does not exonerate him self from guilt in what he had done; though being done in unbelief, he says he found mercy. If error in him was sinful, notwithstanding it was sincerely and firmly believed, it must be so in every oth

er man.

And to bring the whole of scripture authority to center in one point, it is said, He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. If total rejection of the gospel shall expose any one to condemnation, a partial denial of it, or disbelief of some of its truths, and embracing their opposite errors, so far as it goes, deserves the same condemnation; and what it deserves it will certainly receive from God's hand.

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But it may perhaps be asked, is there no such thing as invincible error? May there not be cases in which men, according to their means, may have honestly and fairly used their reason, and yet be unavoidably obliged to embrace error instead of the truth? Undoubtly there are such cases. But when and where they exist is known only to God, who will certainly deal mercifully with all who have the misfortune to be thus situated. These however, are cases out of the present enquiry; which is to show that error in faith may be, and often is a sin; and therefore that it cannot be a matter of indifference what we believe, as some would have us imagine.

And now in the conclusion we are brought to this point, to admit that God indeed will condemn no one for a faith he could not avoid entertaining; but then there are much fewer cases of unavoidable error than the latitudinarian is willing to own; since much the greater part of the opposition to truth observable in the world, arises from a voluntary and perverse indulgence of corrupt passions and appetites. Hence it stands us ever in hand to be vigilant and on our guard, lest we be drawn into error and consequent condemnation, All motives to such vigilance, and therefore all regard for religious truths will be taken away, if, under a notion that all sorts of faith are equally acceptable God, we once come to think that it is no matter what we believe; a consequence this, which no serious friend to truth, to virtue and religion, can wish to see take place among christians. As then they would wish to avoid this consequence, let them avoid what opens a door to it; and cease to advocate those sentiments which level all distinction between truth, and falsehood, belief, and unbelief.

Exposition of the Articles of the Church.

ARTICLE VIII.

Of the Three Creeds.

The Three Creeds, Nice Creed, Athanasius Creed, and that which is commonly called the Apostles' Creed, ought thoroughly to be received and believed; for they may be proved by most certain warrants of holy scripture.

BY the word creed is meant the substance of a christian's belief.

I shall treat of the three creeds in the order in which they are mentioned in this article. The Nice or Nicene creed is so denominated, because the greater part of it was drawn up and agreed to at the council of Nice, in the year of our Lord 325.

That which is called the creed of Athanasius was certainly not written by that Father; nor can it now be ascertained who was its real author. It was published in the sixth century, under the name of that distinguished father, probably for the purpose of giving weight to it; and at worst it is to be considered as containing his doctrines.

• The church of England retains the Athanasian Creed, which is left out of the American revised liturgy. The bishop of Lincoln's remarks on that Creed are nevertheless worthy of attention, and are inserted in course. [EDIT.

Great objection has been made to the clauses of this creed, which denounce eternal damnation against those who do not believe the Catholic faith as here stated; and it certainly is to be lamented that assertions of so peremptory a nature, unexplained and unqualified, should have been used in any human composition. The principle upon which these clauses are founded is this; that a belief of certain doctrines is essential to salvation; and this principle seems to rest upon the general tenor and express declarations of the NewTestament. We find our Savior and his apostles equally anxious to establish a right faith and a correct conduct. Faith and good works are inculcated as equally necessary: Without faith it is im possible to please him....Heb. xi. 6.-He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned; that is,condemned...Mark xvi. 16. It is indeed impossible for any one to admit the divine authority of the New-Testament, and doubt the necessity of faith in general; and surely the faith thus required must include the leading and characteristic doctrines of the christian religion! and though the gospel has not expressly enumerated those particular doctrines, none seem to have a stronger claim to be so considered, than those which relate to the Three Persons, in whose name we are commanded to be baptized, to the incarnation of Christ, and to a future judgment. These are the doctrines of the Athanasian creed; and therefore it would follow, that a belief in the doctrines of the Athanasian creed is essential to salvation. It was also a custom among the early christians, after a confession of the orthodox faith, to pass an anathema on all who denied it; and indeed, in almost every ancient creed transmitted to us, we find an anathema denounced against those who dissented from it, because it was thought to contain the essential articles of christianity. We know that different persons have deduced different and even opposite doctrines from the words of scripture, and consequently there must be many errors among christians; but since the gospel no where informs us what degree of error will exclude from eternal happiness, I am ready to acknowledge, that in my judgment, notwithstanding the authority of former times, our church would have acted more wisely and more consistently with its general principles of mildness and toleration, if it had not adopted the damnatory clauses of the Athanasian creed. Though I firmly believe that the doctrines themselves of this creed are all founded in scripture, I cannot but conceive it to be both unnecessary and presumptuous to say, that "except every one do keep them whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly."

As different practical duties are required of different persons, according to their circumstances and situations in life; so different degrees and different sorts of faith, if I may so express myself, may be required of different persons, according to their understandings, attainments, and opportunities of improvement; and God only knows what allowance is to be made for the influence of education and habit, and for that infinite variety of tempers, dispositions, and capacities, which we observe in mankind; but in any case let it be remembered, that these clauses cannot be considered as applicable to any persons, except those who shall have had full means of in

But it may perhaps be asked, is there no such thing as invincible error? May there not be cases in which men, according to their means, may have honestly and fairly used their reason, and yet be unavoidably obliged to embrace error instead of the truth? Undoubtly there are such cases. But when and where they exist is known only to God, who will certainly deal mercifully with all who have the misfortune to be thus situated. These however, are cases out of the present enquiry; which is to show that error in faith may be, and often is a sin; and therefore that it cannot be a matter of indifference what we believe, as some would have us imagine.

And now in the conclusion we are brought to this point, to admit that God indeed will condemn no one for a faith he could not avoid entertaining; but then there are much fewer cases of unavoidable error than the latitudinarian is willing to own; since much the greater part of the opposition to truth observable in the world, arises from a voluntary and perverse indulgence of corrupt passions and appetites. Hence it stands us ever in hand to be vigilant and on our guard, lest we be drawn into error and consequent condemnation. All motives to such vigilance, and therefore all regard for religious truths will be taken away, if, under a notion that all sorts of faith are equally acceptable God, we once come to think that it is no matter what we believe; a consequence this, which no serious friend to truth, to virtue and religion, can wish to see take place among christians. As then they would wish to avoid this consequence, let them avoid what opens a door to it; and cease to advocate those sentiments which level all distinction between truth, and falsehood, belief, and unbelief.

Exposition of the Articles of the Church.

ARTICLE VIII.

Of the Three Creeds.

The Three Creeds, Nice Creed, Athanasius Creed, and that which is commonly called the Apostles' Creed, ought thoroughly to be received and believed; for they may be proved by most certain warrants of holy scripture.

BY the word creed is meant the substance of a christian's belief.

I shall treat of the three creeds in the order in which they are mentioned in this article. The Nice or Nicene creed is so denominated, because the greater part of it was drawn up and agreed to at the council of Nice, in the year of our Lord 325.

That which is called the creed of Athanasius was certainly not written by that Father; nor can it now be ascertained who was its real author. It was published in the sixth century, under the name of that distinguished father, probably for the purpose of giving weight to it; and at worst it is to be considered as containing his doctrines.

• The church of England retains the Athanasian Creed, which is left out of the American revised liturgy. The bishop of Lincoln's remarks on that Creed are nevertheless worthy of attention, and are inserted in course. [EDIT.

"Great objection has been made to the clauses of this creed, which denounce eternal damnation against those who do not believe the Catholic faith as here stated; and it certainly is to be lamented that assertions of so peremptory a nature, unexplained and unqualified, should have been used in any human composition. The principle upon which these clauses are founded is this; that a belief of certain doctrines is essential to salvation; and this principle seems to rest upon the general tenor and express declarations of the NewTestament. We find our Savior and his apostles equally anxious to establish a right faith and a correct conduct. Faith and good works are inculcated as equally necessary: Without faith it is impossible to please him....Heb. xi. 6.—He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned; that is,condemned...Mark xvi. 16. It is indeed impossible for any one to admit the divine authority of the New-Testament, and doubt the necessity of faith in general; and surely the faith thus required must include the leading and characteristic doctrines of the christian religion! and though the gospel has not expressly enumerated those particular doctrines, none seem to have a stronger claim to be so considered, than those which relate to the Three Persons, in whose name we are commanded to be baptized, to the incarnation of Christ, and to a future judgment. These are the doctrines of the Athanasian creed; and therefore it would follow, that a belief in the doctrines of the Athanasian creed is essential to salvation. It was also a custom among the early christians, after a confession of the orthodox faith, to pass an anathema on all who denied it; and indeed, in almost every ancient creed transmitted to us, we find an anathema denounced against those who dissented from it, because it was thought to contain the essential articles of christianity. We know that different persons have deduced different and even opposite doctrines from the words of scripture, and consequently there must be many errors among christians; but since the gospel no where informs us what degree of error will exclude from eternal happiness, I am ready to acknowledge, that in my judgment, notwithstanding the authority of former times, our church would have acted more wisely and more consistently with its general principles of mildness and toleration, if it had not adopted the damnatory clauses of the Athanasian creed. Though I firmly believe that the doctrines themselves of this creed are all founded in scripture, I cannot but conceive it to be both unne-^ cessary and presumptuous to say, that "except every one do keep them whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly."

As different practical duties are required of different persons, according to their circumstances and situations in life; so different degrees and different sorts of faith, if I may so express myself, may be required of different persons, according to their understandings, attainments, and opportunities of improvement; and God only knows what allowance is to be made for the influence of education and habit, and for that infinite variety of tempers, dispositions, and capacities, which we observe in mankind; but in any case let it be remembered, that these clauses cannot be considered as applicable to any persons, except those who shall have had full means of in

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