obvious sense of the words, and not be made to speak the language of our particular theory. If we depart in the smallest degree from this rule, we open the door for incalculable injury to the cause of inspired truth. Were the passage abovementioned the only one, in which similar lan guage is used concerning the ways of God, the construction of T. might be more readily admitted. But no one who has attentively read the Scriptures, needs to be informed that, in different connexions, and in various forms of speech, they often convey the same sentiment. Nor can I easily conceive that the figure, which T. introduces, of God's hardening himself against sinners, conveys a sentiment any more pleasing, or more free from difficulty, than the language of our

common version.

T.'s explanation of Rom. ix. 2, 3, I am disposed to receive, if it will bear a close examination. But at present I am apprehensive that it weakens the apostle's reasoning, and sinks the sublime, holy patriotism, which glowed in his breast. At least I would ask, before resorting to T.'s explanation, whether the passage may not receive light from other parts of Paul's writings? May not his admirable sentiment in this place be illustrated by what he said to his brethren, who wept in prospect of the evils to which he would be exposed at Jerusalem; "what mean ye to weep and to break my heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." Why may it not be illustrated by what he says to Timothy; "I endure all things

for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory;" and by the spirit of a martyr, which he so strikingly expresses to the Philippians; "yea, and if I be offered, &c." or as Doddridge translates and paraphrases it; "if I should even be foured forth, and my blood be shed, as a kind of libation or drink-offering, on the sacrifice and ministration of your faith, while you are presented by my means, as an acceptable of fering to God, far from i menting that I should meet with death in such a cause, I rather r ju ce and congratulate you all. He not only presents himself as a resolute victim at the altar of God, but speaks of that stroke, by which his blood was to be poured out, as an occasion of joy, and calls for the congratulation of his friends upon it." Finally, how beautifully may the apostle's sublime sentiment, now under consideration be illustrated, by the self-denial of his life; by his voluntary submission to the se verest sufferings; and by the Christlike benevolence, with which he forsook his own private interest, and devoted himself unreser edly and heroically to the cause of the church.

Requesting you, Messrs. Editors, and Theophilus, to consider candidly the freedom of these remarks, and every reader to examine and judge for himself, I subscribe your constant friend,

CRITO.

BRIEF REMARKS ON A CIVIL

ОАТН.

AN oath is the "calling upon God to witness, i. e. to take no

tice of what we say; and it is invoking his vengeance or renouncing his favour, if what we say be false, or what we promise be not performed."* This is the solemn import of the words which close the form of a civil oath; So help you God. May God deal with you in mercy or in judgment, as you shall speak truth or falsehood in the case now before you, or as you shall perform or not perform what you now promise.

This awful nature of an oath is very particularly exhibited in the following form, which is administered in Holland to those who embrace the Jewish religion. "You swear by the almighty and living God, who cre ated heaven and earth, and gave his laws by Moses, that you will be upright and true in whatever shall here be asked of or proposed to you; and if you declare any thing either entirely, or in part, false and unjust, you acknowledge yourself liable to all the curses, plagues and punish ments, temporal and eternal, which the God of Israel inflicted on Sodom and Gomorrah, and Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and which he has denounced against all those who invoke or use his name falsely or in vain. As you are true or false, so may God almighty and omniscient reward or punish you."

REMARKS.

How shocking to every pious mind, is the apparent lightness and irreverence, with which civil oaths are often administered. How little do people in general

.....

* Paley

consider the awful nature and sacred obligations of an oath.

How heinous is the crime of perjury, and the crime of using profane oaths in conversation.

Civil magistrates as well as gospel ministers, should often instruct people in the nature and obligations of an oath, and endeavour to impress their minds with a religious veneration for the great name of God.

CIVIS.

SURVEY OF NEW ENGLAND
CHURCHES.

(Continued from page 318.)

How great soever the advantage of confessions, they have many and powerful adversaries; who, although they agree in a common disesteem of confessions, are influenced to it by dif ferent motives. Some are always ready to complain of measures, which they did not originate and control. Others extend their charity to men of all parties of Christianity, and of all religions which prevail in the world, and do not consider the belief of any particular doctrines, as essential to salvation. They think that people of all persuasions have an equal claim to the favour of God, and may be saved according to the particular scheme of religion which they embrace. With such ideas, they naturally despise confessions of faith, the very being of which is founded on the importance and necessity of believing certain articles in order to church fellowship. They who esteem the Christian doctrine of small moment, look with. indifference upon the means of preserving its purity, and upon the obligations which bind men

to maintain it. We believe it an observation, which will be found generally true, that in proportion to the opinion which a man entertains of the doctrines of Christianity, and his zeal to propagate them in the world, will be his esteem of confessions.

But a greater number, it is apprehended, take the side of opposition, because, in the bulk of confessions, their own sentiments are condemned. They wish to destroy a weapon, which they see directed against themselves. Were their own particular sentiments contained in the generality of creeds, their zeal to discredit them would undoubtedly decrease. Although we are far from applying this to all who differ from us concerning this subject, yet we are apprehensive that, generally, men are against confessions, because confessions are against them. There are indeed some, deserving the name of Christians, who, by a mistaken fondness for the noble principles of liberty and private judgment, and a zeal for the honour of divine revelation, are led to entertain an unfavourable opinion of creeds.

We now proceed to a serious and careful investigation of the principal objections which have been urged against creeds, designing to represent them substantially, as they have been stated by the ablest writers, and not to dissemble any thing which adds to their strength.

Objection 1. Confessions of faith, in their very nature and design, are an invasion of the natural rights of mankind. Every person is entitled to examine and judge for himself, especially in religion, which commands the strict

est inquiry, and cannot subsist without free and rational choice. No man, therefore, or society of men have authority to judge for another, or to compose a system of doctrines to which they can demand his assent. And as such a claim, by whomsoever made, is assuming and arbitrary; it is dishonourable and base in any Christian to submit to it. He who yields his neck to this yoke, gives up the most valuable right of a rational creature, and violates the command of Christ, to "call no man master on earth.”

In order completely to invalidate this specious objection, it seems necessary to show the foundation on which a vindication of creeds is built, or to mention the principles, upon which a church may require of those, who would become her members or her ministers, a consent to a public confession of faith. And we are willing the candid should judge, after attending to the subject, whether the use of confessions be any thing more, than a proper exercise of that freedom in religious concerns, which constitutes the essence of this objection.

It is not only the dictate of reason, but the appointment of Christ, that good men should unite together in religious societies, and have communion and fellowship with each other, as the people of God. And as freedom is the birthright of mankind, any number of them may voluntarily join themselves together for religious purposes, under such regulations as appear to them agreeable to God's word; provided they do not violate the rules of justice, or the rights of others. As every man ought to

choose a religion for himself, and to join himself to that body of Christians, which, in his serious, impartial judgment, enjoys the greatest purity, and confers the greatest spiritual advantages; in like manner religious societies have a right to worship in that way which seems most agreeable to divine revelation, and to manage all their concerns as a body, and act in every respect, as they believe themselves directed by supreme authority. Nor can any man intrude himself into such societies without their consent. No man can force them to entertain communion with him contrary to their own consciences, or in any respect usurp the direction of their affairs.

If Christians, who have formed themselves into a church, choose that some one should be appointed to lead in their religious exercises, and to explain the doc trines and inculcate the duties of Christianity; they have a title, founded on the natural rights of mankind, to determine who shall be invested with that sacred of fice. They are authorized to confine the office to such, as give satisfactory evidence of the qualifications which they judge to be necessary. Nor can any candidate for the office reasonably complain of hard treatment, because just satisfaction is demand ed as to his qualifications. Since it is a duty of a Christian minis ter to recommend the practice of every virtue and grace; a church may properly require, that the character and life of one, who is a candidate for the ministry, should be such as to exemplify the graces of Christianity. As it is one great duty of a minister to explain and enforce the doc Vol. II. No. 8.

trines of salvation; a church may reasonably require that he, whom they receive as their min ister, should believe those doctrines. For it is absurd to expect that any man will suitably preach doctrines, which he disbe lieves, or that he will contribute to the support of opinions, which he holds in detestation or contempt.

Let it, then, be remembered, that a society of Christians have a right to determine for themselves, what doctrines shall be preached to them, and by what mode of instruction they can be most edified. To oblige them to hear doctrines which they do not believe, or to hinder them from being instructed in that faith, which they seriously embrace, would be to usurp a tyrannical authority over their consciences. The members of a church, therefore, are by their natural rights authorized to judge, what doctrines or articles of faith shall be held by their minister, as a part of his qualifi cation for the office. But let it be well considered, that many, who profess to believe the Scriptures, deny the most important truths, and, by a cunning perversion of God's word, propagate the most hurtful errors. Consequently, a declaration of faith in the precise words of Scripture, thus misapplied and wrested, can no wise distinguish among those who hold and preach the most opposite doctrines, or give any satisfaction concerning their faith. The church may, therefore, justly require of one who offers to become their minister, that he express his belief in such terms as are least ambiguous, and best calculated, according to