beautiful and candid simplicity of these early ages rendered such philosophical niceties unnecessary; and the great study of those who embraced the gospel, was rather to express its divine influence in their dispositions and actions, than to examine its doctrines with an excessive curiosity, or to explain them by the rules of human wisdom.

"There is indeed extant, a brief summary of the principal doctrines of Christianity in that form, which bears the name of the Apostles' Creed, and which, from the fourth century downwards, was almost generally considered as a production of the Apostles. All, however, who have the least knowledge of antiquity, look upon this opinion as entirely false and destitute of all foundation. There is much more reason and judgment in the opinion of those, who think that this Creed was not all composed at once, but from small beginnings was imperceptibly augmented, in proportion to the growth of heresy, and according to the exigencies and circumstances of the church, from whence it was. designed to banish the errors that daily arose."*

We have nothing told us, in the foregoing extract, of these authoritative rules of faith and manners,which are now imposed upon the human conscience. On the contrary, their very existence is plainly denied, and the Bible itself is. declared to be the standard of the churches.. There is not even a regular detail of the doctrines: of christianity, as forming a happy instrument.

* Vol. I. p. 113—14..

of spiritual instruction, attempted. The Christians of these early ages, adopted a very different method of imparting to their offspring a religious education: "They took all possible care to accustom their children to the study of the scriptures, and to instruct them in the doctrines of their holy religion; and schools were every where erected for this purpose, even from the very commencement of the Christian church."* And even the Apostles' Creed itself, as to its origin, is declared to be equivocal: and not one sentence is uttered about any sanction it received from any such measure of ecclesiastical authority, as is now exercised.

Further, and in relation to the first century, this historian informs us, that-"The churches, in those early times, were entirely independent; none of them subject to any foreign jurisdiction, but each one governed by its own rulers and its own laws. For, though the churches founded by the Apostles, had this particular deference shewn them, that they were consulted in difficult and doubtful cases; yet they had no juridical - authority, no sort of supremacy over the others, nor the least right to enact laws for them. Nothing, on the contrary, is more evident, than the perfect equality that reigned among the primitive churches; nor does there even appear, in this first century, the smallest trace of that associa tion of provincial churches, from which Councils and Metropolitans derive their origin. It was

* Ib. p. 115.

only in the second century that the custom of holding Councils commenced in Greece, from whence it soon spread through the other provinces." This doctrine of human authority controlling religious matters, had not been formed at so early a period; when, as Jerome expresses it, "the blood of Christ was yet warm in the breasts of Christians, and the faith and spirit of religion were brisk and vigorous." It is an exotic in the church, which may be nourished and forced by unnatural heat: but it is not one of Calvary's plants, germinating under the dews of the Spirit of inspiration, and blossoming by Apostolic culture: its fruit is yielded under heresy's deadly night-shade.

Following our historian down to the second century, he gives us the following statement"During a great part of this century, the Christian churches were independent on each other; nor were they joined together by association, confederacy, or any other bonds, but those of charity. Each Christian assembly was a little. state, governed by its own laws, which were either enacted, or, at least, approved by the Society. But, in process of time, all the Christian churches of a province were formed into one large ecclesiastical body, which, like confederate states, assembled at certain times, in order to deliberate about the common interests of the whole. This institution had its origin among the Greeks, with whom nothing was more common than this confederacy of independent states,

and the regular assemblies which met, in conse quence thereof, at fixed times, and were composed of the deputies of each respective state. But these ecclesiastical associations were not long confined to the Greeks; their great utility* was no sooner perceived, than they became universal, and were formed in all places where the gospel had been planted. To these assemblies, in which the deputies or commissioners of several churches consulted together, the name of Synods was appropriated by the Greeks, and that of Councils, by the Latins; and the laws that were enacted, in these general meetings, were called: canons, i. e. rules.

"These Councils, of which we find not the smallest trace before the middle of this century, changed the whole face of the church, and gave it a new form; for by them the ancient privileges of the people were considerably diminished, and the power and authority of the bishops greatly augmented. The humility, indeed, and prudence of these pious prelates prevented their assuming all at once the power with which they were afterwards invested. At their first ap-. pearance in these general Councils, they acknowledged that they were no more than the delegates of their respective churches, and that they acted in the name, and by the appointment, of the people. But they soon changed this humble tone, imperceptibly extended the limits of their authority, turned their influence into dominion, and their Councils into laws; and

*

openly asserted, at length, that CHRIST had empowered them to prescribe to his people authoritative rules of faith and manners. Another effect of these Councils was, the gradual abolition of that perfect equality, which reigned among all bishops in the primitive times. For the order and decency. of these assemblies required, that some one of the provincial bishops met in Council, should be invested with a superior degree of power and authority; and hence the rights of Metropolitans derive their origin. In the mean time, the bounds of the church were enlarged, the custom of holding Councils was followed wherever the sound of the gospel had reached; and the universal church had now the appearance of one vast republic, formed by a combination of a great number of little states. This occasioned the creation of a new order of ecclesiastics, who were appointed, in different parts of the world, as heads of the church, and whose office it was to preserve the consistence and union of that immense body, whose members were so widely dispersed throughout the nations. Such was the nature and office of the Patriarchs, among whom, at length, ambition, being arrived at its most insolent period, formed a new dignity, investing the bishop of Rome, and his successors, with the title and authority of PRINCE OF THE PATRIARCHS."†

Here then we have the rise of ecclesiastical power, constructing its claims upon the ruined privileges of individual conscience, and absorb

+ Ib. p. 174-6.