tf 
 
 5 
 
 AN 
 
 HISTORICAL AND LITERARY ACCOUNT 
 
 OF THE FORMULARIES, 
 
 Confessions of jFaitfj, 
 
 SYMBOLIC BOOKS, 
 
 OF THE 
 
 ROMAN CATHOLIC, 
 
 GREEK, AND PRINCIPAL PROTESTANT CHURCHES. 
 BY THE AUTHOR OF THE HOR^ BIBLIC^, 
 
 AND INTENDED AS A SUPPLEMENT TO THAT WOnK, AND TO 
 
 THE SYLLOGE CONFESSIONUM, SUB TEMPUS REFOUMANDiE 
 
 ECCLESI^ EDITARUM, PRINTED IN 1804, 
 
 AT THE CLARENDON PRESS. 
 
 TO WHICH ARE ^DDED FOUR ESSAYS. 
 
 I. A succinct historical account of the Religious Orders of the Church 
 of Rome. 
 
 II. Observations on the Restriction imposed by the Church of Rome 
 
 on the general Reading of the Bible in the vulgar tongue. 
 
 III. The Principles of Roman-catholics in regard to God and the King, 
 
 first published in 1684, and since often reprinted. 
 
 IV. On tlie Reunion of Christians. 
 
 Ilontiott : 
 
 Printed liy A. J. f'alpy, Tooke's Court, Chancery Lane. 
 
 • R MESSRS. LONGMAN AND CO.; LAW AND CO.; LACKINGTON AND CO.; 
 J. RICHARDSON; F. AND C. RIVINGTONS; GALE AND CO.; SUr.RWOOD 
 AND CO. ; UNDERWOOD AND CO. ; OGLE AND CO. ; BOOKER, KEATING, AND 
 CO.; LONDON; MACREDIE AND CO., EDINKURGH J CUMING, DUllLIN ; 
 
 PARKER, OXFORD; BARRAT, CAMBRIDGE ; AND ALL OTHRR BOOKSELLERS. 
 
 1816. 
 
-iil'^tiO 
 
 3!>^ 
 
 Quare quis tandem me reprehendat, si quantum caeteris ad 
 festos dies ludorum celebrandos, quantum ad alias voluptates, et 
 ad ipsam requiem animi et corporis, conceditur temporis ; quan- 
 tum aliis tempestivis conviviis, quantum aleae, quantum pilae, 
 tantum mihi egomet, ad ha;c studia recolenda, sumpsero. 
 
 Cic. pro Archia. 
 
 Le Changement d'etude est toujours un delassement pour 
 moi. D'Aguesseau. 
 
TO 
 
 THOMAS STONOR, ESQUIRE, 
 
 OP 
 
 STONOR, 
 
 THIS WORK IS INSCRIBED; 
 BY HIS OBLIGED, 
 
 AND OBEDIENT SERVANT, 
 
 CHARLES BUTLER. 
 
 Lincoln's-Inn, 
 
BY THE SAME AUTHOR. 
 
 I. HORiE BIBLIC^, Part the First ;— being a connected 
 series of Notes on the Text and Literary History of the Bibles, 
 or sacred Books of the Jews and Christians. Fourth Edition. 
 
 II. HOR^ BlBLICiE, Part the Second ;— being a con- 
 nected series of Notes on the Koran, Zend-Avesta, Vedas, 
 Kings, and Edda ; or the Books accounted sacred by the Ma- 
 hometans, Parsees, Hind^is, Chinese, and the Scandmavian na- 
 tions. Third Edition. With two Dissertations : 
 
 1. On a Council, said to have beea held by the Jews at Ageda, 
 
 in Hungary, in lG50, with the original Narrative of the 
 Council. 
 
 2. An Historical Outline of the Disputes concerning the au- 
 
 thenticity of 1 John, chap. v. ver. 7- 
 
 III. HOR^ JURIDIC^ SUBSECIViE ;— being a con- 
 nected series of Notes concerning the Geography, Chronology, 
 and Literary History of the principal Codes, and original Docu- 
 ments of the Grecian, Roman, Feudal, and Canon Law. Second 
 Edition. 
 
 IV. A SUCCINCT HISTORY OF THE GEOGRA- 
 PHICAL AND POLITICAL REVOLUTIONS OF 
 THE EMPIRE OF GERMANY; or the principal States 
 which composed the Empire of Charlemagne, from his 
 
Vlll 
 
 Coronation in 800 to its Dissolution in 1806;— With some ac- 
 count of the Genealogies of the Imperial House of Hapsburgh, 
 and the Six Secular Electors of Germany ; and of Roman^ 
 German, French and English Nobility. Second Edition. 
 
 V. THE LIFE OF FENELON, Archbishop of Cam- 
 bray. 
 
 VI. THE LIFE OF BOSSUET, Bishop of Meaux. 
 
 VH. THE LIFE OF THE REVEREND HENRL 
 MARIE DE BOUDON, Archdeacon of Evreux. 
 
 VHI. THE LIFE OF MICHEL DE L'HOPITAL, 
 
 Chancellor of France. 
 
 IX. THE LIFE OF THE REVEREND ALBAN 
 BUTLER, Author of the Lives of the Saints. 
 
 X. THE LIVES OF DOM ARMAND-JEAN LE 
 BOUTHILLIER DE RANCE, Abbot regular and reformer 
 of the Monastery of la Trappe ; and of Thomas d Kempis, 
 the reputed Author of " the imitation of Christ." 
 
 A complete Edition of all the above-mentioned works, and 
 Historical Memoirs of the Church of France, in the reigns of 
 Lewis the XlVth., Le^^is the XVth., Lewis the XVIth., and 
 the French Revolution ; and a Volume of Miscellaneous Tracts, 
 are now printing by W. Clarke and Sons, Portugal Street^ 
 Lincoln's Iim. 
 
3Introtiuction* 
 
 ^'^ OP THE ^ 
 
 [UHT " , "' ""' 
 
 The constitutions of the Roman-Catholic and Protestant ^- 
 Churches, differ in nothing more, than in the following 
 important points : The Catholic Church acknowledges 
 the authority of the scriptures, and, in addition to them, 
 a body of traditionary law : she receives both under the 
 authority, and with the interpretation of the Church ; 
 and she believes that the authority of the Church in re- 
 ceiving and interpreting them, is infallible. The Pro- 
 testant churches acknowledge no law but the scriptures, 
 no interpreter of the scriptures, but the understanding 
 and conscience of the individual who peruses them. 
 
 That the Roman Catholic Church should propound ■- 
 a formulary of her faith, enlarge it, from lime to time, 
 as further interpretation is wanted, and enforce acqui- 
 
escence in it by spiritual censures, is consistent with her 
 principles. Whether such a pretension can be avowed 
 without inconsistency by any Protestant Church, has 
 been a subject of much discussion. In point of fact, 
 however, no Protestant Church is without her formulary, 
 or abstains from enforcing it by spiritual censures. To 
 enforce their formularies by civil penalties, is inconsistent 
 with the principles of every Christian Church. All 
 ' churches howsoever have enforced, and blamed the 
 others for so enforcing them. 
 
 Such formularies, from the circumstance of their col- 
 lecting into one instrument, several articles of religious 
 belief, are generally known on the Continent by the ap^ 
 pellation of Symbolic Books. To give some account 
 of the principal of these formularies, is the object of these 
 pages. 
 
 The following order is preserved in them : They begin 
 with the Symbolic Books of the Roman Catholic Churchy 
 as the church from which all other churches have sepa- 
 rated. They then proceed to the Symbolic Books of the 
 Greek Church, as the church nearest to her in antiquity. 
 After this, they proceed to the Symbolic Books of the 
 Protestant Churches comprehending, under that word, 
 all the churches which, at the period of the Reformation, 
 or subsequently to it, have separated from the Roman 
 CaLliolic Church. They are here considered under the 
 
XI 
 
 known division of the Lutheran and Reformed Omxchcs ; 
 the former division embraces the churches which profess 
 the creed expressed in the confession of Augsburgh j 
 the latter embraces the churches which adhere to the 
 doctrines of Calvin. Sometimes, and particularly in 
 England, the term "Reformed," is generally used as 
 standing in opposition to the Roman Catholic Church : 
 but it is more accurately used, for the common denonoi- 
 nation of the Calmnistic churches on the Continent. In 
 this sense, it was first assumed by the French Calvinistic 
 reformers, and passed from them' to the members of the 
 other churches of the same or a similar creed. From 
 their differing from the Lutheran churches on the 
 doctrine of the real presence in the sacrament of the 
 Eucharist, they acquired the appellation of Sacramen» 
 tarians ; and, from some circumstance which has not 
 been yet ascertained, they received in France the name 
 of Hugonots. The work then proceeds to the Symbolic 
 Books of the Waldenses and Bohemians. The separation 
 of the members of these sects from the Church of 
 Rome may be traced to the ninth century, but they do 
 not fall within the subject of these pages till their frater- 
 nization with Protestant churches. The account of the 
 churches on the Continent closes with the " Articuli 
 Visitatorii" of Saxony, as presenting, under a few heads, 
 what the framers of them considered to constitute the 
 chief doctrinal points in difference between the Lutheran 
 and the Reformed churches. 
 
Xll 
 
 The Symbolic Books of the Arminians and Socinians 
 then come under consideration ; a page is then assigned 
 to the Unitarians. The reader is then conducted to 
 Great Britain ; and the Symbolic Books of the national 
 Church of England and those of the Presbyterian, 
 Independent, and Baptist churches are successively 
 noticed. After which, some mention is made of the 
 Symbolic Books of the Churches of Scotland and 
 Ireland; and of the Symbolic Books of the Anabaptists 
 and Quakers. 
 
Xlll 
 
 Thus, the following pages will be found to give 
 
 some account of , 
 
 p. .S ai 
 
 ^ i ^ 
 
 CJ CO fU 
 
 I, 1 The two Symbolic Books received by all Christian 
 
 Churches; — These are 
 
 1 1 The Symbol of the Apostles ; 
 
 2 2 And the Nicene Symbol : 
 
 3 2 With some account of the Symbol of St. Athanasius. 
 
 II. Some account of 
 
 1 4 The Council of Trent ; 
 
 2 9 The Symbol of Pope Pius the IVth. ; 
 
 3 11 And the Catechism of the Council of Trent ; 
 
 4 12 Some mention follows of Bossuet's Exposition of 
 
 Fadth. 
 III. 16 An account is then given of the Symbolic Books of 
 
 the Greek Church; 
 IV^ £0 And of the Symbolic Books of the Lutheran 
 
 Chxirches : 
 1 81 These are ; — The Confession of Augsburgh ; 
 9 27 The Apology of the Confession of Augsburgh ; 
 
 3 28 The Articles of Smalcald ; 
 
 4 29 The Catechisms of Luther ; 
 
 5 ib. The Form of Concord ; 
 
 6 31 And the Saxonic and Wirtemburgh Confessions of 
 
 Faith. • 
 
XIV 
 
 Some observations follow on the 
 
 5J 
 
 >c 
 
 
 s. 
 
 .2 
 
 V 
 
 C<3 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 O 
 
 CO 
 
 CL| 
 
 rv. 
 
 r 
 
 32 
 
 
 8 
 
 32 
 
 32 Constitution and Liturgy of the Lutheran Church; 
 32 On the difference between the Roman-Catholic and 
 Lutheran Churches on the Doctrine of Justification ; 
 And on the 
 9 36 Communications between the Divines of Wirtem- 
 burgh and the Patriarch of Constantinople on the 
 Confession of Augsburgh. 
 
 Some account is then given of the 
 
 V. 39 Symbohc Books of the Reformed Churches ; 
 
 1 ib. The Helvetic Confession ; 
 
 2 41 The Tetrapolitan Confession ; 
 
 3 42 The Confession of Faith or Catechism of Heidelberg; 
 
 4 43 The Gallic Confession of Faith ; 
 
 5 44 The Belgic Confession of Faith ; 
 
 6 45 The Canons of the Synod of Dort ; 
 VI. 47 The Symbolic Books of the Waldenses ; 
 
 VII. 49 The Symbolic Books of the Bohemians ; 
 
 VIII. 52 The Articuli Visitatorii of the Electorate of Saxony. 
 
 IX. 55 The Symbolic Books of the Arminians. 
 
 X. 59 The Symbolic Books of the Socinians. 
 
 XI. 67 The Symbolic Books of the Church of England. 
 
 Under this head are considered 
 
 1 68 Xhe English Theological Oaths ; 
 
 2 71 The Articles of Henry the Eighth; 
 8 7? The Articles of Edward the Sixth ; 
 
XV 
 
 p. 
 
 .2 
 u 
 
 u 
 
 <^ 
 
 
 4 
 
 
 5 
 
 
 6 
 
 
 7 
 
 
 8 
 
 
 72 The Thirty-nine Articles ; 
 
 74 The Canons ; 
 
 75 The Controversy on the authentic Edition of the 
 Thirty-nine Articles; 
 
 80 The Book of Common Prayer ; 
 82 And the Homilies. 
 Xn. 83 Mention then is made of the Symbolic Books of the 
 
 Presbyterians and the Independents ; 
 
 XIII. 90 The Scottish Confession of Faith j 
 
 XIV. 91 The Irish Confession of Faith ; 
 
 XV. 93 The Confession of Faith of the Anabaptists; 
 
 XVI. 97 The Symbolic Books of the Quakers. 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 I ^ 
 
 I. 100 The Confesston of Faith of the Eastern Churches. 
 II. 1 13 The Visitatorial Articles of the Electorate of Saxony. 
 
 FOUR ESSAYS. 
 
 I. A succinct historical account of the Religious Orders "* 
 of the Church of Rome, -------- 120 
 
 II. Observations on the Restriction imposed by the 
 Church of Rome on the general reading by the 
 Laity of the Bible in the vulgar tongue, - - - 141 
 
 III. The principles of Roman-catholics in regard to God 
 
 and the King, first published in 1684, and since 
 repeatedly published, --------- 16I 
 
 IV. Ou the Reunion of Christians, ------- 175 
 
 A Translation of Fenelon's Letter, mentioned in the Second of these 
 Essays, has lately been published, by the Reverend Edward Peach, 
 Pastor of St, Chad's Chapel, Birmingham; printed for Andrews, Orange 
 Street, Red Lion Square. 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 The Sijmholk Books received hy all Chnstiun 
 Churches, and some Observations on the Sym- 
 bol of St. Athanasius. 
 
 All Christian Churches receive the Symbol of the Apostles, 
 and the Nicene Symbol. 
 
 As the Symbol of St, Athanasius is received by the Roman- 
 Catholic, and many other Christian Churches, some mention of 
 it, in this place, seems proper. 
 
 I. 1. 
 
 The Si/mbol of the Apostles. 
 
 The first of the Christian Creeds in antiquity, confessedly is, 
 the Symbol of the Apostles. On the origination of it, there are 
 different opinions : some writers have supposed, that the Apos- 
 tles, before their dispersion, agreed on its several articles. An 
 ancient tradition, recorded by Rufinus, mentions, that each of 
 the Apostles contributed to it a sentence ; and a writer, under 
 the name of St. Austin, proceeds so far as to assign to each 
 Apostle, the article, which he contributed. This tradition, and 
 still more the improvement on it, have greatly the air of a fable: 
 and even the opinion, which generally attributes the symbol to 
 the Apostles, is open to serious objection. If it were their 
 composition, it seems unaccountable, that it should not be 
 Conf. j\ 
 
2 
 
 mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles ; that no reference to it 
 should be found in any of the apostolic epistles ; that it was not 
 included among the canonical writings ; and that, when the 
 Council of Ephesus, and afterwards the Council ofChalcedon, 
 proscribed all creeds, except the Nicene, neither of them ex- 
 cepted the Symbol of the Apostles from the general proscrip- 
 tion. Without discussing any of these opinions, it is sufficient 
 for the present purpose to state, in the words of Mr. Grabe, 
 adopted by Mr. Bingham, (Ecc. Ant. Book x. 1. 4.) " that the 
 Symbol of the Apostles unquestionably contains the Articles of 
 Faith solemnly professed by the first Christians, in their Con- 
 fessions, in the Apostles' days, by their authority, or at least 
 with their approbation." It has been called by several titles. 
 In the course of time, it acquired the name, both in the Eastern 
 and in the Western Churches, of the Symbol of the Apostles ; 
 but in England it is more frequently called the Apostles' Creed. 
 
 I. 2. 
 
 The Nicene Symbol. 
 
 This ancient and important document of Christian Faith, in 
 its original form, was published by the Council of Nice. It was 
 enlarged by the second general Council of Constantinople. As 
 it was settled at that Council, the form of it is the same as that 
 which is used in the Roman-Catholic and Protestant liturgies. 
 At an early period, the word FiUoqtie, to express the procession 
 of the Holy Ghost, both from the Father and the Son, was in- 
 serted in it, by the Latin Church. It is recited in the first Coun- 
 cil of Rracara, in 411 ; and in the third Council of Toledo, in 
 589. 
 
 I. 3. 
 
 The Symbol of St. Athanamis. 
 
 The Symbol, which bears the name of St. Athanasius, has its 
 place _in the Roman-Catholic and some Protestant liturgies. 
 
Whether St. Athanasius were the author of it, has been disputed 
 with great erudition, by the learned of both communions. It 
 is observable, 1st, that in his epistle to the people of Antioch, 
 St. Athanasius explicitly declares, that, " perfectly acquiescing 
 in the Ni(-ene Symbol, it had never entered into his niind, to 
 form a creed of his own ;" 2dly, that the creed does not contain 
 the word " consubstantial," which, it is difficult to suppose, St. 
 Athanasius would not have used ; and 3(ily, that some articles 
 in it seem counter positions to the subsequent heresies of Nes- 
 torius, Eutyches and the Monothelites. These seem strong 
 arguments to show that St. Athanasius could not be its author. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 The Sjj/nbolic Books of iJie Roman-CathoJlc 
 
 Churcli. 
 
 The most important part of the Traditionary Law of the 
 lionian-Catliolic Church, consists of the Decrees of her Gene- 
 ral, or GLcumenical Councils. In the earliest ages of Christia- 
 nity, the Christian prelates frequently assembled : their assem- 
 blies were called Councils. When the assembly consisted of 
 the Bishops of one or more provii^ces, it was said to be a pro- 
 vincial council ; ^^ hen all the Prelates'of Christianity were con- 
 vened, it was said to be a general or oecumenical council. 
 Such councils have been often held. The subject of these 
 pages confnies (liem; 1. To the Council of Trent. — This will 
 lead us to mention II. The Creed of Pope Pius the 4th; and 
 III. The Roman Catechism. 
 
 11. 1. 
 
 The Council of Trent. 
 
 Those who wish to form an accurate notion of the history of 
 this important Council, will find it useiiil to consider succes- 
 sively, 1st, The events, which took place, from the first general 
 agitation of the measure, till the opening of the Council ; 2dly, 
 Its proceedings from its opening till its first suspension; 3dly, 
 Its proceedings from its second opening, till its second suspen- 
 sion ; 4thly, Its proceedings from its third opening, till its 
 conclusion; .'ithly. Its conclusion ; ()thly, Its historiographers; 
 • — and 7lhly, Its reception by the Catholic states of Europe. 
 
1 . The Jssembh/ of a General Coiinril was first seriously 
 a'Titateil during the poiiliticate of Clement tlie 7th. 'l\vo opin- 
 ions were entertained of the prudence of llu, measure. Its ad- 
 vocates contended, that the state of the puhlic mind, in every 
 ihing which respected religion, imperiously called for a decision 
 of the Church on the points in dispute ; and for a general regu- 
 lation of her discipline : Its opposers contended, that the minds 
 of men were in too great a ferment, to make it probable, that the 
 members oftheProtestaiit Churches would acquiescein the decrees 
 of the Council ; and that, if they did not acquiesce, the distinction 
 between them and the Church of Rome would be indelibly 
 marked, and preclude every hope of a future union : but that, if 
 matters were permitted to remain for some time in their unset- 
 tled state, the violence of party would insensibly abate, and a 
 time arrive, when healing measures might have their effect. 
 This was the language of the Chancellor I'Hopital, the Presi- 
 dent de Thou, and many other distinguished personages ; and 
 Pope Clenjent himself, when he found there was no hope of 
 obtaining the previous obedience of the Protestant Churches to 
 the Council, seems to have inclined to this opinion. 
 
 On the death of Clement, iti 1534, Cardinal Famese was 
 elected Pope under the name of Paul the 3d. From the mO' 
 ment of his election he made strenuous exertions to procure 
 the assembly of the Council ; but, from every side, he met with 
 resistance. It was found difficult to fix, even on the place of 
 meeting. Mantua was first thought of; but the Duke of 
 Mantua insisted on conditions, with which the Po])e coidd not 
 lionou.rably comply. The emperor Charles the fifth wished 
 the Council to sit in Germany. To this Francis the first, the 
 emperor's great antagonist, would not consent : at length, the 
 city of Trent was fixed upon ; but the incessant wars between 
 the emperor and Francis still procrastinated the meeting. 
 Peace was concluded between the monarchs in 1544. Some 
 difficulties, however, still continued, and retarded the Council. 
 
 2. At length, on the ISth of December, 1545, eleven years 
 after the election of Pope Paul the third, the Council opened. 
 The matters for the discussion of the assembly were proposed 
 
6 
 
 by the Legates of the Holy See; then discussed, tirst m sepa- 
 rate, and afterwards in full, congregations. They were iinally 
 decreed at the sittings of the Council. Little was done in the 
 three first sessions ; but, in the four subsequent sessions, the 
 points respecting the Canon of the holy books. Original Sin, 
 Free Will, Justitication, the Sacraments in general, and Baptism 
 and Confirmation in particular, were decided. An epidemical 
 disorder breaking out at Trent, the Council, at its eighth ses- 
 sion, translated itself to Bologna. The ninth and tenth sessions 
 were held in that city; but nothing was decided in either of 
 them, and the Pope, being then very aged and infirm, suspended 
 its proceedings. He died in 1549. 
 
 3. With infinite difficulty, Julius the third, the immediate 
 successor of Paul, efi'ected the second opening of the Coimcil, 
 on the first of jSlay, 1551. The eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, 
 fourteenth, and fifteenth sessions were held during his Pontifi- 
 cate. The two first of these sessions were employed in prepa- 
 ratory proceedings. Li the fourteenth and fifteenth, the Coun- 
 cil proj)Ounded the Catholic doctrine on the Eucharist, Pen- 
 ance, and Extreme Unction. i\t the fifteenth, the Protestants 
 were invited to the assembly with an ofter of safe conduct. x\t 
 the sixteenth, tlie Council agtiin broke up in consequence of the 
 war in Germany. 
 
 4. Julius the third died in 1555. He was succeeded by Mar- 
 cellus the second. The Pontificate of !Marcellus lasted only 
 one month, and he was succeeded by Paul the fourth, of the il- 
 lustrious house of Caraft'a, the Dean of the Sacred College. — 
 ISIucli was expected from him ; but, in 1559, he died without 
 having re-assembled the Council. The Cardinal de Medicis, 
 by whom he was succeeded, under the name of Pius the fourth, 
 exerted himself, with success, in effecting a third re-assembly of 
 the Council, and bringing it to a conclusion. By an uncommon 
 union of prudence, zeal and moderation, he effected his object, 
 and the third opening of the Council took place on the 18th of 
 January, 156'2. On that day, the seventeenth sessions of the 
 Council met: and it was attended by several Cardinals and by 
 102 bishops. On the I8tli, the Censure of Heretics was discussed, 
 
and a safe conduct granted to Protestants. Nothing was decid- 
 ed at tlie eighteenth and nineteenth sessions. At the twenty- 
 tlrstj the Council decided upon Communion under both kinds ; 
 at the twenty-second, on the Sacrifice of the Mass ; at the 
 twenty-tliird and twenty-fourth, on the Sacraments of Holy 
 Orders and Matrimony; and, on the twenty-fifth, on Purgato- 
 ry, Devotion to Holy Images, the Invocation of Saints, and In- 
 dulgences. 
 
 5. Here, the Council closed. Its decrees were signed by 
 255 fathers : four of these were Legates of the Holy See ; two. 
 Cardinals ; three, Patriarchs ; twenty-five. Archbishops ; one 
 hundred and sixty-eight, Bishops ; thirty-nine, deputies of absent 
 Prelates ; seven. Abbots ; and seven were Generals of Religious 
 Orders, It was subscribed on separate Schedules, by the Em- 
 bassadors of the Catholic Sovereigns. 
 
 It was earnestly wished by the Pope and the Roman Catholic 
 states, that the Protestant Princes and their Divines should at- 
 tend the council ; but they insisted on a deliberative voice : this 
 the council uniformly refused. On this point the negociation 
 between them rmfortunately failed ; and, in a Consistory, held on 
 the 26th of January, 1564, the Pope, having taken, in the usual 
 form, the advice of the Cardinals, confirmed the proceedings of 
 the council. He died in the following year, and was succeeded 
 by Pius the Fifth. 
 
 That a considerable proportion of the Prelates, by whom the 
 council was attended, were distinguished by learning, virtue, and 
 enlightened zeal for religion, has never been denied. Perhaps no 
 civil or religious meeting ever possessed a greater assemblage of 
 moral, religious, and intellectual endowment. 
 
 6. In the different atmospheres of Venice and Rome, the 
 History of the Council of Trent has been written by the cele- 
 brated Fra Paolo, a concealed Calvinist, (the translation of 
 whose work, with notes, by Dr. Courayer, is more valued than 
 the original) and by Cardinal Pallavicini, a Jesuit. The Cardi- 
 nal does not dissemble, that some of the deliberations of the 
 council were attended with intrigues and passion ; and that Uieir 
 eft'ects were visible in various incidents of the council : but he 
 
8 
 
 conterxls, that there was an unanimity iii all points, which related 
 to doctrine, or the reformation of manners : and Dr. Courayer, 
 in the Preface to his translation, concedes, " that in what re- 
 garded discipline, several excellent regulations were made, ac- 
 cording to the ancient spirit of the church ;" and observes, that 
 " though all the disorders were not reformed by the council, 
 yet, if we set aside prejudice, we may with truth acknowledge, 
 that these were infinitely less than they were before." The 
 classical purity, and severe simplicity of the style, in which the 
 decrees of the council are expressed, are universally admired j 
 and are greatly superior to the language of any part of Jus- 
 tinian's law. 
 
 In what concerns faith or morals, the decrees of the council 
 have been received without any restriction, by every Roman Ca- 
 tholic kingdom : all its decrees have been received by the Em- 
 pire; Portugal ; the Venetians, and the Duke of Savoy, without 
 an express limitation. They have been received by the Spaniards, 
 Neapolitans, and Sicilians, with a caution as to such points of 
 discipline, as might be derogatory to their respective sovereign- 
 ties. But the council Mas never published in France. No at- 
 tempt was made to introduce it into England. Pope Pius the 
 Fourth sent the acts of the council to Mary Queen ot Scots, 
 with a letter, dated the 13th of June, 1564, urging her to have 
 the decrees of the council published in her dominions ; but 
 iK)thing a})pears to have been done in consequence of it. See 
 Histoire de la Reception du Cuncile du Trente, duns les dijf^rens 
 Etats Cafholiques: Paris, 2 Vols. 8vo. 17(i6. 
 
 The acts of the council were deposited in the Vatican, and 
 are said to have been removed from it to the Institut National, 
 at Paris, by the order of Buonaparte. The canons and decrees 
 of the councils, with the title, Conones et Decreta Concilii 
 Tridentini, were published at Rome twice, in the year 1564, in 
 one volume folio, and have since been reprinted in every form. 
 Both the editions of 1564 are great typographical curiosities; 
 but the first of them is incomparably the greatest. 
 
9 
 11. 2. 
 
 The Sj/mbol of Pius the Fourth. 
 
 A succinct arid explicit siuiiiDary of the doctrine contained in 
 tlie canons of tlie council of Trent, is expressed in the creed 
 which was published by Pius the Fourth iu 1564, in the form of 
 a J3ull, and usually bears his name. It is received throughout 
 the whole Roman Catholic church : every Catholic who is ad- 
 niitted into the Catholic church, publicly reads and professes 
 his assent to it. 
 
 The tenor of it is as follows : " I N. believe and profess, wiih 
 a firm faith, all and every one of the things which are contained 
 in the Symbol of Faith, which is used in the Holy Koman 
 Church, viz. 
 
 " 1 believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of 
 Heaven and Eurlh, and of all things visible and invisible ; and 
 in one Lord Jesus Christ, the oidy begotten Son of God, Light 
 of Light, true God of true God, begotten, not made, consub- 
 stanlial to the Father, by whom all things were made; who for 
 us men, and for our salvation, came down from Heaven, and 
 was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the \ irgin Mary, 
 and was made man, was crucified also for us under Pontius 
 Pilate, suffered, and was buried, and rose again the third day 
 according to the Scriptures, and ascended into Heaven, sits at 
 ihe right hand of the Father, and will come again with glory to 
 judge the Living and the Dead, of whose Kingdom there will 
 be no end : And in the Holy Ghost the Lord and Life-Giver, 
 who proceeds from the Father and ihe Sou : Who together with 
 the F"ather and the Son is adored and glorified, who spoke by 
 the Prophets. And one holy Catholic and Apostolic church. 
 I confess one baptism for the remission of sins, and I expect 
 the resurrection of the body, and the life of the world to come. 
 Amen. 
 
 " I most firmly admit and embrace apostolical and eccle- 
 
10 
 
 siastical traditions, and all other constitutions and observances of 
 the same church. 
 
 " I also admit the sacred Scriptures according to the sense 
 which the Holy Mother Church has held, and does hold, to whom 
 it belongs to judge of the true sense and interpretation of the 
 holy Scriptures ; nor will I ever take and interpret them other- 
 wise than according to the unanimous consent of the Fathers. 
 
 " I profess also, that there are truly and properly seven Sacra- 
 ments of the new law, instituted by Jesus Christ our Lord, and 
 for the salvation of mankind, though all are not necessary for 
 every one ; viz. baptism, confirmation, eucharist, penance, ex- 
 treme unction, order, and matrimony, and that they confer grace ; 
 and of these, baptism, confirmation, and order, cannot be re- 
 iterated without sacrilege. 
 
 " I also receive and admit the ceremonies of the Catholic 
 chureh, received and approved in the solemn administration of 
 all the above said Sacraments. 
 
 " 1 receive and embrace all and everv one of the things, 
 which have been defined and declared in the holy council of 
 Trent, concerning original sin and justification. 
 
 " I profess likewise, that in the mass is offered to God a true, 
 proper, and propitiatory sacrifice for the living and the dead ; 
 and that in the most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist there is 
 truly, really, and substantially the body and blood, together with 
 the soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ; and that there 
 is made a conversion of the whole substance of the bread into 
 the body, and of the whole substance of the wine into the blood, 
 which conversion the Catholic church calls transubstantiation. 
 
 " 1 confess also, that under either kind alone, whole and 
 entire, Christ and a true Sacrament is received. 
 
 '' I constantly hold that there is a purgatory, and that the souls 
 detained therein are helped by the suflfrages of the faithful. 
 
 " Likewise that the saints reignins togrether with Christ, are 
 to be honored and invocated, that they offer prayers to God for 
 us, and that their relics are to bo venerated. 
 
 " I most firmly assert, that the images of Christ, and of the 
 
11 
 
 Mother of God ever Virgin, and also of the other saints, are to 
 be had and retained ; and that due honor and veneration are to 
 be given to them. 
 
 " I also affirm, that the power of indulgences was left by 
 Christ in the church ; and that the use of them is most whole- 
 some to Christian people. 
 
 " 1 acknowledge the holy Catholic and Apostolic Roman 
 Church, the mother and mistress of all churches ; and I promise 
 and swear true obedience to the Roman Bishop, the successor 
 of St. Peter Prince of the Apostles, and Vicar of Jesus Christ. 
 
 " I also profess and undoubtedly receive all other things de- 
 livered, defined, and declared by the sacred canons and general 
 councils, and particularly by the holy council of Trent ; and 
 likewise I also condemn, reject, and anathematize all things con- 
 trary thereto, and all heresies whatsoever condemned and ana- 
 thematized by the church. 
 
 " This true Catholic Faith, out of which none can be saved, 
 which I now freely profess, and truly hold, I N. promise, vow, 
 and swear most constantly to hold and profess the same 
 whole and entire, with God's assistance, to the end of my life. 
 Amen." 
 
 II. 3. 
 
 The Catechism of the Council of Treid. 
 
 The council of Trent had recommended to the Pope to pub- 
 lish a catechism. By the Pope's recommendation, a catechism 
 was composed, under the direction of Cardinal Borromaso, by 
 several eminent theologians, })rincipally by Father Francis 
 Foreiro, a Dominican Friar, who had attended the council, in 
 quality of Theologian to the King of Portugal. The style 
 was afterwards polished by Julius Poggiani. It is indifferent- 
 ly called the Catechism of the Council of Tient, the Roman 
 Catechism, and the Calechismus ad Parochos. 
 
 It was first published at Rome, in one volume octavo, by 
 Pauliis Manutius, under the title " Catechismus Romanus, ex 
 
12 
 
 decreto Covcilii Tredentim, nd parochos, Pii V. Pont/Jch 
 Maxiifii, editus." It is reconimcaded by the eriicUtion, exact- 
 ness, and conciseness, with wliich it k written ; and l)y the 
 neatness and elegance of its style. It is, perli;!j)s, ilie best 
 work which a persoH, who seeks to obtain a clear and compre- 
 hensive knowledge of the Roman Catholic creed, can peruse. 
 
 IT. 4. 
 
 BussueVs Eiposition of the Faith of ihe Catholic Church, m 
 viattcrs of Corilivversj/. 
 
 The unqualified approbation, which this work has received 
 from the universal body of the Roman-Catholic Church, gives it 
 a place among, or at least, very near to, her Symbolic books. 
 
 In his controversies with Protestants, Bossuet thought he ob- 
 served, that the chief obstacle to their conversion to the Roman- 
 Catholic religion, arose from their mistaken notions of her 
 doctrines : it therefore appeared to him, that he might greatly 
 facilitate their conversion, by cotr posing a full, but concise, 
 exposition of the Roman-Catholic faith. 
 
 It was a v.ork of long and profound meditation. Whch 
 finished, he caused twelve copies of it to be printed, and cir- 
 culated them among the prelates and theologians, by who&a 
 opinion and advice he considered it iiiost likely he should be 
 benefited. They returned the copies to him with their written 
 remarks. • These he weighed with great attention, and finally, 
 in December, 1671, gave to the pubhc the Immortal Work. It 
 •was accompanied by the formal approbation of the Archbishop 
 of Rheims, and ten other bishops. Cardinal Bona, the oracle 
 of the Roman See, to whom Bossuet sent it, wrote him a letter,, 
 commending it in the warmest terms of approbation. It was 
 translated into every European language. 
 
 ** Nothing," to use tiie words of the Bishop of Alais, in his 
 recent Life of Bossuet, (L. iii. S. 14.), " can be compared to 
 the sensation which it excited in every part of Christian Europe, 
 
13 
 
 Nfver, si»jce the Co'.incil of Trt lit, liuil tliore been seen a consent, 
 So unanimous, of all the Catholic churches, to adopt a connnon 
 expression, in the profession of their opinions. Bossuet's ex- 
 position so simple, so clear, and so luminous, of the religious 
 tenets of the iionian church, was an answer to all the imaginary 
 chaises, which bad been brought against her doctrine, her dis- 
 cipline, and her institutions." Several protestants declared, that 
 ni)thing- Mas wanthig to it, hut to be avowed ; and that if it 
 should be universally approved by the theologians of the chufch 
 of Konie, they should lose their repugnance to Uieir re-union 
 Avith the Ronjan-Catliolic church. 
 
 Oilier Protestants represented the work differently. Ilieir 
 representation cannot be expressed better, than in the lan- 
 iruage of the historian of the Decline and Fall of the Roman 
 Empire. — *' La the Exposition of the Catholic Doctrine," says 
 that celebrated writer, in the Memoirs of his own Life and 
 Writings, " Bossuet assumes with consummate art, the tone of 
 candour and simplicity : and the ten-horned monster is trans- 
 formed, by his niagic touch, into a milk-white hind, who mustba 
 loved as soon as seen." 
 
 'J'hree answers to it were published : one by M.dela Eastide; 
 another by iM. Noguier ; and a third by M. de Bruevs ; all of 
 tiiem calvinists of distinction. 1 hey agreed in accusing Bossuet 
 of " a dlsingetmous softening of tiie real doctrine of the Roman- 
 Catholic church." They hinted, " how much they desired, 
 that all the members of the chmch of Rome, should hold the 
 opinions and use the hmguage of Bossuet : this," they observed, 
 " would be u happy commencement of refoimation:" but they 
 remaiked, that " this was far from being the case ;" that " no 
 opinion upon the work had been pronounced by the Pope ;" 
 that " it had not even been approved of by the Sorbonne." 
 
 But, in due time, this opinion was pronounced, and this appro- 
 bation obtained, in 1679, Pope Innocent expressed hi^ ap- 
 probation of it, in two briefs, which he addressed to Bossuet ; 
 and, in l68'2, it was unanimously approved by the general 
 assembly of the French clergy, which was held in that year at 
 Paxis. Father Maimbourg stands a solitary instance of dis- 
 
14 
 
 approbation by a Roman-Catholic ; and his disapprobation is 
 no more than a general sneer. 
 
 With the approbations which we have mentioned, a 6th edition 
 of the Exposition was printed at Paris, in 1686. From this 
 edition, all the subsequent editions have been printed. 
 
 One of the twelve copies printed by Bossuet for private cir- 
 culation, fell into the hands of Dr. Wake, Archbishop of Can- 
 terbujy. Perceiving that it varied, in some respects, from the 
 subsequent editions, Doctor Wake announced the discovery to 
 the pubhc, and deposited the copy, thus fallen into his hands, 
 among the archives at Lambeth. It was immediately reported, 
 that " the copy was, in reality, the original edition ;" that " the 
 Sorbonne had disapproved of it ;" that " in consequence of this 
 disapprobation, the edition had been called in, a second pub- 
 lished, with important variations, and imposed on the public as 
 the first." Bossuet was informed of these reports by a letter 
 from Father Johnstone, a Benedictine Monk. He replied to 
 the Father by a letter, of the 26th May, I686. He mentions in 
 it the circumstance of the impression of twelve copies for pri- 
 vate circulation among his friends, in the manner in which this 
 has been related ; he peremptorily denies, that the work had 
 been censured by the Sorbonne, or any individual catholic ; he 
 explicitly declares, that no edition had been given to the public, 
 before that which he announced as the first ; and unequivocally 
 asserts, that there was no important variation between the copy 
 produced by Dr. Wake, and the copies in general circulation. 
 In reply to the work itself, and in vindication of the charge of 
 disingenuousness, which he had brought against Bossuet, Dr. 
 Wake published his Exposition of the Doctrine of the Church 
 of England. He prefixed to it, " A Collection of some of 
 those passages that were corrected in the first edition of the 
 Exposition suppressed by Monsieur de Meaux." This work 
 was answered by, A Vindication of Bossuefs Exposition. Dr. 
 Wake replied to the Vindication, by A Defence of the Exposi- 
 tion of the Doctrine of the Church of England. To that, there 
 was a Reply. In answer to that reply. Doctor Wake published 
 " His second Defence ;" and to his second Defence, there was 
 
15 
 
 published, " A full Answer." Here the controversy appears 
 to have closed. 
 
 In the life of Bossuet, (L. in. Pieces Justi/icafives, N. i.) 
 the Bisiiop of Alais has inserted all the Variations pointed out 
 by Dr. Wake. After perusing and examining these alleged 
 Variations, either as they are given by Dr. Wake, or as they are 
 given by the Bishop of Alais, the reader will probably agree 
 with the Bishop, " that they are so slight and indiflferent, so evi- 
 dently determined by the grammatical motive of giving force and 
 precision to the style, and so foreign to the substance of the 
 doctrine, that, by producing them, Doctor Wake rendered un- 
 intentionally a great service to BoSsuet." 
 
CHAPiER III, 
 
 Tht Si/7fibolic Books of the Greek Church. 
 
 The piogress of the church of Constantinople, from a very 
 humble station, to the eminent rank which she afterwards ob- 
 tained in the Christian hierarchy, is a curious and important 
 event in ecclesiastical history. 
 
 Before the seat of the Roman empire was transferred to 
 Constantinople, the church had the three patriarchs of Rome, 
 Antioch, and Alexandria. Three dioceses were independent of 
 them ; and subject, each to its primate ; that of Asia, to the 
 primate of Ephcsus ; that of "^1 iuace, to tlie primate of Hera- 
 clea; and that of Pontns, to the primate of Cesarea. It is not 
 clear, that the church of Constantinople had its peculiar bishop ; 
 at most, the bishopric was inconsiderable, and its bishop sub- 
 ject to the metropolitan of lleraclea. After the translation of 
 the seat of empire to Constantinople, the bishops of Constanti- 
 nople acquired importance ; by degrees, they obtained eccle- 
 siastical jurisdiction over Thrace, Asia, and Puntus, and were 
 elevated to tlie rank of Patriarch. The same rank was con- 
 ferred on the bishop of Jerusalem. Thus, during a considerable 
 jieriod, the five Patriarchs of the Christian world were those of 
 Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, and Jerusalem. 
 In course of time, the patriarch of Constantinople raised him- 
 self above the other oriental patriarchs, and finally assumed the 
 
17 . 
 
 title of Qilcumenical, or Universal, Patriarch. The Popes op- 
 posed this attempt, and preserved their own rights ; and there- 
 fore, as Mr. (iibbon observes, " till the great division of the 
 church, the Roman bishop had ever been respected by the 
 orientalists, as the first of the five patriarchs." (Vol. i. pa. 400, 
 quarto edition.) 
 
 Even in matters of ceremony in civil concerns, Constantino- 
 ple yielded to Rome : the consul of the West preceded the con- 
 sul of the East. After the separation of the (jreek from the 
 Latin church, the five patriarchs were represented in Rome, by 
 five churches ; the Roman patriarchate, by the church of St. 
 John of Lateran ; the patriarch of Constantinople, by the church 
 of St. Peter in the Vatican ; the patriarchate of Alexandria, by 
 the church of St. Paul ; the patriarchate of Antioch, by the 
 church of St. Mary the Greater; and the patriarchate of Jeru- 
 salem, by the church of St. Lawrence. (See Onuphrias tie 
 Episcopatibus, titulis, et diaconiis Cardiualium.) 
 
 The points which the Greeks objected to the Latin cliurch, 
 and upon which they professed to justify their separation from 
 her, were, 1st. that, in the article of the symbol or creed of Con- 
 stantinople, which mentions the procession of the Holy Ghost, 
 the I^atin church had inserted the word " Jilioque," to describe 
 the double procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and 
 Son ; 2dly, that the Latin church acknowledged the spiritual 
 supremacy of the Pope ; and 3dly. that in the consecration of 
 the sacrifice of the altar, the Latin Church used unleavened 
 bread. The history of the temporary reunion of the churches, 
 at the council of Florence, is well known. 7'he attempts 
 which, about the middle of the sixteenth century, were set on 
 foot, to lead the Greeks of the Levant to a reunion with the See 
 of Rome, and the successful exertions of Cyrillus Lucaris, the 
 patriarch of Constantinople, to prevent it, are also known : but 
 a full and judicious history appears to be wanting. 
 
 Wherever the Turkish enipire extends, the Greek church is 
 
 in a state of subjection ; but, in an inimense part of the globe, 
 
 as both the Russias, Georgia, Circassia, Mingrelia, and the 
 
 islands in the Mediterranean, belonging to the Venetians, the 
 
 Conf. 1$ 
 
18 
 
 Greek Church is that of the state. Even in his present condi- 
 tion of degradation, the Patriarch of Constantinople holds his 
 pre-eminence over every other prelate of the Greek Church. 
 Mr. Dallaway observes, that, '' since the close of the sixteenth 
 century, the Russian Church has claimed a jurisdiction indepen- 
 dent of the See of Constantinople ; nevertheless, appeals have 
 been made to this See, in cases of extraordinary importance." 
 This is confirmed by Mr. King, in his " Rites and Ceremonies 
 of the Greek Church of Russia." Thus, ever since the separa- 
 tion of the Churches, each of the two prelates, the bishop of 
 Rome and the Patriarch of Constantinople, has been the centre 
 of different systems. 
 
 The Greek church has many important documents of her 
 faith, subsequent to her separation from the Church of Rome: 
 two of them are entided to particular mention. The first, is tire 
 Confession of her t7uie and sincere Faith, which, on the taking 
 of Constantinople by Mahomet the second, in 1453, Genna- 
 dius, its patriarch, presented to the conqueror. It was favour- 
 ably received, and Mahomet tielivered into the hand of Genna- 
 dius, the crozier or pastoral staff, as an emblem of his investiture 
 of the patriarchal. see, and authorised him to assure the Greeks 
 in his name, of their lives, their liberties, and the free exercise 
 of their religion. An account of the interview is given in the 
 Historia Patriarcharum qui sederunt in hac magna, catholi- 
 caque ecclesia Const antiiiopolitanensi postqnam cepit earn Sidla- 
 nus Mechemefa : written in modern Greek, by Emmanuel Ma- 
 laxus, a Peloponnesian, translated into Latin by Crusius, Pro- 
 fessor at Tubingen, and published by him, in his Turco-Gracia, 
 Libri octo. A copy of this curious work, containing also the 
 Germaiio-Grcecia of the same author, is in the University library, 
 
 Cambridge. 
 
 The second, and by far the most authentic document, wliich 
 we possess of the creed of the Greek church is, The Orthodox 
 Confession of the Catholic and Apostolic Greek Church. It 
 was published in l642, by Mogila, the Metropolitan of Kiow : 
 It is written in the form of a Catechism, and has the approbation 
 of three Russian bishops, his suffragans. It was afterwards ap- 
 
19 
 
 proved, with great solemnity, by the patriarchs of Constanti- 
 nople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem ; by the bishops of 
 Ancyra, Lirissa, Chalcedon, Adriaiiople, Hersea, Hliodts, Me- 
 thymna, Lacedemon and Chio ; and by several of the chief 
 officers of the Greek church of Constantinople. An edition of 
 it in the Greek, Latin and German languages was published at 
 Wratislaw, in octavo, in 1751, An ordinance of Peter the 
 Great, of the Patriarchs of Moscovy and the perpetual Synod, 
 declared it to express the religious credence of the Russian 
 church ; and that the doctrine of it should be universally follow- 
 ed and taught. An Abridgment of the most interesting articles 
 in this Catechism, is inserted in the Appendix to this work, 
 Note 1. 
 
 It was the wish of the w riter of these pages, to insert in them 
 an historical account of the Confession of Faith of Cy rill us 
 Lucaris, the Patriarch of Constantinople, subscribed by him 
 in 1621, and of the Counter-Confession of the Council of 
 Jerusalem, held in that city in 16? '2, and presided by Doritheus, 
 its Patriarch ; but after much research, the materials for it have 
 not fallen within his reach. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 The Symbolic Books of the Lutheran Chutxhes. 
 
 The Council of Trent was attended with this incalculable good^ 
 that in a series of short canons^ it propounded all the Articles of 
 Catholic Faith, in explicit terms ; and thus, by a reference to 
 them, both the members of the Roman Catholic church, and the 
 members of the churches separated from her, might readily per- 
 ceive the points, in which the churches agreed ; the points, in 
 which they disagreed ; and the nature and extent of the disagree- 
 ment. A similar exposition of their faith had been previously 
 given by tljp Lutherans in the Confession presented by them at 
 the Diet of Augsburgh. It was originally called the Confession 
 of Augsburgh. J. That Confession, II. The Defence of it 
 by Melancthon, III. The Articles of Smalcald, IV. The 
 Great and Little Catechism of Luther, V. And the Form of 
 Concord, which we shall afterwards notice, compose the Sym- 
 bolic Books of the Lutheran church. We shall give an account 
 of them in this chapter : VI. Then, notice the Saxonic and 
 Wirtemburgh Confessions, VII. Then, offer some general ob- 
 servations on the Constitution and Liturgy of the Lutheran 
 Church, VIII. And on the difference between the Roman 
 Catholic and Lutheran Churches on the Doctrine of Justifica- 
 tion. IX. We shall conclude the chapter by an account of 
 some communications between the Divines of Wirtemburgh and 
 the Patriarch of Constantinople, on the Confession of Augsburgh. 
 
21 
 IV. 1. 
 
 Tlie Confession of All gshiitgh. 
 
 In 1530, a Diet of the German princes was convened by the 
 Emperor Charles the Fifth, to meet in that city, for the express 
 purpose of pacifying the rehgious troubles, by which most parts 
 of Germany were then distracted. " In his journey towards 
 Augsburgh," says Dr. Robertson, " the Emperor had many op- 
 portimities of observing the dispositions of the Germans, in re- 
 gard to the points in controversy, and found their minds every 
 where so much irritated and inflamed, that nothing tending to 
 severity or rigour ought to be attempted, till the other methods 
 proved ineffectual. His presence seems to have communicated 
 to all parties an universal spirit of moderation and desire of 
 peace. With such sentiments, the Protestant Princes em- 
 ployed Melancthon, the man of the greatest learning, as well as 
 the most pacific and gentlest spirit among the reformers, to 
 draw up a Confession of Faith, expressed in terms as little 
 offensive to the Roman Catholics, as a regard to truth would 
 admit. Melancthon, who seldom suffered the rancour of con- 
 troversy to invenom his style, even in writings purely polemical, 
 executed a task, so agreeable to his natural disposition, with mo- 
 deration and success.'* 
 
 The best account of this important document, which has come 
 to the knowledge of the writer of these pages, is the history 
 given of it, and of the transactions with w hich it is connected, 
 by M. Beausobre, in the eighth book of his History of the Re- 
 formation. He speaks, in terms of great praise, of the spirit of 
 conciliation, with which the Emperor entered on the business, 
 and which distinguished every part of the conduct of Melanc- 
 thon. An extract from a letter, written by that eminent re- 
 former, to Cardinal Campegio, the Pope's Legate, is transcribed 
 by Beausobre, and shews how nearly, at one time, matters were 
 considered to be brought to an accommodation. By this letter, 
 Melancthon informs the legate, " that he and all his party were 
 ready to receive peace on any terms ; that they had no dogma. 
 
which differed from the Church of Rome ; and that^ if they 
 disputed with her, it was only on some articles, which might 
 more properly be referred to the schools : that the reformers 
 had repressed those, who sought to spread pernicious doctrines ; 
 that they were ready to obey the church of Rome, on condition, 
 that she would treat tliem with that clemency, which she uni- 
 formly shewed to all, and connive or relax in some parts of 
 little unportance, which it was no longer in the power of the 
 Protestants to alter ; that they honored, with profound respect, 
 the authority of the Roman pontiff, and all the ecclesiastical 
 hierarchy ; that all the favour asked by them, was, diat the Pope 
 would have the goodness not to reject them : that nothing had 
 made them so odious in Germany, as the constancy with which 
 they defended some of the doctrines of the church ot Rome ; 
 and finally, that, with the grace of God, they would remain 
 faithful to the last breath, to Jesus Christ and to the church of 
 Rome." 
 
 This remarkable letter was accompanied by a Memoire, in 
 which it was proposed, ''1st. that the pope would have the 
 goodness to concede to the Protestants, communion under both 
 kinds, pariicularly, as the Protestants did not blame those, who 
 connnunicaied in one kind only, and confessed, that the body of 
 Jesus Christ, entire, together with his blood, was received under 
 the sole species of bread. 2dly. That his holiness would allow 
 the marriage of priests. 3dly. That he would allow, or at least 
 tolerate, the marriages already contracted by priests, or other 
 religious persons, and dispense with their vows. As to the 
 mass," say the writers of the Memoire, " we retain its principal 
 ceremonies." The distinction of meats and other observances, 
 Melancthon treats as secondary points, to be easily settled. 
 
 Beausobre considers the authenticity of the letter and 
 memoire to be unquestionable. " Nor are we," says Beau- 
 sobre, " to hold Melancthon alone responsible for this re- 
 laxation ; as it appears, that the Protestant Princes declared to 
 the mediators, that, if they would permit communion under 
 both kinds, the marriage of priests, and the celebration of the 
 mass, according to their reformation of it, and this only till 
 
23 
 
 the decision of the council should be obtained on these points, 
 they Mere wilhng to obey in the rest." Beausobre niso brings 
 strong reasons to slicw, that these propositions were not sug- 
 gested without the knowledge of Luther. Cardinal Pallavicini, 
 (lib. 1 1 1, c. 5.) mentions, on the authority of a letter of the Car- 
 dinal Legate Canipegio, that " the parties were on the foot of 
 coming to an agreement, when some injudicious publications, 
 which he mentions, rekindled the discord." Greatly indeed is it 
 to be lamented, that, where such a general disposition of con- 
 ciliation appeared, and such near approaches to it were actually 
 made, any thing should have prevented its completion. 
 
 When Melancthon had framed the Confession, he delivered it 
 to the protestant princes, who attended the diet. It was com- 
 posed by him, in the German language, and he himself trans- 
 lated it into the Latin. 1 he German was read at the diet, and 
 both the original and translation were delivered to the Emperor. 
 
 The singular importance of this document of Protestant Faith, 
 seems to require, in this place, a particular mention of its con- 
 tents. It consists of twenty-one articles. — Li the first, the 
 subscribers of it acknowledge the Unity of God, and the Trinity 
 of Persons: In the second, original sin : Jn the third, the two 
 natures, and unity of person in Jesus Christ, and all the other 
 articles contained in the symbol of the apostles,respecting the Son 
 of God. They declare in the fourth, that men are not justified, 
 before God, by their works and merits, but by the faith which 
 they place in Jesus Christ, when they believe that God forgives 
 their sins out of love for his Son. In the fifth, that the preaching 
 of the gospel, and the sacraments, are the ordinary means, used 
 by God, to infuse the Holy Ghost, who produces faith, when- 
 ever he wills, in those, that hear his word. In the sixth, that 
 faith produces the good works, to which men are obliged by the 
 commandments of God. Jn the seventh, that there exists a per- 
 petual cliurch, which is the assembly of saints ; and that the 
 word of God is tauglit in it with purity, and the sacraments ad- 
 ministered in a legitimate manner ; that the unity of this church 
 consists in uniformity of doctrine and sacraments ; but, that an 
 uniformity of ceremonies is not requisite. In the eighth, they 
 
24 
 
 })rofess, that the word of God, and the sacraments, have still their 
 efficacy, although administered by wicked clergymen. In the 
 ninth, that baptism is requisite for salvation, and that little 
 children ought to be baptised. In the tenth, that, in the sacra- 
 ment of die last supper, both the body and blood of the Lord 
 are truly present and distributed to those, vvho partake of it — 
 (The various readings of this article will be afterwards mt ntioned). 
 In the eleventh, that confession njust be preserved in the church, 
 but without insisting on an exact enumeration of sins. In the 
 twelfth, that penance consists of contrition and faith, or the per- 
 suasion, that, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven 
 us, on our repentance ; and that there is no true repentance, 
 without good works, which are its inseparable fruits. In the 
 thirteenth, that the sacraments are not only signs of the profession 
 of the gospel, but proofs of the love of God to men, which serve 
 to excite and confirm their faith. In the fourteenth, that a vo- 
 cation is requisite for pastors to teach in the church. In the 
 fifteenih, that those ceremonies ought to be observed, which 
 contribute to keep order and peace in the church ; but that the 
 opinion of their being necessary to salvation, or that grace is ac- 
 quired, or satisfaction done for our sins, by them, must be en- 
 tirely exploded. In the sixteenth, that die authority of magistrates, 
 their comniands and laws, with the legitimate wars, in vvhiclr 
 they may be forced to engage, are not contrary to the gospel. 
 In the seventeenth, that there will be a judgment, where all men 
 will appear before the tribunal of Jesus Christ ; and that the 
 wicked will suft'er eternal torments. In the eighteenth, that the 
 powers of free will may produce an exterior good conduct, and 
 regulate the morals of men towards society ; but that without the 
 grace of the Holy Ghost, neither faith, regeneration, or true 
 justice can be acquired. In the nineteenth, that God is not the 
 cause of sin, but that it arises only from the corrupt will of man. 
 In the twentieth, that good works are necessary and indispensable; 
 but that they cannot purchase the remission of sins, which is 
 only obtained in virtue of the merits of Christ, and in conside- 
 ration of faith, which, when it is sinctie, must produce good 
 works. In the twenty-first, that the virtues of the saints are to be 
 
25 
 
 placed before the people, in order to excite imitation; but 
 that the scripture no where commands their invocation, nor 
 mentions any where any other mediator than Jesus Christ. 
 " This," say the subscribers ot the Confession, " is the 
 summary of the doctrine taught amongst us; and it appears, 
 from the exposition which we have just made, that it contains 
 nothing contrary to scripture ; and that it agrees with that 
 of the Catholic Chinch, and even with the Roman Church, as 
 far as is known to us, by their writers. This being so, those, 
 who wish that we should be condemned as heretics, are very un- 
 just. If there be any dispute between us, it is not upon articles 
 of faith, but only upon abuses, that have been introduced into 
 the church, and which we reject. This, therefore, is not a 
 sufficient reason to authorise the bishops not to tolerate us, since 
 we are agreed in the tenets of faith, which we have set forth : 
 there never has been an exact uniformity of exterior practices, 
 since the beghming of the church ; and we preserve the greater 
 part of the established usages. It is therefore a calumny to say, 
 that we have abolished them all. But, as all the world com- 
 plained of the abuses, that had crept into the church, we have 
 corrected those only, which we could not tolerate, with a good 
 conscience ; and we entreat your Majesty to hear, what the 
 abuses are, which we have retrenched, and the reasons we had 
 for doing it. We also entreat, that our inveterate enemies, whose 
 hatred and calunmies are the principal cause of the evil, may not 
 be believed." 
 
 They then proceed to state the abuses in the church of Rome, 
 of which they complain. The first is the denial of the cup in 
 the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper — the second, the celibacy of 
 the Clergy — the third, the form of the Mass. On this head 
 their language is very remarkable : " Our churches," they say, 
 " are unjustly accused of having abolished the Mass, since 
 they celebrate it with great veneration : they even preserve 
 almost all the accustomed ceremonies, having only added a few 
 German hymns to the latter, in order that the people may profit 
 by them." But they object to the multiplicity of Masses, and 
 to the payment of any money to a priest for saying them. — The 
 fourth abuse of which they complain, is the practice of Auri- 
 
26 
 
 cular Confession : but, they observe, that they Jiave only takeit 
 from it the penitent's obligation to make to the priest a parti- 
 cular enumeration of his sins ; and that they had retained the 
 confession iis' If, and the obligation of receiving absolution from 
 the priest, j he fifth abuse, is the injunction of abstinence 
 from particular meats. ISlonastic vows they represent as the 
 sixth abuse. The seventh and last abuse of which they complain, 
 is that o! I'lccJesiastical power. They say that " a view of the 
 attempts of the Popes to excommunicate princes, and dispose 
 of their states, led thtm to examine and fix the distinction be- 
 tween the Secular and Fcclesiaslical power, to enable themselves 
 to give lo Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to the Popes and 
 Bishops what belongs to them :" —That " Ecclesiastical power, 
 or the power of the Keys, which Jesus Christ gave to his church, 
 consisted only of the power of preaching the Gospel, of ad- 
 ministering the Sacraments, the forgiveness of sins, and re- 
 fusing absolution to a false penitent : — Therefore," say they, 
 " neither Pope nor Bishops have any power to dispose of king- 
 doms, to abrogate the laws of magistrates, or to prescribe to 
 them rules for their government ;" and that, '' if there did exist 
 Bishops, who had the power of the sword, they derived this 
 power from their quality of temporal sovereigns, and not from 
 their episcopal character, or from divine right, but as a power 
 conceded to them by Kings or Emperors." 
 
 It is not a little remarkable, that considerable differences, or 
 various readings, are to be found in tlie printed texts of this im- 
 portant document ; and that it is far from certain, which copy 
 should be considered the authentic edition. The German copies, 
 printed in 1530, in quarto and octavo, and the Latin edition 
 printed in quarto in 1531, are in request among bibliographical 
 amateurs ; but there is a verbal, and, in some instances, a ma- 
 terial discrepancy among them. The Wittenburgh edition, of 
 1540, is particularly esteemed ; and has been adopted by the 
 publishers of the Sylloge Confessionum diversarum, printed in 
 1804, at the Clarendon press. One of the most important of 
 these various readings occurs in the tenth article. In some of 
 the editions which preceded that of 1540, it is expressed. 
 
27 
 
 " that the body and bhiod of Christ are truly present, and dis- 
 tributed to those, who partake of our Lord's supper ; and the 
 contrary doctrine is reprobated." '^I'he edition of 1 340 expresses, 
 that, *' with the bread and wine, the body and blood of Christ 
 are truly given to those who partake of our Lord's supper." 
 This diflference is noticed in the edition of the Confessions at the 
 Clarendon press. 
 
 " In the Confession of Augsburgh," says Dr. Maclaine, the 
 learned translator of Mosheim's Ecclesiastical History, " there 
 are three sorts of articles ; one sort, orthodox, and adopted by 
 the Roman Catholics and Protestants ; another, that consists of 
 certain propositions, which the papal party considered as am- 
 biguous and obscure ; and a third, in which the doctrine of 
 Luther was entirely opposite to that of Rome. This gave some 
 reason to hope, that by the means of certain qualitications and 
 modifications, conducted mutually by a spirit of candour and 
 charity, matters might be accommodated at last. For this pur- 
 pose, select persons were appointed to carry on the salutary 
 work ; at first, seven from each party, consisting of princes, 
 lawyers, and divines ; which number was afterwards reduced to 
 three. Luther's obstinate, stubborn, and violent temper, ren- 
 dering him unfit for healing divisions, he was not employed in 
 these conferences ; but he was constantly consulted by the Pro- 
 testant party." 
 
 The Confession was read, at a full meeting of the Diet, hs 
 the Chancellor of the Elector of Saxony. It was subscribed 
 by that Elector, and three other princes of the German empire, 
 and then delivered to the Emperor. 
 
 IV. 2. 
 
 The Apology of the Confession of Augsburgh. 
 
 John Faber, afterwards Archbishop of Vienna, and two other 
 Roman Catholic divines, composed au answer to the Confession : 
 Melancthon replied to their answers by his defence of the Con- 
 
28 
 
 fession of Augsburgh, Apologia Confessionis Augustana. Two 
 editions of this apology, one in quarto, the other in octavo, 
 were published by him in 1531 ; the former edition is preferred. 
 It was composed in the Latin language, and immediately trans- 
 lated into the German. The curious should acquire both the 
 quarto and octavo Latin editions, and the German translation ; 
 as, in all of them, there are various readings. Doctor Semler 
 says, that the variations, in the German translation, were made 
 with the privity of Melancthon. He also intimate.^, that Faber's 
 answer, which produced the Apology, was not published till 
 1572, when it was published in the German language. It ap- 
 peared in Latin in the following year. (D. Is. Semleri Appa- 
 ratus in Libros Symhoiicos Ecc/esice Lutherana, Halee Magde- 
 hurgiccBy 1775, oct. % 84.) 
 
 IV. 3. 
 
 The Articles of Smalcald. 
 
 TThe Confession of Augsburgh and its defence were followed, 
 at a distance of some years, by the articles of Smalcald, drawn 
 up by Luther, on the occasion of a meeting of the Protestant 
 Princes in that city. 
 
 They were framed by Luther, and exhibit a striking contrast 
 between the Doric eloquence of that reformer, and the Ionic 
 gentleness of Melancthon. In the Confession, and its defence, 
 every harsh expression was avoided ; and great reserve observed 
 in the mention of the Pope. In the articles of Smalcald, it is 
 explicitly declared, that, " the Pope is not of divine right ; that 
 the power, which he has usurped, is full of arrogance and blas- 
 phemy ; that all which he has done, and does, in virtue of that 
 power, is diabolical ; that the church can, and ought, to sub- 
 sist without having a chief; that though the Pope should 
 own that he is not of divine right, but that he was establish- 
 ed solely for keeping up, more conveniently, the imity of 
 Christians against the sectaries, nothing good would come 
 from such an authority ; and that the best method of go 
 
29 
 
 verning anil preserving the church, is, that all Bishops, though 
 unequal in gifts, should be equal in their ministry under one 
 chief, who is Jesus Christ; and llnally, that the Pope is the true 
 Antichrist." The subscriptions to these articles are preserved. 
 Melancthon was among the subscribers ; but widely diflfering 
 from Luther in his opinion of the Pope, he expressed his sub- 
 scription in the following terms : " I, Philip Melancthon, ap- 
 prove the preceding articles, as pious and charitable. As to the 
 Pope, my opinion is, that if he would receive the Gospel, for 
 the peace and common tranquillity of those, who now are, or 
 hereafter shall be, under him, we might accord to him the supe- 
 riority over the bishops ; which he now holds of common right" 
 — a sentiment subsequently expressed both by Grotius and 
 Leibnitz. The earliest and most approved edition of the arti- 
 cles of Smalcald, is in the German language, and was printed 
 in 1538. 
 
 It was intended that they should be presented at the general 
 council, then convened at Mantua, and afterwards held at Trent. 
 With this view they were translated into Latin. 
 
 IV. 4. 
 
 The Catechisms of Luther. 
 
 Long before the publication of any of the books we have 
 mentioned^ the Great and Less Catechisms of Luther made their 
 appearance. Both of them were printed in the year lo29- 
 Which tirst issued from the press, is a question much agitated by 
 Lutheran bibliographers. 
 
 IV. o. 
 
 The Form of Concord. 
 
 To the books which we have mentioned, many Lutheran 
 churches add the Form of Concord. It is also called, from the 
 
30 
 
 place in which it was composed, the book of Torgau. Its ob- 
 ject was to effect an amicable adjustment of the differences 
 among the Lutherans; and to pieserve their churches against the 
 opinions of the reformed churches in relation to the Eucharist. 
 With this view, Andreae, a distinguished theologian of the Lu- 
 theran communion, with the assistance of several other theolo- 
 gians of the same party, composed, in ]o7fi, this document. It 
 was sent by the Elector of Saxony to the Lutheran princes, for 
 their exammation. By some, it was approved; by others, re- 
 jected ; and it was censured by many theologians. This engaged 
 the compilers to review and correct it ; and from the document, 
 thus new-modelled, the Form of Concord, as it now stands, was 
 originally drawn. It was published in 1579- It produced much 
 disturbance ; M'as rejected by all the reformed, and some of the 
 Lutheran divines : and even the authenticity of the document was 
 questioned, as the printed copies were stated to differ, in many 
 places, from the manuscript copy, which had been approved. 
 Dr. Maclaine, (Mos. Ecc. Hist. Cent. XVI. Sect. 3. p. 2 N. c.) 
 charges it with a spirit of intolerance, and accuses the Lutheran 
 divines of calling to its aid the terrors of the sword. The best 
 edition is that of Dresden, in 1580. The best account of it is 
 to be found in Hospinian's Concordia discors. Tigur. MDCVII., 
 and Mutter's Concordia Concors. Wittemb. MDCXIV., in 
 folio : reprinted in the following year, at Leipsic, in the 4to 
 size. By the former, it is ably attacked; by the latter, ably de- 
 fended. It is the latest of the Lutheran Formularies. 
 
 The Confession of Augsburgh, its defence by Melancthon, 
 the Articles of Smalcald, and the Great and Little Catechism 
 of Luther, and, in many Lutheran churches, the Form of Con- 
 cord, are the standard books of the Lutherans. I'hey have 
 often been printed together ; and, in Germany, are universally 
 known by the appellation of the Symbolic Books of the Lu- 
 therans. 
 
31 
 
 IV. d. 
 
 The Saxonic and Wirtemburgh Confessions. 
 
 It remains to mention some Confessions of Faith, which ac- 
 cord generally with the Symbolic Books of the Lutherans, and 
 are greatly respected by them ; but which, except in particular 
 places, do not possess the authority of Symbolic Books. These 
 are the Saxon, Wirtemburgian, Suabian, Pomeranian, Mans- 
 feldian, Antwerpensian, and Copeuhagen confessions. The two 
 first of these only deserve a particular mention. 
 
 1 . It was the earnest wish of the Emperor Charles the Fifth, 
 that the Protestant Princes of the empire, and their theologians, 
 should attend the Council of Trent. On certain terms they 
 offered to attend it; but their terms were refused. While the 
 measure was in agitation, they prepared Confessions of Faith, 
 to be presented to the council. The principal of these is, the 
 Saxonic. It was composed by Melancthon, by the order of 
 Maurice, on whom the emperor had recently conferred the 
 electorate of Saxony. A numerous meeting of theologians from 
 that electorate was convened at Lejpsic : there, the confession 
 was unanimously approved ; and it was received, with the same 
 unanimity, by the churches of Pomerania and Strasburgh. It was 
 published in Latin in 1 552 ; and in German in the same year. From 
 the first of these editions, the edition at the Clarendon press is 
 printed. The title which it received from Melancthon himself, 
 is, " Repetitio AugustancB Co/ifessionis, site ut dicitur Con- 
 
 fessio doctrines Saxonicarnm ecclesiarum, Synodo tridentino 
 cblata, ari/io MDLI. in gua,christiane lector, videhis, quinam 
 et Catholicce ecclesice gremio resilierint, et per qiios stet, quo- 
 minus ecclesia pia concordia snnciatur. MDLII. 
 
 2. Brentius, the most celebrated of the followers of Luther, 
 after Melancthon, was the author of the Confession of Wirtem- 
 hurg. Christopher, Duke of Wirtemburg, by whose direction 
 it was composed, declared, in the preface, that it was an abridg- 
 ment of the Confession of Augsburgh. Its title is, Conjessio 
 
32 
 
 pia doctrina, qua, nomine illustrissimi principis Christophori, 
 duels Firtembergensis, per legatos ejus, die '24 mensis Janiiarii, 
 anno 1552, congregationi trident iiire proposita est. Tubingen 
 MDLII. There are, however, some important variations be- 
 tween each of these creeds and the Confession of Augsburgh. 
 
 Both these Confessions of Faith were presented at the 
 council ; and the persons charged with them by the Elector of 
 Saxony and the Duke of Wirtemburgh, were honorably received 
 and treated. (Fra. Paolo, lib. 8.) 
 
 IV. 7. 
 
 The Constitution and Liturgy of the Lutheran Church. 
 
 In the Lutheran Creed, the supreme civil ruler of every state 
 is clothed with the dignity, and performs the functions, of supre- 
 macy in the church. Its hierarchy, except in Denmark and 
 Sweden, does not allow of bishops, but admits of a consider- 
 able subordination of rank and privilege among the ministers of 
 the church. Thus it equally recedes from episcopacy and pres- 
 byterianism ; and, in its observance of some of the feasts and 
 fasts, and its retention of some of the ceremonies of the Roman 
 Catholics, it keeps a middle place between presbyterianism and 
 the church of Rome. Its liturgy, like that of the church of 
 Rome, consists of Psalms and Lessons taken from the Old and 
 New Testament ; and of Hymns and Prayers. On the doctrine 
 of the Eucharist, they hold, that the partaker of the Lord's 
 Supper receives, together with the bread and wine, the real body 
 and real blood of Christ. 
 
 IV. 8. 
 
 Difference between the Roman Catholic and Lutheran Churches 
 on the doctrine of Justif cation. 
 
 " But the justification of the sinner," to use Luther's own 
 language, " was the principle and source from which all his 
 
33 
 
 doctrine flowed." So great, in his opinion, was the importance 
 of this article of Christian faith, that he thought himself war- 
 ranted in asserting, that, " while the doctrine upon it was pure, 
 there would be no reason to fear either schisnj or division ; but 
 that, if the true doctrine of justification were altered, it would 
 be impossible to oppose error, or to stop the progress of fana- 
 ticism." (Luth. Op. Ed. Jenvv loGl, T. 6. p. 13. lb. T. 3. p. 
 189-) It is far from the object of these pages to enter into any 
 thing like controversial discussion ; but the writer thinks his 
 readers will not be displeased to find in this place, an accurate 
 statement of Uie doctrines of the Roman Catholic and Lutheran 
 churches upon this important tenet of llieir respective creeds. 
 It is expressed, with extreme accuracy, in a work highly cele- 
 brated on the Continent, " Leltres d'un Docteiir CalhoUque a 
 un Protestattl, sur les Piiiuipaux Points de Conlroverse. 
 Rouen, 1769. Deuxieme Leltre, am?- la justification." The 
 writer of these letters begins that, which relates to the point in 
 question, by observing to his Lutheran correspondent, that, 
 " if there be a point, on which persons have disputed widi 
 warmth, and without suflicieutly understanding one another, on 
 either side, it must be aeknovvledged, that the question on the 
 justification of a sinner, is a point of that description."- 
 
 " You teach," he proceeds to observe, " that the sinner is 
 solely justified by faidi; that, after having offended God, and lost 
 his grace, we obtain the remission of our sins, and are restored 
 to the friendship of God, by means only of an act of faith : — 
 every other act of virtue, as acts of contrition, good resolution, 
 hope, charity, Scc. having, as you pretend, no part in the sinner's 
 justification. 
 
 " Now, to form a just idea of the faith, which you maintain 
 to be the only means of reconciling us with God, it is to be 
 remarked, that it is not the failh, which is understood by that 
 word, in its common acceptation ; that is to say, a general faith, 
 by which we believe all that God has revealed to us. You re- 
 quire, that it should be a special faith, on the merits of Christ ; 
 and this faith, as your doctors explain it, contains first, an act 
 of the tinderstuiiditig, bv which we acknowledge, that Jesus 
 Conf. ' C 
 
34 
 
 Clirist has died for us ; that he has fully satisfied for our sins ; 
 and that he presents to us his merits, his satisfactions, and his 
 remission of our sins : and secondly, an act of the zeill, by which 
 we accept all this, in applying and appropriating to ourselves 
 what is offered to us, by Jesus Christ, — I mean his merits and 
 the remission of our sins. 
 
 " It is, however, necessary, that we do you the justice to 
 acknowledge, that you require justifying faith to be fruitful in 
 good works; for you declare explicitly, that if faith be not ac- 
 companied by good works, it is not a true faith ; that we must 
 be careful to avoid imagining, that justifying faith can subsist 
 with a wish to persist in sin ; that, those, w ho have not contri- 
 tion, and are resolved to continue to live in their disorders, have 
 not the faith which justifies and saves them. Luther's expres- 
 sion is, ' Faith and good works are inseparably connected ; it is 
 faith only which justifies, but justifying faith is never single, and 
 without good works.' 
 
 " We believe, — First, that faith, taken in the ordinary sense 
 of that word, that is, for the virtue which makes us believe 
 revealed truths, is absolutely necessary for the justification of the 
 sinner. We are fully persuaded, that no works done before 
 faith, or without faith, by the mere strength of free-will, or 
 hmnan reason, can have any part in the justification of the 
 sinner. 
 
 " Secondly, — We believe that faith alone does not suflSce to 
 justify the sinner ; that, in addition to it, there must be a sincere 
 sorrow for sin, a firm resolution not to relapse into it, a salutary 
 fear of the judgments of God, with a true confidence in the 
 merits of Jesus Christ, and in the divine mercy. 
 
 ^' Thirdly, — We believe, that though the sinner may obtain the 
 grace of justification, in bringing the dispositions which I have 
 mentioned, still he cannot merit them ; so tjiat he is justified, 
 gratuitously, by the pure mercy of God, and solely, in the view 
 of the merits of Jesus Christ. I explain myself: — the sinner, 
 after he has lost the grace of God, can do nothing, which is 
 sufiiciently agreeable to God, to entitle him to be restored to 
 his friendship. All the good works which he does, in such a 
 
35 
 
 state, are dead ; and of too little value to exact from the divine 
 justice, that the grace of reconciliation should be restored to 
 him, as the fruit of his works. When God justifies us, by re- 
 storing his frierjdship to us, it is not in consequence of the good- 
 ness of our works ; it is solely in consequence of the infinite 
 price of the passion and death of Jesus Christ ; it is gratuit- 
 ously ; it is from the pure effect of his mercy, that he applies to 
 us the fruit of the merits and the infinite satisfaction of his Son. 
 It is true, that God requires certain works, without which he 
 does not justify the sinner ; and in consequence of which, he 
 does justify him : but he does not require them as meritorious 
 works ; he requires them as conditions, or as necessary disposi- 
 tions, without which he does not receive the sinner into favour, or 
 admit him to participate in the merits of Jesus Christ, as to 
 their effects in the remission of sins. According to the doctrine 
 of the Council of Trent, (Sess. VI. c. 8.) nothing that precedes 
 justification, either of faith or works, can merit the grace of 
 justification. 
 
 " Fourthly, — We believe, that though the sinner can only owe 
 his justification to the merits of Jesus Christ, yet the merits of 
 Jesus Christ are not the formal justice of the person justified :— 
 he is not just of the justice of Jesus Christ; that is extrinsic to 
 him. He is just, by an inherent justice, — a justice which, at 
 the same time, is the justice of God, and the justice of man; — 
 the justice of man, because, having obtained it of the divine 
 liberality, it is within him, and not out of him ; — the justice of 
 God, because it comes from God alone ; he alone gives it to the 
 sinner, by a pure effect of his mercy, gratuitously, and only in 
 view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the sinner being altogether 
 unable, on his part, to merit the justice by any imaginable work, 
 whatever it may be." 
 
 We leave the reader to his own reflections : — if he be a Ro- 
 man Catholic, he nmst concede to the Protestant, that he be- 
 lieves no sinner to be justified without good works ; if he be a 
 Protestant, he must concede to the Catholic, that he believes no 
 good works of the sinner entitle him to justification ; and whether 
 
36 
 
 he be a Roman Catholic or a Protestant, he must concede to 
 both, that they equally believe, that, where either faith or good 
 works are wanting, the sinner will not be justified, — still, that his 
 justification is not owing either to his faith or his good works, or 
 to both : for though these abound, still would not the sinner be 
 justified, if it were not for the infinite mercy of God, and the in- 
 finite merits and satisfaction of his Son. The author of the 
 letters, to which the writer of these pages has referred, was Father 
 SchefFniacker, a Jesuit of Strasburgh. The reader, whatever be 
 his creed, will be delighted with their truly christian politeness, 
 elegance and perspicuity. 
 
 IV. 9. 
 
 Comrrmnication between the divines of Wirtemhurgh and the 
 patriarch of Constantinople, on the Confession of Augs- 
 biirgh. 
 
 The Confession of Augsburgh, and the other symbolic books 
 of the Lutherans, have been translated into every European lan- 
 guage, and made the subject of innumerable commentaries. 
 One of the most important of these translations, is that of the 
 Confession, into modem Greek, which in 1574 was sent, under 
 the direction of some Lutheran ministers of Wirtemburgh, to 
 Jeremias, the patriarch of Constantinople. The translation was 
 accompanied by a letter, hi which the Wirtemburgh divines ex- 
 pressed their hopes, that, " though, on account of the distance 
 of their countries, there was some difference of ceremonies be- 
 tween them, the patriarch would acknowledge, that they had 
 introduced no innovation into the principal things necessary to 
 salvation ; and that they embraced and preserved, as far as their 
 intelligence reached, the faith which had been taught them by 
 the Apostles, the Prophets, and the Holy Fathers ; and inspired 
 by the Holy Spirit, the seven councils, and the Holy Scriptures," 
 The different readings of that article of the Confession of 
 
37 
 
 Aucsburoh. which relates to the real presence, have beennoth id. 
 In the translation of the Confession, which was sent to the 
 patriarch, it was expressed in the following terms, "■ Touching 
 the supper of the Lord, they teach, that the body and blood 
 of Jesus Christ are there truly present, and are distributed to 
 those who participate; and they condemn those who teach the 
 contrary." 
 
 The patriarch's answer, so far as it relates to this article, is 
 expressed in the following terms : " The tenth article treats of 
 the Lord's supper; and to say the truth, with some obscurity; 
 for they report to us on this point some things of you, which we 
 disapprove. The catholic church teaches, diat the bread is 
 changed into the very body and the very blood of the Lord ; but 
 it is necessary, that the bread should be leavened, not unleavened. 
 For the Lord, in the night in which he was betrayed, having 
 taken bread and given thanks, brake it, and said, take and eat. 
 He does not tell them, ' this is unleavened bread,' or ' the figure 
 of my body;' but * this is my body.' It is not, that the flesh 
 which our Saviour bore, was given to his disciples to eat, or his 
 blood to drink ; or that the Lord descends from heaven in the 
 divine mysteries : for this would be blasphemy : but it is, that 
 then, at our Lord's supper, and now, in our sacrifice, by the in- 
 vocation and grace of the all-powerful spirit, which operates it, 
 and by the holy prayers and words of the Lord, the bread is 
 changed and converted into the very body of the Lord, and the 
 wine into his very blood." To the answer of the patriarch Jere- 
 mias, the divines of Wirtemburgh replied. They state separately 
 in their reply, the points in which they agreed, and tlie points in 
 which they diflFered : on the real presence, they tell him, that they 
 agree with him in believing, that " the body and blood of Jesus 
 Christ are truly present in the holy supper ; but that they do not 
 believe, that the bread is changed into the body of Jesus Christ." 
 To this reply the patriarch answered. Another reply and an- 
 other answer followed. The Wirtemburgh divines afterwards 
 published the whole correspondence, under the title, " Acta et 
 Scripta Theologorum IVirtemburgensiumet Patriarchs Constan- 
 
38 
 
 tinopolitani D. HierSmia, qua utrique ah anno MDLXXFl, 
 usque ad annum MDLXXXI, de Augu&tana Confessione, inter 
 se miserunt, grace et latine ah iisdem theologis edita. Wert. 
 MDLXXXIF. Fol. The consequences to be drawn from the 
 correspondence were a subject of warm dispute between M. 
 Claude and the authors of the Perpetuite de la toy. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 The Symbolic books of the Refortned Churches. 
 
 The reformed church, hi the largest extent of that expression, 
 comprises all the religious communities, which have separated 
 from the church of Rome. In this sense it is often used by 
 English writers : but, having been used by the French prutestants 
 to describe their church, it afterwards became tlie appellation of 
 all the Calvinistical churches on the continent. In this sense it 
 is used in the present pages. They will give some account, 
 I. of the Helvetic, II. Tetrapohtan, III. Heidelburgh, IV. Gal- 
 lic, V. and Belgic Confession of Faith, and VI. of the canons 
 at the Synod of Dort. 
 
 V. 1. 
 
 The Helvetic Confessioii. 
 
 The founder of the reformed church was Ulric Zuingle, a 
 man of great learning and acuteness of mind. ' 
 
 It was his opinion, that Luther's scheme of Reformation 
 fell very short of the extent to which it ought to have been 
 carried. Under the impression we have mentioned, and with 
 a view, as he termed it, of restoring the church to its original 
 
40 
 
 j>iu ity, Ziiingle sought to abolish many doctrines and rites of the 
 Roman-catholic church, which Luther had retained. In some 
 points of doctrine, he also differed from Luther, and his opinion 
 on the real presence made a complete separation between them. 
 Luther, as we have repeatedly mentioned, held that, together 
 with the bread and wine, the body and blood of Christ were 
 really present in the Eucharist. Zuingle held, that the bread 
 and wine were only signs and symbols of the absent body and 
 blood of Christ ; so that the Eucharistic rite was merely a pious 
 and solemn ceremony, to bring it to the remembrance of the 
 faithful. The opinions of Zuingle were adopted in Switzerland, 
 and several neighbouring nations. They gave rise to the most 
 violent animosities between their favourers, and the disciples of 
 Luther. Frequent advances to peace were made by the Zuin- 
 glians : Luther uniformly rejected them with sternness. He 
 declared an union to be impossible : he called them " ministers 
 of Satan." When they entreated him to consider them as 
 brothers, " What fraternity," he exclaimed, " do you ask with 
 me, if you persist in your belief.''" On one occasion, the inge- 
 nuity of Bucer enabled him to frame a creed, which each party, 
 construing the words in his own sense, might sign. This effected 
 a temporary truce; but the division soon broke out with fresh 
 animosity. " Happy," exclaimed Luther, " is the man who has 
 not been" of the council of the Sacramentarians ; who has not 
 walked in the ways of the Zuinglians." 
 
 There are several Confessions of the Helvetic faith. 
 
 The first is entitled " The confession of faith of the inhabi- 
 tants of Basle." The first edition of this was printed, in 1530, 
 at Basle, in the German language. I'he second is called " the 
 Summary and general confession of faith of the Helvetian 
 churches: Ecclesiarum per He/vefiam, CofiJ'essio Fidei Sum- 
 maria et genera/is.'' It was printed at Basle, in ]536, and 
 presented to the council of Trent. The tiiird, which is princi- 
 pally considered and generally styled " the Helvetic confession 
 of faith," is the " Confessio et Expositio simplex orf/wcloxajidei 
 etdogmatum catholicorumsincera religionis Christiana, concor- 
 diter ab eaiesice ministris, qui sunt in Helvetia, Tiguri, Berjti, 
 
41 
 
 Scophusii, Gangalli,Curi(Z-Rh<£torum,et apud coufederatos,Myl- 
 Intsii,item et Bienna, quibus adjunxerunt se et Genevensis ecdesicc 
 mmistri, edit a:" It was composed in 1566, by Bullinger, uuder 
 the particular direction of the Elector Palatine. Some wj.iters 
 have asserted, that the Elector was its real author. With the 
 exception of Basle, it was adopted by all the Helvetic and 
 Rh<etian cities, which had embraced the Reformation. The di- 
 vines of Basle refused to sign it ; not because they objected to 
 the doctrine which it contained, but because, in their opinion, 
 their previous subscription of their own creed, in 1530, ren- 
 dered it unnecessary. It is greatly esteemed by all the Reformed 
 Churches, and is particularly curious, from its generally ex- 
 pressing the Zuinglian creed, before it was newly modelled by 
 Calvin. It is the first of the Confessions in the Sylloge Con-- 
 fessionum, printed at the Clarendon Press. 
 
 V. 2. 
 
 The Tetrapolitan Confession. 
 
 This Confession was signed by the four cities of Strasburgb, 
 Constance, Memmingen, and Lindau ; and is supposed to have 
 been written by Bucer. It was first published in the German 
 language, in 1531, at Strasburgh. It was also published at 
 Strasburgh in Latin, in the same year. In some instances, par- 
 ticularly in respect to the Eucharistic sacrifice, it conforms to 
 the doctrine of Zuingle ; for though, in the tenth article, it may 
 be thought to express the doctrines of Luther on the Real Pre- 
 sence, this seems explained away in the apology, which accom- 
 panies the Latin translation. It was presented to the Emperor 
 at the Diet of Augsburgh, and, by his direction, a confutation 
 of it was immediately published. A curious account of this 
 Confession is to be found in Schelhornius's Amanitates Litera- 
 ria, torn. 6. p. 305. The title of the Latin edition is, " Con- 
 fessio Religionis Christiaiia. Imp. Cur. V. in Comitiis Aug. 
 1530 per legatos civitatum Argentorati, Constantia, Mem- 
 mingff, et Lindunicc exhibita, 4fo." 
 
42 
 V. 3. 
 
 .The Confession of Faith, or Catechism of Heidelburgh. 
 
 Th e intervention of Calvin gave a new aspect to the Creed 
 and religious institutions of the Reformed. The church of 
 Genevii being placed under his direction, he conceived one of 
 the bolt lest projects, that ever entered into the mind of an ob- 
 scure in dividual. He undertook to new model the religious 
 creed of the Reformed Church ; to give it strength and con- 
 sistency ; and to render the church of Geneva the mistress and 
 mother of all the Reformed Churches. His learning, eloquence, 
 and talents for business, soon attracted general notice; and 
 while tbie fervor of his zeal, the austerity of his manners, and the 
 devotional cast of his writings attracted the multitude, the ele- 
 gance o:f his compositions, and his insinuating style, captivated 
 the gentleman and the scholar. By degrees, his fame reached 
 every part of Europe ; and having prevailed on the Senate of 
 Geneva to found an Academy, and place it under his direction; 
 and having filled it with men eminent throughout Europe for 
 their learning and talents, it became the general resort of persons, 
 who lea.aed to the new principles, and sought for religious or 
 literary iiastruction. From Germany, France, Italy, England, and 
 Scotlanc I, numbers crowded to the new academy, and returned 
 from it to their respective countries, saturated with the theological 
 lore of Cleneva, and burning with zeal to propagate its creed. 
 
 In fiv»5 articles it materially differs from the creed of Zuingle. 
 1st. In the Eucharist, Zuingle supposed only a symbolical or 
 figurative presence of the body and blood of Christ. Calvin 
 maintained, that when the true Christian received the Sacrament 
 with a lively faith, he was united indescribably, but really, to 
 Jesus Christ incarnate ; and that, to him, Jesus Christ was there- 
 fore reality though not corporeally, present in the Sacrament. 
 Thus, w'hen he advocated the reaUty of the presence, he seemed 
 to hold tlie language of Luther ; when he denied the corporeal 
 presence, he seemed to hold the language of Zuingle : this gained 
 
43 
 
 him proselytes from both. 2ndly. With the abstruse doctrines 
 of fate and free-will, Zuingle had not meddled. Less wise than 
 Zuinwle, Calvin plunged into the abyss. The absolute decree of 
 God, with respect to the future and everlasting condition of the 
 human race, was an essential tenet in his creed. He maintain- 
 ed, without any qualification, that God, in predestinating from 
 all eternity one part of mankind to everlasting happiness, and 
 the other to everlasting misery, was led to make this distinction 
 by no other motive than his own good pleasure and free-will. 
 Sdly. Zuingle subjected the clergy to the controul of the magis- 
 trate ; Calvin made the clergy almost independent. 4thly. 
 Zuingle admitted a considerable degree of subordination in the 
 Hierarchy. Calvin admitted none in theory, and little in practice ; 
 and in direct opposition to Zuingle, held, that all ministers 
 of the church were perfectly equal. This gave his form of 
 ^ecclesiastical government its known appellation of Presbyterian. 
 From the circumstances which have been mentioned, Geneva 
 soon acquired the first rank among the Reformed Churches. 
 The second place was formerly assigned to the Reformed Church 
 of the Palatinate. In 1560, Frederick, the third elector pala- 
 tine of that name, had established the reformed religion in his 
 territories. His son substituted the Lutheran in its stead ; but 
 John Casimer, who succeeded the son of Frederick, restored, 
 in 1583, the discipline of the Reformed Church; and it ac- 
 quired so much consideration, that the " Form of Instruction," 
 which was composed for the use of John Casimer, under the 
 title of The Catechism of " Heidelburgh" was almost univer- 
 sally adopted by the Calvinists. The first edition of it was 
 published in 15G3, and holds its place in the Sylloge Confes- 
 sionunif printed at the Clarendon press. 
 
 V. 4. 
 
 The Gallic Confession of Faith. 
 
 The doctrines of Luther soon penetrated into France. But 
 after the institutions of Calvin had obtained a legal settlement 
 
44 
 
 at Geneva, his creed and discipline insensibly made their way 
 into that kingdom ; and were adopted, almost universally by 
 those French, who separated from the communion of the See of 
 Rome. The lirst Synod of the reformed in France was held in 
 1559 ; there a Confession of Faith was adopted. It was printed 
 in the same year ; and this edition is in great request amono- the 
 curious, as none of the translations, or subsequent editions ex- 
 press it with perfect accuracy. At the memorable conference 
 of Poissi in 1551, the celebrated Theodore Beza presented 
 this Confession of Faith to Charles the Ninth. Beins after- 
 wards presented, in great form, to that monarch by the Queen 
 Dowager of Navarre, Henry the Fourth, then King of Navarre, 
 Henry Prince of Conde, Lewis Count of Nassau, Admiral 
 Coligni, and several other persons of distinction, it acquired 
 the character and importance of a Symbolic Book. 
 
 V. 5. 
 
 The Belgic Confession of Faith. 
 
 At an early period of the Reformation, the new doctrines 
 reached the Netherlands. Some, who favoured them, adopted 
 the principles of Zuingle ; others, those of the Reformed 
 Churches of France. At the meeting of the States in 1571, for 
 renewing their federation, the system of Calvin was publicly re- 
 ceived, and the Belgic Confession of Faith approved. It is 
 observable, that the Lutherans were considered, by the govern- 
 ment of Spam, to be better subjects than the Calvinists. On 
 this account, the Dutch Protestants, as long as they were subject 
 to Spain, avoided the title of Reformed, and styled themselves 
 " Associates of the Brethren of the Confession of Augsburgh." 
 But, at the time of their federation, they assumed the title of 
 Reformed, and generally signed the Belgic Confession of Faith. 
 It has been translated into most of the languages of Europe, 
 and even into the Arabic. It was composed in French, and 
 first published in 1561. A translation of it into the Flemish 
 
45 
 
 language was prlnttnl in 1579- A Latin translation is published 
 by the editors of the Si/lluge Conjessioinufi, printed at the 
 Clarendon press. 
 
 V. 6." 
 
 The Canons of the S^nod q^J&or/.^.. 
 
 The Synod of Dort was convened to compose the troubles 
 occasioned by the celebrated Arminian controversy. 
 
 Arminius, Professor of Divinity at Leyden, had received his 
 theological education at Geneva. After much profound medi- 
 tation on the abstruse subject of predestination, he became dis- 
 satisfied with Calvin's doctrine of the Absolute Decrees of 
 God, in respect to the Salvation and Perdition of ISIan ; and, 
 while he admitted the eternal prescience of the Deity, he held, 
 with the Roman Catholic church, that no mortal is rendered 
 finally unhappy, by an eternal and invincible decree ; and that 
 the misery of those who perish, comes from themselves. Many, 
 who were eminent for their talents and learning, and some who 
 filled high situations in Holland, embraced his opinions ; but, 
 apparently, at least, a great majority sided against them. The 
 most active of these was Gomar, the colleague of Arminius in 
 the professorship. Unfortunately, politics entered into the con- 
 troversy. Most of the friends of Arminius were of the party, 
 which opposed the politics of the Prince of Orange ; while, 
 generally, the adversaries of Arminius were favourable to the 
 views of that prince. Barneveldt and Grotius, two of the most 
 respectable partizans of Arminius, were dirown into prison for 
 their supposed practices against the state. The former perished 
 on the scaffold ; the latter, by his wife's address, escaped from 
 prison. While these disturbances were at the highest, Arminius 
 died. 
 
 On his decease, the superintendance of the party devolved to 
 Episcopius, who was, at that time, Professor of Theology at 
 Leyden, and universally esteemed for his learning, his judgment, 
 
46 
 
 and his eloquence. The Arminian cause prospering under him, 
 the opposite party took the alarm, and, in 16 18, a Synod was 
 called at Dort, by the direction, and under the influence, of 
 Prince Maurice. It was attended by deputies from the United 
 Provinces ; and from the churches of England, Hesse, Bremen, 
 Switzerland, and the Palatinate. 
 
 The Synod adopted the Belgic Confession, decided in favour 
 of Absolute Decrees, and excommunicated the Arminians. Its 
 canons were published under the title of Judicium Sj/tiodi na- 
 tionalis reformatarum ecclesiarum habiti Dordrechii anno 16 18 
 et 1619, de quinque doctrines capitibus, in ecclesiis belgicis, 
 controvertis : Promulgatum VI. Maii MDCXIX. 4to. It 
 concludes the Sylloge Confessionum, printed at the Clarendon 
 press. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 The Symbolic Books of the Waldenses. 
 
 r Ew works are more wanted, or, if executed by a religious, 
 learned, and philosophic pen, would be more interesting or in- 
 structive, than a history of the second appearance of the 
 Manichjeans in the west, and the important consequences, both 
 in church and state, with which it was attended. 
 
 It is known to every learned reader, that, some time after the 
 death of Manes, the European Manichseans retreated, and car- 
 ried their doctrines with them into the east. They returned into 
 Europe about the beginning of the ninth century ; and, during 
 that and the following centuries, they and tbeir disciples, under 
 various appellations, as Paulicians, Albigeiises, Bogards, and f ^ f 
 Brethren of the Free Spirit, spread themselves over Europe, in ' - ' 
 several sects, equally hostile to the church ajid state. 
 
 The Waldenses are of a different extrac tion, and the horrid 
 principles, with which the sects of Manic'haean extraction have 
 been charged, cannot with justice be imputed to the disciples 
 of Waldo. Tlie same exception may b«j made in favour of 
 some other denominations of Christians, Tvho, during the period 
 we have mentioned, separated from the church of Rome. But, 
 in the course of time, some portions of the se adopted, in a greater 
 or less degree, several of the obnoxi-ous principles of the 
 Manichseaxis ; so that^ speaking generj illy, the two following 
 
48 
 
 opinions prevailed in most of their communities ; that the indi- 
 vidual possession of worldly goods is unlawful ; and that no 
 person in office, either in church or state, can validly exercise his 
 functions, if he be not in the stale of grace. It is obvious that 
 the practical results of these opinions are equally inconsistent 
 with the tranquillity of the state, and the settlement of the church, 
 and lead to the greatest excesses. 
 
 Soon after the Reformation, a curious correspondence took 
 place between the Waldenses and CEcolampadius. It is to be 
 found in Scultet's Annales Evangelii renovati, (Hist. Lit. Re- 
 formationis ; Harmanni Von der Hart, p. l60.) The conse- 
 quence was, that some time after Calvinism was established at 
 Geneva, it was embraced by the Waldenses ; but they retained 
 with it a considerable part of their tenets and disciphne. In 
 the year l630, a plague having broke out, which destroyed a 
 great proportion of their clergy, they applied for spiritual suc- 
 cour, to the reformed churches of France, and insensibly 
 adopted their creed, rites and discipline. 
 
 The original and reformed creeds of the Waldenses may be 
 seen in Leger, Histoire Generaledes Eglises Vaudoises, lib. i. 
 c. 17. and in Boyer, Abregt de V Histoire des Fandois, c. 2. 
 p. 15. and in the valuable History of the Waldenses, recently 
 published by Mr. Jones. 
 
 
CHAPTER VIT, 
 
 The SijmhoUc Books of the Bohcmiam. 
 
 ijEFORE the Reformation, Bohemia was a scene of great re- 
 ligious dispute. On the death of the celebrated John Huss, 
 who had been burned on the charge of heresy, his followers 
 retired to a mountain, in the district of Bohemia, and called it 
 Tabor. Under Ziska, their iirst chief, and Rasa, his successor, 
 they maintained a fierce war against their soverekrn ; and justi- 
 fied it on the ground, that Huss was hniocent of the heresies 
 with which he was charged, and was therefore unjustly put to 
 death ; but they unaccountably admitted as an incontestible 
 principle, that real heretics were worthy of punishment. From 
 a mountain, on which they fixed their head quarters, they were 
 called Taborites. Splitting into parties, one party retained this 
 appellation, the other was called Calixtines : both rc(juired the 
 cup for the laity ; but, while the latter would have been satisfied 
 with the cup, and a gentle correction of abuse, the former insisted 
 on a total alteration of church discipline, and an unqualified 
 restoration of it to wliat they considered its pristine simplicity. 
 The Calixtines were disposed to peace ; the Taborites breathed 
 nothing but war. " They had imbibed," says Moslieim, " the 
 most barbarous sentiments, with respect to the obligation of 
 fixing vengeance on their enemies, against whom they breathed 
 nothnig but vengeance and fury, without any mixture of lui- 
 Covf. D 
 
50 
 
 manity or compassion." In 1433, the council of Basil sent 
 ^neas Sylvius and other legates, to confer with them. By 
 allowing the cup to the laity, hi the administration of the sacra- 
 ment, they reconciled the Calixtiues to the Roman Pontiff; but 
 the Taborites remained inflexible : by degrees, however, they 
 grew tired of the war, and insensibly retired to the peaceful 
 occupations of trade and agriculture. A confession of the 
 faith of the Calixtines, and a confession of faith of the Taborites 
 were signed at the synod of Cuttenburgh, in 1441. I hey are 
 inserted in t Enfaiis Jlistoire de la Guerre des Hussites et du 
 Concile de Basle. T. 2. p. 119, 132. A confession of the 
 Bohemians is inserted in the " Harmony of the Confessions 
 of the Faith of the Christian and Reformed Churches, published 
 at Cambridge in 1580." 
 
 The Taborites, however, after their retirement from the war, 
 persisted, but with greater moderation, in their projects of reform : 
 and in 1522, having heard of Luther's reformation, sent a con- 
 siderable number of deputies to him, to solicit his friendship and 
 good offices. On many subsequent occasions, they shewed an 
 attachment to the Saxon churches. 
 
 Previously to their signing the Confession of faith which has 
 been mentioned, they had signed one in 1532, in the Bohemian 
 language. This is extremely rare : it was afterwards translated 
 into Latin, with the title, Corfessio Fidei ac Religionis Ba- 
 ronum ac Nobiliunt regni Bohemia, Serenissimo ac invictissimo 
 Jiumunornm, Bohemia-^ S^c. regi ; Fienna, Austricc, sub anno 
 domini 15:35, oblata. It is to be found in the Corpus et Syn- 
 tagma Conjessionnni Fidei, Pars IL Luther prefixed to it a 
 preface, not approving it entirely, but approving the greatest 
 part of it ; and considering that the rest might be tolerated. 
 Two editions of it were published by them, one in German, in 
 1572, the other in Latin, in l6l2. 
 
 After the death of Luther, most of the Bohemians veered to 
 Calvinism. They then became dissatisfied with their former 
 creed ; and, it is said, destroyed all the copies of their confession, 
 which fell into their hands. 
 
 The disputes increasing, and Poland and Switzerland being 
 
51 
 
 equally disturbed by them, a congress was held, of the Bohemian 
 brethren, the Lutherans, and the Switzers, in 1570, at Sendomer. 
 There tliey agreed on a formulary, generally called the Consent 
 of Faith at Sendomer. This document, and a curious account 
 of the congress, at which it was framed, was jjublisheil by Jab- 
 lonski, at Berlin, in 1731, with the title, Historia Consensus 
 Sendomerensis. 
 
 But the agreement was of short duration ; and almost 
 immediately after it was signed, the majority of the Bohemians 
 entered into communion with the Helvetic churches. In the year 
 1620, a general union of all the Bohemian churches was effected 
 at Astrog, under the name of the Church of the United Brethren. 
 By the terms of this agreement, the external form of the church 
 was nearly Lutheran, the articles of faith, nearly Calvinistic. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 The Articuli Visitatorii of the Electorate of 
 
 Saxony. 
 
 The articles, which are the subject of this chapter might, 
 with propriety, have immediately followed the account which 
 has been given of the Symbolic books of the Lutheran churches ; 
 but, as these articles were formed in consequence of the feuds 
 between the Lutheran and reformed churches^ and were designed 
 to serve as a test for the discovery of concealed Calvinists, the 
 writer thought the object and import of them would be better 
 understood if they were preceded by an account of the Symbolic 
 books of the Lutheran reformed churches. 
 
 The strong terms, in which Luther reprobated the Sacramen- 
 tarians, have been mentioned. Several, however, of his most 
 distinguished disciples were, even in his life-time, favourably 
 disposed towards them. After his decease, they made no secret 
 of those sentiments. Melancthon was at their head; and his 
 intimacy with Calvin, the chief of the Sacramentarians, fi equently 
 led them to amicable discussions on the points in dispute. 
 Melancthon died before any progress in the attempt at concili- 
 ation was made^ but his spirit of moderation descended to his 
 disciples. 
 
 The principal point in difference between the parties, turned 
 on the doctrine of the Real Presence, in the Eucharistic sacri- 
 
53 
 
 tice. In 1570, Peucer, the son-m-law of Melancthon, endea- 
 voured to introduce the doctrine of Cidvin on this article, into 
 the Saxon churches. At fust, his endeavours seemed to be at- 
 tended with success ; but, having published a catechism, in which 
 the doctrine of Calvin on the Eucharist was plainly insinuated, 
 the Saxon divines took the alarm. Augustus, the elector of 
 Saxony, assembled them at Dresden, propounded to them a 
 formulary of doctrine on the real presence, and ordered them to 
 sign it. On the refusal of Peucer and his adherents, the elector, 
 in 1574, held the famous convocation at Torgau, and committed 
 Peucer and several of his adherents to prison. Peucer was 
 treated with particular severity, and was not released till 1585. 
 
 Still, the favourers of the doctrine of Calvin persisted in their 
 opinions. They did not dare to make an open profession of 
 them ; but were known to retain them, and, from their secret 
 attachment to them, obtained the appellation of Crypto-Calvin- 
 ists, or secret abettors of Calvinism. Augustus was succeeded 
 by Christian the First. Under him, the Crypto-Calvinists 
 emerged from their obscurity, and openly propagated their 
 doctrines. In 1591, they distributed a new Calvinistic catechism, 
 and a translation of the Bible into the German language, accom- 
 modated to Calvinistic principles. 
 
 By degrees, the Crypto-Calvinists were openly tolerated ; and 
 at length so much countenanced by Christian, as to threaten 
 the Lutheran ascendancy ; but his death, in \59^> put an end to 
 their hopes. Christian the Second, a minor, succeeded him ; 
 Frederic William, Duke of Saxe-Altembergh, was his guardian, 
 and the regent of the electorate, during his minority. Being 
 warmly attached to Luther, he committed many of the Crypto- 
 Calvinists to prison, and, in l631, Crellius, their principal en- 
 courager and patron, was put to death, by his orders. A general 
 persecution of the Crypto-Calvinists ensued, and articles, 
 generally called articuli visitatorii, were formed, and tendered 
 for the signature of all, who were suspected of Calvinism, as a 
 test to discover their principles. They are not numbered 
 among the Symbolic books of the Lutherans, but are singularly 
 regarded by them. As the persons, by whom they were framed^ 
 were much esteemed, and as they professed to state in them^ 
 
54 
 
 with brevity and precision, the principal points in difference 
 between the Lutherans and Calvinists, a literal translation of 
 them is inserted in the Appendix.' It is made from the edition 
 of them at the end of Dr. Semler's Apparatus ad Libros Symr 
 bolicos Ecclesim Lutkerana. 
 
 * Appendix, Note II, 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 The Symbolic Book of the Arminians. 
 
 1 HE triumph of the reformed churches over the Arminians, at 
 the Synod of Dort, was rather apparent than substantial. It 
 may be added to the numerous instances of the unavaihng efforts 
 of the temporal and ecclesiastical powers, even when they are 
 united, to prevent the diffusion and adoption of opinions, which 
 the public mind is strongly bent on receiving. Most of the 
 leaders of the Arminians were banished from the states of 
 Holland, or found it necessary to quit them. Those who re- 
 mained were persecuted, and the general body was subjected to 
 continual vexation. But, after the death of Prince Maurice, a 
 wiser conduct, in their regard, was pursued : the exiles were re- 
 called, and the community at large w as permitted to follow their 
 religious principles without molestation. Insensibly, the tole- 
 ration was so complete, that, with the connivance of the 
 government, they built churches, and founded seminaries for the 
 instruction of their youth ; and, for the propagation of their 
 theological principles, established a college at Amsterdam. The 
 first professor of theology at this celebrated institution was 
 Episcopius. Many other of its professors, as Courcelles, 
 Limborch, Le Clerc, and Wetstein, were eminent for their 
 learning. From their remonstrances against the proceedings of 
 the synod at Dort, they obtained the appellation of Remonstrants : 
 
56 
 
 from their opposition to the remonstrances, Gomar and his fol- 
 lowers were called Contra- Remonstrants. 
 
 The great object of the Arminian professors was, if we may 
 be allowed to use their own expressions, to simplify the creed of 
 Ciiristiaiis, and bring them into one fold. In opposition to the 
 followers of Calvin, they held 1st. That God, from all eternity, 
 determined to bestow salvation on those, who, he foresaw, 
 would persevere to the end in their faith in Jesus Christ ; and to 
 inflict everlasting punishment on those, who, he foresaw, would 
 continue in their unbelief, and resist, unto the end, his divine 
 succours : 2dly. That Jesus Christ, by his death and sufferings, 
 atoned for the sins of all mankind ; but, that those only, who 
 believe in him, can be partakers of these benefits : odly. That 
 true faith cannot proceed from the exercise of our natural 
 faculties and powers, or from the force and operation of free 
 will, so that it is necessary to man's conversion and salvation, 
 that he be regenerated and renewed, by the operation of the 
 Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God, through Jesus Christ: 
 4thly. That the divine grace begins, advances, and brings to per- 
 fection every thing that can be called good in man ; but does 
 not force man to act against his inclination, and may be resisted, 
 and rendered ineffectual by his perverse will : 5thly. That persons 
 united to Christ by faith, are thereby furnished with abundant 
 strength to triumph over the seduction of Satan and concupiscence ; 
 but, that the question, whether persons thus united to Christ may 
 afterwards fall from their faith, and finally forfeit this state of 
 cfrace, has not yet been resolved with sufficient perspicuity. 
 
 In reading these articles, the reader will naturally ask, which 
 of them justified the religious persecution, which the Arminiaus 
 suffered, or called down upon them Uie interference of the civil 
 power. Their persecution gave rise to the learned and eloquent 
 treatise of Grotius, " De jure sunimarum potestatum circa 
 sacra." It was perhaps the first advocation of religious liberty 
 that issued from any press. But Sir Thomas More had, long 
 before, supposed its existence in Utopia. 
 
 It is observable, that the difference of opinion between the 
 Arminians and the reformed churches, on the points, which we 
 
57 
 
 have noticed, is the great subject of division between the 
 Wesleyan and Whitfieldian Methodists ; and, in a great degree 
 the apple of discord between the Jesuits and Jansenists. 
 
 The theological system of the Arminians, after their return 
 from Holland, underwent, if we credit Doctor Mosheini, a re- 
 markable change. They appeared by his account, almost to 
 coincide with those, who exclude the necessity of divine succours 
 in the work of conversion and sauctification ; and to think that 
 Christ demands from man, rather virtue than faith ; and has con- 
 fined that behef, which is essential to salvation, to a few articles. 
 Thus, the Arminians admit into their communion, 1st. All, who 
 receive the holy Scriptures, and more especially the New Testa- 
 ment; and they allow to every individual his own interpreta- 
 tion of the sacred books : — 2d. All who abstain fron) idolatry 
 and Polytheism :- — 3d. All whose lives are regulated by the laws 
 of God : — 4th. And all, who neither persecute, nor bear ill will 
 towards those, who difter from them in their religious prin- 
 ciples. Their Confession of Faith was drawn up by Episco- 
 pius. It is entitled, " ConJ'essio sive Declaratio sententicR 
 Pastorum, qui in Federato Belgio Remoustratenses vocantur, 
 super pracipnos Artiados Re/igionis Christiana MDCXXII. 
 Four divines of the established church of Holland, Polyander, 
 Rivetus, Walieus, and Thysa-us, published a Refutation of this 
 confession. The authors of the confession replied by their 
 Apology in l626. 
 
 The adversaries of the Arminians have frequently attempted 
 to fix on them the charge of Deism ; but this charge the Armi- 
 nians have indignantly rejected. A w riter in the Bibliotheque 
 Germanique, {Tom. xlvi. Art. 12. P. 208.) relates, that 
 " the celebrated Anthony Collins called on Mr. Le Clerc, of 
 Amsterdam. He was accompanied by some Frenchman of the 
 confraternity of those, who think freely. They expected to find 
 the religious opinions of Le Clerc in unison with their own ; 
 but they were surprised to find the strong stand which he made 
 in favour of Revelation. He proved to them, with great strength 
 of argument, the truth of the Christian religion. * Jesus Christ, 
 he told them, was born among (he Jews : still it was not the 
 
58 
 
 Jewish religion which he taught ; neither was it the rehgion of 
 the Pagan neighbourhood ; but a religion infinitely superior to 
 both. One sees in it the most striking marks of Divinity. The 
 Christians, who followed, were incapable of imagining any thing 
 so beautiful. Add to this, that the Christian religion is so ex- 
 cellently calculated for the good of society, that, if we did not 
 derive so great a present from heaven, the good and safety of 
 men would absolutely demand for them an equivalent.' — 
 Throughout the conversation, M. Le Clerc reproached the 
 Deists strongly, for the hatred which they showed to Christian- 
 ity. He proved, that by banishing it from the world, they 
 would overturn whatever was most holy and respectable among 
 men ; break asunder the surest bonds of humanity ; teach men 
 to shake off the yoke of law; deprive them of their strong- 
 est incitement to virtue ; and bereave them of their best com- 
 fort. * What, he asked them, do you substitute in its place ? Can 
 you flatter yourselves that you will discover something better ? 
 You expect, no doubt, that men will erect statues to you, for 
 your exertions to deprive them of their religion. Permit me to 
 tell you, that the part you act, makes you odious and despicable 
 in the eyes of all honest men,' He finished the conversation by 
 requesting Mr. Collins to bring him no more such visitors." 
 
 From the close of the 17th century, till the present time, 
 Arminianism has been continually on the increase. It is a just 
 observation of Mr. Gibbon, that " the disciples of Arminius 
 must not be computed by their separate congregations." 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 The SymhoUc Books of the Socinians — Distinction 
 between them and the Unitarians. 
 
 JNoT long after the commencement of the Reformation, several 
 persons began to deny the Trinity of persons in the Deity, and 
 the divine authority of the Old and New Testament. From 
 these the Modern Unitarians descend directly ; the Socinians 
 are more properly a sect which has branched from them, than 
 their descendants. We shall first mention the Socinians, and then 
 show the diflference between the Socinian and Unitarian creeds. 
 
 X. 1. 
 
 Against the Unitarian imj)ugners of the Trinity and the di- 
 vine authority of the Scriptures, the Roman Catholics and Pro- 
 testants made a common cause. To avoid their hostilities, the 
 maintainers of such opinions settled themselves in Poland ; and 
 insensibly formed distinct congregations. Great contests taking 
 place between them and the Protestant communities of Poland, 
 they were ordered, by a resolution of the Diet of Petrickow, in 
 1560, to separate themselves into a distinct congregation. This 
 was done ; and from the to\vn in which the chief of them re- 
 sided, they received the name of Pinczovians. Ju this state 
 they published, in 1574, their first Catechism ; Catechismus et 
 Conjessio Fidei catus per Poloniam Congregati, in nomine 
 Jem Christi Domini nostri crucifixi et resuscitati, MDLXXIV. 
 Typis Alexandri Turobini, \9.mo. 
 
. 60 
 
 This catechism is reckoned among the greatest typographical 
 curiosities. It expresses, unequivocally, that Jesus Christ is 
 subject to the Father, and seems to exclude mystery from its 
 creed. It is ascribed to Gregory Paul, an eminent Lutheran 
 divine of the principal reformed church of Cracow, who, about 
 the year 1556, became a convert to Socinian principles. It is 
 probably the work noticed by Sandius, Bihliolh. Anti-Trinita- 
 riorum, p. 44.; and by Mosheim {Cent. XVI. §3. Pars ii. 
 note). He gives an interesting account of its contents, and as- 
 cribes it to the celebrated George Schoman. 
 
 The advocates of its doctrines established congregations at 
 Cracow, Lubin, Pinczow, Luck and Smila. But their most 
 flourishing settlement was at Racow, a city in the district of 
 Sendomer. Before their settlement at Racow, they composed 
 two versions of the sacred writmgs, one in 1565, while they 
 lived in communion with the Helvetic churches ; the other in 
 1572, after their separation. 
 
 In the mean time, similar opinions had been propagated in 
 Italy, by LceHus Socirms. Being obliged, on this account, to 
 leave it, he travelled into most countries of Europe, and finally 
 settled at Zurich. Ostensibly he adopted the Helvetic Confes- 
 sion, but retained his particular opinions; and, at his death, 
 bequeathed several writings in support of them to Faustus So- 
 cinus, his nephew; his inferior in learning, but his superior in 
 genius and energy. The religious opinions of Faustus Socinus 
 becoming generally known, he was obliged to quit Zurich. After 
 much wandering, he settled at Racow. There he w as received 
 by the new communion with open arms ; and he completed 
 their system of theology. From him they derived their appel- 
 lation of Socinians. The Polish churches committed to him 
 and Peter Statorius, the task of revising the existing catechism, 
 and printing it, in an improved form. Both died before they 
 had completed the undertaking. It was then delegated to Va- 
 lentine Smalcius and Jerom Moscorovius. By them it was 
 finished, and published in 1 605, in the Polish language. It is 
 the work now known by the title of the Racovian Catechism 
 and is considered to be the Confession of Faith of the Soci- 
 
61 
 
 niai)s. In the year l(k)9, Moscorovius published a new edition 
 of it; he pietixed to it a Dedication to James the First of 
 England. An edition in the German language, dedicated to the 
 Academy of Wittemberg, followed in 16 12. Soon afterwards, 
 John Cornelius, or Knoll, published a Dutch edition, but on 
 account of some deviations from the original^ and particularly 
 the omission of the Articles relating to Baptism and the Lord's 
 Supper, it was generally disowned. An English translation of 
 the edition of l60o, was published at Amsterdam in 1652. 
 Doctor Toulmin, in his Life of Socinus, ascribes it, seemingly 
 by conjecture, to Mr. John Biddle. 
 
 Some years subsequently, this Catechism received consider- 
 able additions, as well as alterations, from the pens of Crellius 
 and Schlichtingius. This enlarged edition was published in 
 12mo. in 1665, with a Prefatory discourse, on the right of 
 private judgment in religion. A Dutch translation of i» vas 
 published in 1666. In 1680, Andrew Wissowat republished 
 the work in 4to., with some notes of his own, and some altera- 
 tions, chiefly verbal and generally unimportant, of the text. 
 
 Another edition appeared in 12mo. in 1684. This contained 
 all the notes given in 1680, with the addition of others by 
 Benedict Wissowat, and an anonymous writer, who signs him- 
 self F. C, perhaps Horianus Crusius, a Socinian physician of 
 some eminence. The body of this edition is, unquestionably, a 
 part of the impression of the edition of l665, the pages corre- 
 sponding, and the errata being identically the same. The new 
 part consists of the title-page, the notes of the two Wissowats, 
 and F". C, which are printed at the end. Doctor Rees is now 
 engaged on a translation of this edition. 
 
 In 1739, the edition of l609 was reprinted at Frankfort, with 
 copious notes, designed as an answer to its doctrines, by G. L. 
 Oeder, a Lutheran divine : they are said by Mosheim to be 
 successfully executed. He mentions a work, Commentatio de 
 Catechesi Racoviensi, published in 1757, by S. A. Schmidius, 
 and like the rest of that learned author's writings, now become 
 extremely scarce. 
 
 The lirst Catechism of Racow ranks among the greatest ty- 
 
62 
 
 pographical rarities : the second is nearly as rare ; all the other 
 editions, which we have mentioned, are scarce. A curious 
 history of Socinianism was published at Paris, with the title, 
 " Histohe du Socinianisme, diviste eji deux parties, ou I'on voit 
 sonorigirieet lesprogres que les Sociniens ontfait dans differeus 
 Royaumes de la Chretiente, avec les characteres, les avantures, 
 les erreurs, et les litres de ceux qui sont distinguez dans 
 la Secte des Sociniens : a Paris M 9.3, qtoT The best account 
 of the Socinian Catechisms, which has fallen into the hands of 
 the writer, is in the Bibliotheca Theologica of Walchius, torn. i. 
 cap. IV. ^5. p. 533. 
 
 " The first principles of Socinianism," says Mr. Alban 
 Butler, in his concise and learned account of it in his ' Moveable 
 Feasts, Fasts, and other annual Observances of the Catholic 
 Church,' (page 620), " are, that all scriptural doctrines are so 
 to be understood, as to contain nothing above reason ; no mys- 
 tery ; and that all the expressions, which seem to imply such 
 things, are to be looked upon as lofty exaggerated phrases of the 
 Oriental languages : for they pretend, that nothing is to be al- 
 lowed in Faith or Religion, which our reason does not fully 
 comprehend. Hence it follows, that Articles of Faidi vary in 
 proportion to men's capacities. Secondly, the Socinians teach, 
 that Christ was formed by God ; that he was an extraordinary 
 man, born of the Virgin Mary ; taken up to Heaven ; and im- 
 bued with that portion of divine power and knowledge, which is 
 called the Holy Ghost; and sent again on earth, God's ambas- 
 sador to men, to teach them his will and law. They deny his 
 death to have been a satisfaction for our sins ; but say, that those 
 who obey his precepts, which all men can do by the strength of 
 their own nature, will rise again in their own bodies, and enjoy a 
 happy life in thai blessed place, in which God possesses his own 
 beatitude : but the wicked shall be condemned to temporary 
 torments, for a certain term ; after which, they will be reduced 
 to a state of annihilation. Some amonaf them condemn all 
 swearing, wars, and magistrates, and all capital punislwiients. 
 Their form of church government differs little from that of the 
 Calvinists. They baptize only the adults, and that by immer- 
 
65 
 
 sion ; and their notion of the luicharist is such as a Zuinglian^ 
 or Culvinist, would allow." 
 
 From Poland, the doctrine of Socinus found its way into 
 Transilvania, where, towards the l6th century, it obtained a legal 
 settlement. By the Dukes of Transilvania, of the House of 
 Batori, they were persecuted ; but they survived the persecution, 
 and preserved their legal establishments. From the beginning 
 of the 17th century, they flourished till 1638, in which year, in 
 consequence of the disorderly proceedings of some of the students 
 at Racow, a law was enacted at Warsaw, which ordered, that 
 the ^Vcademy of Racow sliould be demolished, its professor 
 banished, the printing-house of the Socinians should be de- 
 stroyed, and their churches shut. "^Tlie persecution of them 
 continued for many years; and finally, in l6a8, by a public and 
 solemn act of the Diet, held at Warsaw, all the Socinians 
 were for ever banished from the State. The exiles dispersed 
 themselves in the adjacent provinces, and penetrated into Den- 
 mark, Holstein, Holland, and England. For a time, their cause 
 seemed to revive, under the favor of Frederick IH. King of 
 Denmark, Christian Albert, Duke of Holstein, and Charles 
 Levxis, Fllector Palatine. They nearly obtained legal settle- 
 ments at Altona, Frederickstadt, and Manheim ; but ultimately 
 failed of success. Under every reverse of fortune, they have, 
 however, preserved a legal establishment in Transilvania. At 
 Coloswar, a fortified and populous town, their community is 
 numerous ; they have in it a public school and a printing-house. 
 They have, however, circulated their principles in many parts 
 of Europe, with much activity, and sometimes with consider- 
 able success, particularly in Transilvania, Prussia, and Holland. 
 The principal works composed by them with this design, were 
 published in I606, in one great collection, entitled, Bibliotheca 
 Fratruni Polonorum, comprised in six large volumes iolio. 
 The second Racow Catechism is considered to be their Con- 
 fession of Faith. 
 
64 
 
 X. 2. 
 
 With the Socinlans, the U/iitarians are often confounded ; 
 but with great impropriety, as the Unitarians are the direct and 
 legitimate descendants of the stock from which, we have already 
 observed, the Socinians divaricated. 
 
 The principal difference between the Unitarians and Soci- 
 nians, lies in their doctrines on the being and attributes of Jesus 
 Christ. The Unitarians, while they consider Jesus Christ as a 
 teacher sent from God, and afterwards raised by him from the 
 dead, hold him to have been a mere man : but the Socinians 
 hold Jesus Christ, though the son of Mary, to have been born 
 of her, like Adam, without a father, by the extraordinary power 
 of God. As such, they call him, though in a qualiiied sense, 
 truly God, and enjoin his worship. In his Theses, De Christo 
 a vera divvniate exchtdendo nisi sit creator c«H et terra, Soci- 
 nus expresses himself in the following terms : " If, by the term 
 * True God,' be understood the eternal self-existent Being, the 
 proposition, the Creator of heaven and earth, is the o?ie only 
 true God, — is true. But if by this proposition be understood 
 one, who hath a true Divine power and dominion — it is not 
 true. For, though the Hebrew church knew no such true God. 
 but him, who was the creator of heaven and eai th — the Christian 
 church acknowledges another true God, namelv, the man Jesus 
 of Nazareth, called Christ, who, at length, after being long ex- 
 pected in the reign of the Emperors Augustus and Tiberius, 
 was first born, exhibited and made known to the world, and had 
 then this divine majesty bestowed upon him, by the Creator of 
 heaven and earth." In conformity with these sentiments, Faustus 
 Socinus exhorts the Synod of Woegro, in his letter to them, 
 (Op. vol. I. p. 491.) " to labor and take care, in the very first 
 place, that the adoration and im:ocation of Christ may be 
 secured in their churches." 
 
 In a more refined, and, if not in a more intelligible, at least 
 in a n)ore specious appearance, the doctrine of the Socinians, 
 
65 . 
 
 respecting Jesus Christ, was produced, in the beginning of the 
 last century, by Doctor Samuel Clarke. Tritheisni, Sabelliau- 
 ism, and Arianisin, are the three rocks, on one of which the 
 adventurer in the Trinitarian controversy too often splits. Doctor 
 Clarke professed to steer clear of the llrst, by denying the self- 
 existence of the Son and the Holy Ghost — to steer clear of the 
 second, by maintaining tiieir derivation from, and subordination 
 to, the Father; and to steer clear of the third, by maintaining 
 the personality and distinct agency of every person of the 
 Trinity. 
 
 In his celebrated work. The Scripture Doctrine of the Triniti/, 
 he propounded his system with great clearness, and supported 
 it with considerable strength and subtlety of argument. He 
 met a powerful opponent in Doctor Hawarden, a celebrated 
 clergyman of the Roman Catholic church. By tlie desire of 
 Queen Caroline, the consort of George the First, a conference 
 was held by them, in the presence of her Majesty, of Mrs. 
 Middleton, a Roman Catholic lady, much in her confidence, and 
 the celebrated Doctor Courayer. 
 
 When they met, Doctor Clarke, at some length, in very 
 guarded terms, and with great apparent perspicuity, exposed his 
 system. After he had finished, a pause of some length ensued : 
 Doctor Hawarden then said, that " he had listened, with the 
 greatest attention, to what had been said by Doctor Clarke ; that 
 he believed he apprehended rightly the whole of his system ; and 
 that the only reply which he should make to it, was, asking a single 
 question :" that, " if the question should be thought to contain 
 any ambiguity, he wished it to be cleared of its ambiguity 
 before any answer to it was given ;" but desired that, " when 
 the answer to it should be given, it should be expressed either 
 by the affirmative or negative monosyllable." To this proposi- 
 tion Doctor Clarke assented. ** Then," said Doctor Hawarden, 
 " I ask, — Can God the Father annihilate the Son and the Holy 
 Ghost ? — An^iwer me Yes or No." Doctor Clarke continued 
 for some time in deep thought, and then said, " it was a question 
 which he had never considered." Here the conference ended. 
 A searching question it certainly was ; and the reader will readily 
 Conf. E 
 
66 
 
 perceive its bearings. If Doctor Clarke answered Yes, he ad- 
 mitted the Son and Holy Ghost to be mere creatures ; if he 
 answered No, he admitted them to be absolutely Gods. The 
 writer of these pages has frequently heard the conference thus 
 related, —particularly by the late Mr. Alban Butler, the presi- 
 dent of the English college at St. Omers, and Mr. Winstanley, 
 the Professor of Philosophy at the English college at Doway. 
 It gave rise to Doctor Hawarden's " Ansu-er to Doctor Clarke 
 and Mr. f¥histon, concerning the Divinity of the Son of God, 
 and of the Holy Spirit ; with a Summary account of the writers 
 of the three first ages." 
 
 The Unitarians have no Symbolic Book ; the book, which, 
 from the universal respect in which it is held by them, approach- 
 eth nearest, in their estimation, to a document of that descrip- 
 tion, is Doctor Lardner's Letter on the Logos, published in 
 1730, and printed in the Eleventh Volume of the works of that 
 very learned, very modest, and very instructive writer. 
 
CHAPTER XT. 
 
 The Si/mbolic Books of the Church of England. 
 
 The seeds of the Reformation were first sown in England by 
 Lutheran hands. In the reign of Edward tlie Sixth, the dis- 
 ciples of Calvin obtained great influence in all its ecclesiastical 
 concerns. Queen Elizabeth adopted the whole of the discipline, 
 and much of the creed, of the Lutheran church : but, in her 
 final settlement of the creed and discipline, by the Thirty-nine 
 Articles, she admitted a considerable proportion of Calvinism. 
 
 The Symbolic Books of the Church of England are the 
 Thirty-nine Articles and the Book of Common Prayer. Such, 
 too, of the oaths prescribed by the laws of England, as express 
 theological doctrines, partake, so far as they are confined to 
 these, of the nature of Symbolic Books — L We shall, there- 
 fore, begin this article with an account of the English Theologi- 
 cal Oaths : II. Then consider, successively, the Articles of 
 Henry the Eighth: III. The Articles of Edward the Sixth : 
 IV. The Thirty-nine Articles : V. The Canons: VI. 7'he con- 
 troversy on the authentic edition of the Thirty-nine Articles : 
 VII. The Book of Common Prayer : and VIIl. The Books of 
 Homilies. 
 
68 
 
 XL 1. 
 
 The English Theological Oaths. 
 
 ] . Among the Theological Oaths prescribed by the law of 
 England, those, by which it is declared that the King is, and 
 ought to be, the supreme head of the church of this realm, pre- 
 sent themselves first to our consideration. 
 
 By a statute passed in the 26th year of the reign of Henry 
 the Eighth, it was enacted, that, " His Majesty, his heirs and 
 successors. Kings of England, should be the only supreme head, 
 on earth, of the Church of England ; and should have all the 
 honors, dignities, immunities, profits, and commodities belong- 
 ing to that dignity ; and full power and authority to visit, re- 
 press, redress, reform, order, correct, restrain, and amend, all 
 such errors, heresies, abuses, contempts, and enormities, as 
 ought or lawfully might be reformed, repressed, ordered, re- 
 dressed, corrected, restrained, or amended, by any manner of 
 spiritual jurisdiction or supremacy." 
 
 By an Act of the 37th year of the same reign, it was de- 
 \ clared, that " Archbishops, and the other ecclesiastical persons, 
 had no manner of jurisdiction, ecclesiastical, but by, under, and 
 from his Royal IMajesty ; and that his Majesty was the only 
 supreme head of the church of England and Ireland ; to whom, 
 by holy Scripture, all authority and power was wholly given, .to 
 hear and determine all manner of causes ecclesiastical ; and to 
 correct all manner of heresies, errors, vices, and sins what- 
 soever, and to all such persons, as his Majesty should appoint 
 thereunto." 
 
 Language, it should seem, cannot confer spiritual power on a 
 sovereign, or those to whom he shall please to delegate it, in 
 terms more ample or explicit, than those adopted in these 
 statutes. They were in force during the whole of the reign of 
 King Edward the Sixth ; were repealed by the first Parliament 
 of Queen Mary ; revived by the first Parliament of Queen 
 Elizabeth ; h ave sin ce contiuuedj arid_ are jiowin^ force. /^ fh 
 
69 
 
 la the first year of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, the doctrine -^ 
 expressed in these statutes was inserted in an oath. Persons 
 were required by it to swear, that " in their consciences, they 
 tc'stitied and declared, that the Queen was the only supreme 
 governor of the realm, as well in all spiritual or ecclesiastical 
 things or causes, as temporal ; and that no foreign Prince, 
 Person, Prelate, State or Potentate had or ought to have any 
 jurisdiction, power, superiority, pre-eminence or authority, eccle- 
 siastical or spiritual, within this nalm ; and that they renounced 
 ail foreign jurisdictions, powers, superiorities and authorities." 
 
 Elizabeth, however, after the passing of this act, published a - 
 declaration, that, " nothing was or could be meant or intended 
 by it, than what was acknowledged to be due to King Henry her 
 father, or King Edward her brother ; and that she neither di<l 
 or wouiii challenge any other authority by the same, than what 
 was challenged and lately due to the said two Kings ; — which 
 was, under God, to have the sovereignty and rule over all per- 
 sons within her realm or dominions, of what estates (either eccle- 
 siastical or temporal,) soever they were, so as no foreign power 
 should or ought to have any superiority over them." 
 
 " This explanation," says Dr. Heylin, " nnt giving general — 
 satisfaction, the Bishops and clergy, in their convocation of the 
 year l6o2, by the Queen's authority, declared more plainly, that 
 they gave not to then- Princess, by virtue of the said act, or 
 otherwise, either the ministry of God's word or sacraments, but 
 that only prerogative, which they saw always to have been given 
 to all Godly princes in holy scripture, by God himself: that is 
 to say, that they should rule all estates and degrees committed 
 to their charge by God, whether they were ecclesiastical or tem- 
 poral, and restrain with the civil sword the stubborn and evil 
 doers." 
 
 An act passed in the third year of King James the first, which 
 prescribed an oath of allegiance and obedience. Both these 
 oaths, and the oath of supremacy, prescribed by the act of 
 the first of Queen Elizabeth, were abrogated by an act passed 
 in the first sessions of the first year of King William and Queen 
 Mary ; and by the same act, a new oath of allegiance and supre- 
 
70 
 
 macy were established in their place. An act made in the 
 second session of the first year of King George the first intro- 
 duced a new oath of supremacy. 
 
 The^ explanations^ by which Queen Elizabeth c^ualified the, 
 
 supremacy attributed to her, and still more the explanations 
 
 ^iven j)y King James the first in his Apology for the Oath of 
 
 Allegiance, — in his Pr&moiiition, — and in his Remnvstrance for 
 
 j the Rights of Khigs, have induced some respectable writers, 
 
 ' both Protestant and Catholic, to suppose, that the^ supremacy 
 
 attributed to the Sovereign by the statutes, which have been 
 
 / nieniioned, was only meant to express an unequivocal acknow-_ 
 
 ledgment of the niuuarch's right to temporal sovereignty over 
 
 the ecclesiastical, as well as over the secular part of his subjects ; 
 
 / and a recognition, that all the civil power^ by which. ecclesiastical 
 
 I J)^ersons_or ecclesiastical courts can enforce their spiritual rights 
 
 ^ or sentences, is derived from the crown. It is probable, that, if 
 
 \ a legislative declaration should now be given of the sense, in 
 
 ,J which the supremacy of the crown in ecclesiastical concerns 
 
 \ should be understood, it would be found to accord with this ex- 
 
 j planation. But to the writer of these pages it appears impos- 
 
 / sible to reconcile it, either with the language of the statutes, or 
 
 of the oaths, which have been mentioned, or with the construc- 
 
 j tions, whicii die sovereigns of England, since the time of the Re- 
 
 / formation, have evidently put upon them. 
 
 2. The other theological oaths are the Declarations against 
 Transnlntantiutioii, prescribed by an act of the 2ath of King 
 Charles II. ; and the Declaration against Transuhsta)Uiation,the 
 [nvocation (f Saints, and the Sacrifice of the Mass, prescribed 
 by a statute passed in the 30th year of the reign of the same 
 monarch. 
 
71 
 XL 2. 
 
 The Ten Articles and Six Articles of King Henri/ the 
 
 Eighth. 
 
 I. Henry the Eighth's innovations in religion occasioning 
 much diversity in the doctrine delivered in the pulpits, his Ma- 
 jesty, on the ]2th of July, 1536, sent a circular letter to the 
 Bishops, enjoining them to abstain from preaching, till the en- 
 suing Michaelmas. In the mean time he framed Ten Artichi 
 of religious credence, and sent them to the Convocation, then 
 sitting at St. Paul's. 
 
 It is observable, that, in foreign countries, a convocation, or 
 ecclesiastical synod, consists wholly of Bishops : in England it 
 is a miniature of a parliament. The Ar( hbishop presides in regal 
 state ; the upper house contains the Bishops, and represents the 
 House of Lords ; the lower house is composed of represen- 
 tatives of the several dioceses, and of each particular chapter in 
 them ; and resembles the House of Commons, with its Knights 
 of Shire and Burofesses. — But the honors of the houses of convo- 
 cation should be spoken of, rather in the past than in the present 
 tense : they still indeed have a legal capacity of existence ; but 
 have not, for nearly a century, been permitted to meet for busi- 
 ness. 
 
 The Convocation having received the Ten Articles from the 
 King, passed them unanimously. Baptism, Penance, and the 
 Sacrament of the Eucharist, with the doctrine of transubstan- 
 tiation, auricular confession, and prayers to the saints were re- 
 tained in them : they left the doctrine of purgatory doubtful. 
 
 II. In the Parliament of the year 1,538, the last which was 
 held in the reign of Henry the Eighth, the statute " for abolish- 
 ing diversity of opinions in certain articles concerning christian 
 religion," commonly called " the statute of The Six Articles," 
 was passed. — All these six articles accord with the Doctrines 
 of the Roman Catholic Church. 
 
72 
 
 XL 3. 
 
 The Forty-two Articks of Edward the Sixth. 
 
 In the fourth year of the reign of Edward the Sixth, it "was 
 resolved in council, to reform the doctrine of the church. Arch- 
 bishop Cranmer and Bishop Ridley accordingly framed forty-two 
 Articles of Christian Doctrine. Copies of them were sent to 
 several Bishops, and other divines, for their consideration. Being 
 returned by them, the Articles were approved in council, and 
 
 \ had the royal sanction. In the title page, they were styled 
 " Articles agreed upon, by the Bishops and other learned men, 
 in the Convocation, held at London in the year 1532, for avoid- 
 ing diversity of opinion and establishing consent touching true 
 religion, published by the King's authority." But it is certain 
 by Cranmer's own admission, in the subsequent reign, that tliese 
 articles never were submitted either to parliament, or to the 
 Convocation. They are generally understood to be the same 
 
 , in substance as the Thirty-nine Articles. f.' 
 
 XI. 4. 
 
 The Thirty-nine Articles. 
 
 / In January, 1562, both the parliament and the convocation 
 \ of the province of Canterbury were convened. It appears that 
 ' the draught of the Thirty-nine Articles was presented to the 
 convocation by Archbishop Parker ; and that the convocation 
 ( approved them unanimously. All the registers of the convo- 
 cation having been burned at the memorable fire of London, 
 our information of its proceedings upon the Articles must be 
 derived from other sources, and these, unfortunately, are very 
 imperfect. We find, that the Convocation first met at the 
 Chapter-house at St. Paul's, on the 12th day of January, and 
 
73 
 
 held thirty-six several sessions ; sometimes at the Chapter house, 
 and sometimes, by continuation, at King Henry the Seventh's 
 Chapel at Westminster. Archbishop Parker presided, and was "^ 
 the great mover of all its proceedings. The Convocation began 
 by taking into consideration the Articles of Edward the Sixth. 
 From forty-two, they reduced them to thirty-nine, making altera- 
 tions in some of them. With these alterations, the Convocation 
 adopted them unanimously ; and thus, they had all the authority 
 that the convocation of Canterbury could confer on them. 
 
 In 1566, a bill was brought into parliament to confirm them. 
 It passed the Commons ; but was dropt in the house of Lords, 
 by the Queen's particular command. In the year 1571, the 
 Convocation revised the articles of 1362, and made some alte- 
 rations in them. In the same year an act was passed " to pro- 
 vide, that the Ministers of the Chinch should be of sound re- j 
 ligion." It enacted, that all ecclesiastical persons should 
 subscribe to " all the articles of Religion, which only concerned 
 the confession of the true faith, and of the Sacraments, com- 
 prised in a book, imprinted, entitled " Articles, whereupon it 
 zvas agreed by i e Archbishops and Bishops, and the whole 
 Clergy in Convocation, holden at London, in the year of our 
 Lord God, ]562, according to the computation of the Church of 
 England, for the avoiding of the diversities of opinions, and for 
 the establishing of consent touching true religion, put forth by 
 the Queen's authority." All the acts of parliament, made subse- 
 quently to this time, which mention the Articles, refer to this 
 act, as settling the Articles, and the rule of subscription to them. 
 For some reason, which does not now appear, they were con- 
 firmed, in l604, by the Convocation of Canterbury. In 1 628, 
 an edition of them, in the English language, was published by 
 the royal authority. To this edition, a declaration of King 
 Charles the F'irst is prefixed. It is the exemplar of all the sub- 
 sequent editions. 
 
j 
 
 74 
 
 XL 5. 
 
 The Canons. 
 
 Having given the substance of the Confession of Augsburgh, 
 and mentioned the principal points, in which the confessions of 
 the Reformed Churches generally differed from it, the nature of 
 these pages seems to require, that we should now present our 
 readers with a short view of the religious creed expressed in the 
 Thirty-nine Articles, but we are sensible that our readers are 
 too well acquainted with them to make this necessary. 
 
 An elegant account of the Creed M'hich they contain, is given 
 in his eighth Bampton lecture, by Doctor Eveleigh, the late 
 learned and accomplished Provost of Oriel college. He con- 
 cludes it by observing, " that they were principally intended to 
 ascertain and deliver down the essential doctrme of Christianity ;" 
 that " the remaining parts of them were as obviously directed 
 against the dangerous opinions of the different adversaries of the 
 Chinch of England :" that " all, which was admitted on the 
 latter head, was supplied in a considerable degree, under Eli- 
 zabeth, by the Cations which she enforced during her govern- 
 ment." These, he adds, " were permanently provided for by 
 the body of Canons which were enacted in the first year of her 
 successor's reign ; and which at present describe and enforce the 
 different parts of the ecclesiastical system of the Church of 
 England ; and were intended to supply the place of the Canons 
 and Decretals of the Church of Rome." 
 
 From the former part of this work it appears, that the doc- 
 trines on which the Confessions of faith principally differ among 
 themselves, respect Predestination and the Sacrament of our 
 Lord's Supper. To these the 17th and 28th of the Thirty-nine 
 Articles relate. The language in which these are couched shews, 
 that the framers of them wished to express them in terms, 
 which, if they did not conciliate, would not offend the maintain- 
 ers of the opposite opinions. 
 
7.5 
 
 XL 6. 
 
 The Controversi/ on the Authentic Edition of the Thirty-nine 
 
 Articles. 
 
 It lias been mentioned, that the act of 1571, by which the 
 Thirty-nine Articles were legally sanctioned, describes them, as 
 " the Articles of Religion comprised in a book, imprinted, en- 
 titled Articles, toheieupon it was agreed by the Archbishops and 
 bishops and the zchofe clergy in the convocation holden at Lon- 
 don, in the year of our Lord God, 1562, according to the com- 
 putation of the Church of England, for avoiding of the diver- 
 sities of opinions, and Jor establishing of consent, touching 
 true religion, put forth by the Queens authonty." The point > 
 on which the controversy in question wholly turns, is, which is ■; 
 the imprinted book, thus described. ^ 
 
 This w ould be of no consequence, if we possessed the original 
 manuscript, from which the book, to which the act of parliament 
 refers, was printed : but the original manuscript was certainly 
 burned in the fire of London. 
 
 The book to which the act refers, must be some book printed 
 before the bill, which refers to it, was brought nito parliament ; 
 and the book must have the title mentioned in the act. Now, 
 both in the prior printed editions, whether in English, or Latin ; 
 and in the prior English and L;.tin manuscripts of the Thirty- 
 iiine Articles, wliich have reached us, tliere are numberless 
 various readings; and some of ihese materially affect tlif sense 
 of the text. This evidently makes it important to astei tuin the 
 edition referred to by the act of parliament of 1571. One of~^ 
 the most important of these various readnigs is to be found in \ 
 the iwentieili article. 
 
 Li th- text of tlie edition of 1628, and in all the subsequent 
 editions, this article is expressed in the following terms. " The 
 Church liath power to decree riles and ceremonies ; and 
 authority m controversies of Faith : and yet it is not lawful for 
 
76 
 
 the Church to ordain any thing that is contrary to God's word 
 written ; neither may it expound one place of scriptures, that it 
 be repugnant to another. Wherefore, although the Church be 
 a witness and a keeper of Holy writ, yet, as it ought not to de- 
 cree any thing against the same, so, besides the same, ought it 
 not to enforce any thing to be believed for necessity of sal- 
 vation." 
 
 It is doubted by many, whether the first paragraph of this 
 article, " the church has power to decree rites and ceremonies, 
 and authority in controversies of faith," — was inserted in the 
 printed copy of these articles, which was legislatively sanctioned 
 by the act of 1671. 
 
 At the trial of Archbishop Laud he was accused of having 
 fabricated this paragraph. With great indignation and eloquence 
 he denied the fact ; asserted, that it made a part of the clause as 
 it stood originally, and charged his accusers with having wickedly 
 caused it to be left out of the copies. 
 
 In 1710,. the celebrated Anthony Collins revived the charge 
 in a pamphlet, entitled, " Priestcraft in Perfection, or a detec- 
 tion of the fraud of inserting and continuing this clause, — 
 (The Church hath poz&er to decree Rites and Ceremonies, and 
 authority/ in controversies of Faith,) in the 'ZOth Article of the 
 Articles of the Church of England." 
 
 An able defence of the authenticity of the paragraph was pub- 
 lished in 17 JO, under the title " A Vindication of the Church 
 of England from the aspersions of a late libel, entitled ' Priest- 
 craft in Perfection,' wherein, the controverted clause of the 
 Church's power in the '2.0th Article is shotvn to be of equal au- 
 thority with all the rest of the articles: and the Fraud and 
 Forgery charged upon the Clergy, on the account of this clause, 
 are retorted upon their accusers ; with a Preface containing 
 some remarks upon the Refections in that Pamphlet, by a 
 Priest of the Church of England." 
 
 This was followed in 1715, by " an Essay on the o{) Articles 
 of Religion, agreed on in 1562, and revived in 1571, wherein — 
 (the text being first exhibited in Latin and English, and the 
 minutest variations of 18 the most antient and authentic copies 
 
77 
 
 carefully rioted), — An account is given of the proceedings of 
 Convocation in framing and settling the text of the Articles. 
 The controverted clause of the lOth Article demomtrated to be 
 genuine : and the case of subscription to the articles is considered 
 in point of Laro, Historic and Conscience .- with a Prefatoiu 
 Epistle to Anthony Collins Esq. xeherein the egregious False- 
 hoods and calumnies of the Author of Priestcraft in Perfection 
 are exposed, — bi/ Thomas Bennett, D. D. Rector of St. James's 
 in Colchester." 
 
 To both these answers, a reply was published in 1724^ en- 
 titled, ** An Historical and Critical Essay on the Thirti/-nine 
 Articles of the Church of England; wherein it is demonstrated, 
 that the clause, — ' the Church has power to decree Rites and 
 Ceremonies, and Controversies of Faith, inserted in the 20th 
 Article,' — is not a part of the Articles, as they wer-e established 
 by act of Parliament, of 13 of Queen Elizabeth, or agreed by 
 the Convocation of 1562 or 1571." 
 
 All these works discover talent, research and discernment ; 
 but all of them are written with too great asperity. 
 
 Several other works, on the same subject, have been written ; 
 but it is probable, that nothing is contained in any of then), 
 which is not to be found in those that have been cited. 
 
 They do not appear to the writer of these pages to lead to 
 any certain conclusion. It is not his intention to discuss the 
 question : he has the satisfaction of being able to inform the 
 reader, that it is in the hands of the most learned Rector of 
 St. Paul's Church, Deptford. The following remark only, he 
 begs leave to present to the consideration of his readers. 
 
 All expectations of ascertaining, that any one of the printed 
 editions, which have reached us, is the edition of the Thirty-nine 
 Articles, referred to by the act of 1571, or expresses its text, 
 must now be considered hopeless. But, as the act of 1571 
 mentions, that the articles contained in the printed book, are 
 those " agreed on by the Archbishops and Bishops, and the 
 whole Clergy at the Convocation held in London, in the year 
 1562," it may be thought, that the point may be gained, or 
 
78 
 
 nearly gained, if the original manuscript, or even an authentic 
 copy of those articles can be produced. 
 
 There are five known manuscript copies of the Articles ex- 
 tant, in which the negative clause is prefixed to the twentieth 
 article. — One, in the library of Bishop Cozens, at Durham, — 
 two in St. John's library, Cambridge, — one, in the public library, 
 Cambridge, — and one, in the library of the Rector of Deptford, 
 Kent. 
 
 On the other hand, — the negative clause is not inserted, in 
 the manuscript, which was bequeathed by Archbishop Parker 
 to Bennet College, in Cambridge, and which is now in the 
 library of that College ; and it has been strenuously and acutely 
 contended, that this manuscript is the authentic instrument, or, 
 as it has been sometimes termed, the Record of the Articles, as 
 they were produced and agreed to by the Convocation. In the 
 writer's opinion, this manuscript has a better claim than any other 
 manuscript, or any printed document, to express the text of the 
 articles, as it was settled by the Convocation ; but cannot be the 
 manuscript adopted by the Convocation. 
 
 It is signed with particular care by the Archbishop of Can- 
 terbury, and by almost ill the Bishops of his province ; by the 
 Archbishop of York, and the Bishops of Durham and Chester, 
 his suffragans ; and by the w hole lower house of Convocation. 
 It has many alterations and erasures; at the end, there is men- 
 tion not only of the number of pages, but of the number of lines 
 in each page. In the memorandum of the signatures it is called 
 the autograph, and is said to be in the custody of Archbishop 
 Parker. These circumstances certainly give it great authority; 
 the point to be ascertained, is what is the exact degree of autho- 
 rity, to which they entitle it. 
 
 Now, — when an important instrument is to be signed, and 
 formally presented to the public, or to a public body, it often 
 happens, — particularly if the parties interested are numerous, 
 and known to entertain different views of its subject, — that a 
 meeting is called ; that a draught of the instrument is produced, 
 and read, clause by clause ; that numerous alterations are made 
 in it, so as to render it unfit for presentation ; and that a fair 
 
79 
 
 copy for presentation is directed to be made : but that, in order 
 to authenticate the tenor of what has been agreed to, the draught 
 is signed and deposited with some respectable person for safe 
 custody. 
 
 The writer suggests it to be very })robable, that something of 
 this nature took place in respect to the Thirty-nine Articles. The 
 difference of opinion, on the subject of many of them, made it 
 advisable, that, before they were discussed in convocation, the 
 terms should be generally settled. For this purpose a draught 
 would be prepared : — and may not the manuscript in Bennet 
 College be this draught ? This, all the circumstances of the 
 draught render very probable. 
 
 But two circumstances absolutely negative the notion of its 
 being any instrument or process of the Convocation. The first 
 is, the mention of the pages in the subscription: — It is unknown 
 and altogether inconceivable, that any respectable public body 
 sliould have recourse to such a precaution in any of their records 
 or solemn proceedings. The second is, the subscription of the 
 Archbishop of York and his suffragans. The clergy of each 
 province had its separate Convocation. It was the Convocation 
 of the province of Canterbury, that was convened on this occa- 
 sion : — Now the Archbishop of York, or his suffragans, could 
 not concur in any Convocational act of the province of Can- 
 terbury, or subscribe any instruments of that province. Besides, 
 — if we suppose it to be a convocational record, or a convoca- 
 tional transcript, it would have been deposited in the archives of 
 the convocation, and not placed in the custody of the Arch- 
 bishop. 
 
 It follows, therefore, that the manuscript in question is not a 
 convocational record, or even a convocational transcript. 
 
 Still it is allowable to cite it as strong evidence of the text of 
 the record. In all courts of judicature, it is a received rule of 
 evidence, that, where the highest degree of evidence cannot be 
 produced, the want of it may be supplied by the next degree 
 that can be procured. Thus, when a deed has been burnt, the 
 want of the original may be supplied by a copy, or even by a 
 draught. Those who contend against such secondary evidence, 
 
80 
 
 are at liberty to disprove it, by any circumstance which detracts 
 from its value : but, speaking generally, when it cannot be dis- 
 proved, the next degree of evidence is always allowed to supply 
 the want of the first, when that cannot be obtained. 
 
 To a high degree in this secondary class of evidence, the 
 Bennett College manuscript appears to be entitled. How far 
 its value is lessened or encreased by the various other circum- 
 stances which accompany the case, is beside the present enquiry : 
 — the writer conceives, that, {each of them standing singly,) no 
 other copy printed or manuscript has yet been produced, which 
 can be put into competition with it. 
 
 XI. 7. 
 
 The Book of Common Prayer. 
 
 Tliat the Jews had set forms of prayer, and used them in 
 their synagogues, has been satisfactorily shewn by Doctor Light- 
 foot : that the earliest Christians joined in the use of the Lord's 
 Prayer and the Psalms, appears from several passages in the 
 Acts of the Apostles and the Apostolic Epistles : that, at an 
 early period of Christianity, Liturgies were in use, may be justly 
 inferred from those ascribed to St. Peter, St. Mark, and St. 
 James, which Mr. Wheately in a work of real learning, — his 
 Ratiotial Illustration of the Common Praye?, (Introduction, 
 p. 13), says " are doubtless of great antiquity." In the course 
 of time, there was a variety of liturgies. In England, those of 
 York, Sarum and Bangor, were particularly distinguished. 
 Those of the middle ages generally consisted of the Missal, and 
 
 ) the Breviary. The former contained the service of the Mass ; 
 
 \ the latter, those Forms of Prayer, consisting of Psalms, Hymns, 
 
 and Lessons, Mhich there was an obligation on the clergy to 
 
 / recite daily ; and part of which was solemnly sung in the 
 
 churches, every Sunday, and principal holyday, for the editica- 
 
 tjon of the Laity. 
 
 The Liturgy soon attracted the notice of the Reformers. In 
 
81 
 
 1537, a book, was published, called The GoiUy and Pious in- 
 struction of a C/tiisfian Mmi. It contained in the Eiiglii;h lan- 
 guage, u declaration ol' the Lord's l*iaver, the Hail Mary, the 
 Creed, the Tea Coinniatuhnenti, and the Seven Sacraments. 
 \\'ith some variations, it Nvas re-published in 1540 and 1543, 
 under the title of J neiessan/ doctrine and erudition Jur unj/ 
 Christian Matt. In 1545, the King\-i Primer was published, 
 contaiiiinfi^, among other things, the Lord's Prayer, Creed, Ten 
 Conunandments, Venite Exultenuis, Te Deum and several 
 Hymns and Collects. 
 
 Soon alter the accession of Edward the Sixth, a committee of 
 Divines was appomted to reform the Liturgy. They drew up 
 offices for Sundays and Huliilays; for liaptism. Confirmation 
 and Matrimony ; Burial of the Dead, and other special occasions ; 
 and formed them into one book. It was published by the com- 
 mon agreement and full assent of the parliament and convocations. 
 In 15 18, it was confirmed by an act of parliament, and declared 
 " to have been composed by the aid of the Holy Ghost." Ex- 
 ceptions, however, were made to some passages. These were 
 altered by Archbishop Crainner, with the assistance of Martyn 
 Bucer, and Peter Martyr, whom he had invited to England from 
 Germany. Thus revised and altered, the book was coufirmed 
 by parliament, in 1551. Both acts were repealed in the first 
 year of the reign of Queen Mary. 
 
 At the accession of Queen Elizabeth, it was debated, which 
 of the two books should be adopted. It was decided in favour 
 ot the latter, and by the act of uniformity, passed in the second 
 year of her reign, the latter received, with some variation, the 
 sanction of parliament. 
 
 Alterations were made in it, in the first year of James the 
 First, in consequence of some things which had been said of it, 
 at the conference at Hampton Coart. 
 
 Immediately after the Re»toratu)n it was solemnly reviewed ; 
 some alterations were made, and the liturgy was brought to its 
 present state. It was imanimously subscribed by the houses of 
 convocation of both provinces, in December l66l. In the follow- 
 mg March, an act of parliament was passed for its legal establish-. 
 Co///" f 
 
82 
 
 ment. It is there styled, " the Book of Common Prayer, and ad- 
 ministration of the Sacraments and other rites and ceremonies of 
 the church, according to the use of the church of England, toge- 
 ther with the Psalter or Psalms of David, as they are to be sung 
 and said in churches, and the form and manner of making, ordain- 
 ing and consecrating of Bishops, Priests and Deacons." 
 
 XL 8. 
 
 The Homilies. 
 
 The Thirty-nine Articles, and Book of Common Prayer, are 
 the only symbolic books of the Church of England. Next to 
 
 / them in authority are the Homilies. These are held in so much 
 ' consideration, that recourse is sometimes had to them, to deter- 
 
 ) mine the sense of passages in the articles which have been 
 
 \ thought dubious. 
 
 " They are," says Mr. Wheatley in his Rational Illustration 
 of the Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England, 
 " two books of plain sermons, (for so the word signifies), set out 
 by public authority ; one whereof is to be read on every Sunday 
 and Holiday when there is no sermon. The first volume of 
 
 f them was set out in the beginning of Edward the Sixth's reign, 
 having been composed, (as it is thought) by Archbishop Cran- 
 mer, bishop Ridley and Latimer, at the beginning of the Refor- 
 mation, when a competent number of ministers of sufficient 
 abilities to preach to a congregation was not to be found. The 
 
 / second volume was set out in Queen Elizabeth's reign." 
 
 'i 
 
CM AFTER XII. 
 
 The Si/mholic Booh of the Freshyterians and 
 Independents. 
 
 Jtrom what has been mentioned m a preceding part of this 
 work, it appears, that in the reign of Henry the Vlllth, the 
 church of England generally adopted the sentiments of Luther 
 concerning the Eucharist, Ecclesiastical Government, and the 
 Liturgy. During the reign of Edward the Vlth, the church 
 generally retained the. same form of government and liturgy, but 
 adopted much of the doctrine of Calvin. The change of re- 
 ligion, in the reign of Queen Mary, and the consequences of this 
 change, drove many of the most zealous of the reformers into 
 Switzerland. Some observed the form of worship of the 
 English church ; others preferred that of the ,Helvetic churches, 
 on account of its greater simplicity. This distinction followed 
 them, in their return to England, on the accession of Queen 
 Elizabeth ; and the former received the denomination of Con- 
 formists, the latter those of Nonconformists and Puritans. By die 
 legislative acts of her Parliaments, and the religious principles 
 generally favoured during her reign, a larger portion of Lutheran- - 
 ism was introduced into the church of England. To these the 
 German exiles and their adherents generally objected : some of 
 them required, that the church of England should be modelled 
 exactly after that of Geneva, and all other doctrines and 
 rituals proscribed ; the rest desired no more than liberty of con- 
 
( 
 
 84 
 
 / Science, and liberty to celebrate the divine service in tlieir own 
 \ form. But die Queen systematically pursued her plan of reli- 
 / gious coercion : new rules of discipline were established, — and 
 the Ajticles of Faith received some modification. At lennth, 
   the Act of Uniformity, a fruitful source of discord, was passed, 
 ^ enjoining all to subujit to the reformation of the church, as it 
 / was then settled. 'Jo this, the Puritans could not reconcile their 
 . principles or their feelhigs : they objected to the Hierarchy and 
 / the doctrine of its divine institution ; to the necessity of Episco- 
 , pal ordination ; to the vestments of tlie clergy ; to the use of 
 / music in the church service ; to the sign of tlie cross and to holy 
 days. During the whole of the reign of Queen Elizabeth, the 
 contest between the established church and the Puritans, was on 
 the increase ; and many wholesome severities, to use the lan- 
 guage of persecution, were intlicted on the Puritans. At first, 
 the Puritans seemed to be favoured by her successor ; he ex- 
 pressed a laudable desire to accommodate matters between the 
 contending churches. With this view, he appointed the con- 
 ference at Hampton Court. It was attended by nine Bishops 
 and as many iligiiitaries of the church on one side, and by four 
 Puritans on the other. James himself took a great part at the 
 conference, and had the satisfaction to hear from Whitgift, the 
 Archbishop of Canterbury, that, " undoubtedly his Majesty 
 spoke by the special assistance of God's spirit ;" and, frorjv- 
 Bancroft, the l^ishop of London, that " the xUinighty, of his 
 singular mercy, had given such a King, as from Christ's time 
 there had not been.*' " Whereupon," (says Strype, in the Life 
 and Ads of Jrc/ibis/iop Whitgift, Book IV. cxxxi.) " the 
 Lords with one voice yielded a very aflfectionate acclamation.'' 
 His Majesty was higiily delighted with his oun display of talent 
 at this extraordinary exhibition. In a letter pi eserved by Strype, 
 (N. XL VI.) the P.o\ai I'heologian writes to one of his friends, 
 that, " he had kept a revel with the Puritans for two days, the 
 like of which was never seen ; and that he had peppered tiiem, 
 as he (to whom he was writing,) had done the Papists: and 
 that he was forced to say at last, that if any of them had been in 
 a college, disputing with other scholars, and that any of their 
 
85 
 
 disrlples had iinswcred them, in that soil, they themselves would 
 have snatched him up, in phice of a reply, witli a rod." 
 
 From this time kni;j; .Ian es was a hilter enemv to the disci- 
 pline and doctrine of the Puiitans; and his einnity to lliem de- 
 scended to his son, and contributed not a little to his inisfor- 
 times. 
 
 In the eighteenth year of his reign, an Ordinance was passed by 
 hoth houses of Parliament, forming and convening an " Assem- 
 bly of learned and godly divines, and others, to be consulted 
 with, by the P.nliament, for settling the Government and Church 
 of England, and for vindicating and clearing of the doctrine of 
 the said chur«h from false aspersions and interpretations." The 
 Assembly consisted of 1.31 persons : ten Lords, twenty Common- 
 ers, and 1'21 Divines. The Lords and Commoners were called 
 Lay-Assessors, and had an equal liberty of voting and debating 
 with the divines. Among these were Sir Matthew Hale and 
 lS\r. Selden, men that would have done honor to any assembly. 
 One Lay-Assessor and four divines attended from Scotland. 
 The assembly was ordered to meet in Henry the Seventh's 
 Chapel, at Westminster : from that circumstance it obtained the 
 appellation of " die ^\ssembly of lH-. iiics at Westminster." It 
 was opened on the 1st of the following July. 
 
 One of the first objects of deliberation was to prepare a Con- 
 fession of Faith. This took much time: it was not finished 
 till their sitthigon the 22(1 of July, 1646". The l^nglish divines 
 would have been satisfied with a revision and explanation of the 
 Thirty-nine Articles ; but the Scottish divines insisted on a dis- 
 tinct Formulary. On the 11th of December it was j)resented 
 to Parliament by the whole assend)ly, in a body, under the title 
 of jfV/e luaiible advice oj the Assetuh/i/ oj Divines and others, 
 norv, hxj the Anthovily of Parliament, sitting at JV eat minster y 
 concerning a Confession of Faith. Tlie House of Commons 
 voted thanks for it to the assembly, and desired them to insert 
 in it, proofs of the doctrine which it expressed, and to print (>0() 
 copies of it, widi the proofs. The proofs were accordingly 
 added in the margin. On the lltli of May, in the following 
 )ear, the Confession, with the scriptural proofs in its margin, 
 
86 
 
 was sent to the press ; and when it was finished, copies of it 
 were delivered to all the members. The Commons then took 
 it into consideration; and, unless prevented by more urgent 
 business, discussed one chapter of it on every Wednesday. They 
 made in it some alterations, and at a conference with the House 
 of Lords, on the 22d of March, 1647-8, presented it to them. 
 The Houses of Parliament agreed with the Assembly on the 
 doctrinal part of the Confession, and in the following July, order- 
 ed it to be printed for the satisfaction of the Foreign Churches, 
 under the title of " Articles of Religion approved and passed 
 hy both Houses of Parliament, after advice had with an assem- 
 blif of divines, called together by them for that purpose." But 
 there being a difference of opinion on some articles of discipline, 
 they withdrew their assent from these. On that account these 
 were not printed, by order of the House ; but they stand in the 
 Assembly's Catechism. Among them was the whole thirtieth 
 chapter of Church Censures and the Power of the Keys : the 
 thirty-first chapter, of Synods and Councils : a great part of 
 the twenty-fourth chapter of Marriage and Divorce : and the 
 fourth paragraph of the twentieth chapter, which determines, 
 what opinions and parties disturb the peace of the church, and 
 how such disturbers ought to be proceeded agaiiist, by the cen- 
 sures of the church, and punished by the civil magistrate. These 
 propositions, on which, (to use Mr. Neal's expression in his 
 excellent History of the Puritans), " the very life of Presbytery 
 consists, never were approved of by the English Parliaments, 
 nor had the force of a law in this country. But the whole Con- 
 fession, as it came from the assembly, being sent into Scotland, 
 was immediately approved of by the general assembly and Par- 
 liament of that kingdom, and thus became a law of the Church 
 and State." 
 
 While the assembly was engaged in preparing the Confession, 
 they reduced it into the form of Catechisms ; one longer, the 
 other shorter. Both Catechisms were presented by the assem- 
 bly to the House of Commons, approved by them, and printed 
 by their authority. 
 
 The English Puritans divaricated into many divisions j the 
 
07 
 
 principal of these are the Presbyterians, the Uaptists, ami the 
 Independents. The Baptists have been mentioiud. The Inde- 
 pendents sprung from the Bruzvuists, the most distinguished of 
 the denominations, into which tlic Puritans divided. Mr. 
 Brown, its founder, was a man of talents ; his object was to 
 model his party into the form of the Christian church, in its 
 infant state. Being dissatisfied with the treatment which he re- 
 ceived in England, he retired to the Continent, and founded 
 churches at Middleburgh, Amsterdam, and Leyden. Thus 
 abandoned by him, his English followers mitigated the extreme 
 simplicity of his plan : and thus gave rise to the Independents, 
 or Congregational Brethren. It is observable, that a part of 
 the Brownist congregation established at Leyden, emigrated to 
 America, and founded the colony of New England. 
 
 The Independents have two Confessions of Faith : the former 
 was drawn up by Mr. John Robinson, a disciple of Brown, and 
 was published at Leyden in quarto, in the year l6l9, under the 
 title, Apologia pro exu/ibns Angfis, qui Brownistee viilgo appel- 
 lantur. The latter appeared in Ltmdon, for the first time, in 
 the year l658, with the title, " A Declaration of the Faith and 
 Order owned and practised by the Congregational Churches of 
 England, agreed upon and consented unto by their elders and 
 messengers in their meeting at the Savoy, October the twelfth, 
 1658." 
 
 " During those times, when the enthusiastic spirit met with 
 such honor and encouragement, ami was the immediate means 
 of distinction and preferment, it was impossible, (says Mr. 
 Hume, ' ) to set bounds to these holy fervors, or confine within 
 any natural limits, what was directed towards an infinite and 
 a supernatural object. Every man, as prompted by the warmth 
 of his temper, excited by enmlation, or supported by his habits 
 of hypocrisy, endeavoured to distinguish himself beyond his 
 fellows, and to arrive at a higher pitch of saintship and per- 
 fection. In proportion to its degree of fanaticism, each sect 
 became dangerous and destructive ; and as the Independents 
 
 ' History, c. 47. 
 
88 . 
 
 went a note higher than tlie Presbyterian?, they cuuld less be re- 
 strained within any bounds of temper and moderation. From 
 this distinction, as from a first principle, were derived, by a 
 necessary consequence, all the other ditferences of these two 
 sects. 
 
 "' The Independents rejected all ecclesiastical establishments, 
 and would admit of no spiritual conrts, no government amongst 
 jiastors, no interposition of the magistrate in religious concerns, 
 no fixed encouragement annexed to anv svstem of doctrines or 
 opinions. According to their principles, each congregation, 
 united voluntarily and by spiritual ties, composed within itself 
 a separate church, and exercised a jurisdiction, but one desti- 
 tute of temporal sanctions, over its own pastor and its own 
 niembers. The election alone of the congregation was suffix 
 cicnt to bestow the sacerdotal character; and as all essential 
 diitmction was denied between the laity and the clergy, no cere- 
 mony, no institution, no vocation, no imposition of hands was, 
 as in ail other churches, supposed requisite to convey a right to 
 hoiy orders. The enthusiasm of the Presbyterians led them to 
 reject tiie authority of prelates, to throw off the restraint of 
 liturgies, to retrench ceremonies, to limit the riches and autho- 
 rity of the priestly office. The fanaticism of the Independents, 
 exalted to a higher pitcli, aboli',hed ecclesiastical government, 
 disdained creeds and systems, neglected every ceremony, and 
 cojifounded all ranks and (orders. '1 he soldier, the merchant, 
 the uiechajiic, indulging the fervors of zeal, and guided by the 
 illapses of the spirit, resigned himself to an inward and superior 
 direction, and was consecrated, in a manner, by an immediate 
 intercourse and communication with heaven. 
 
 " The Catholics, pretending to an infallible guide, had justi- 
 fied upon that principle, their doctrine and practice of persecu- 
 tion. The Presbyterians imagining that such clear and certain 
 tenets, as they themselves adopted, could be rejected only from 
 a criminal and pertinacious obstinacy, had hitherto gratified to 
 the full, their bigottcd zeal in a like doctrine and practice. The 
 Independents, from the extremity of the same zeal, were led 
 into the milder principles of toleration. Their mind, set afloat 
 
 i 
 
R9 
 
 in llie wivlo sea of insj)iratIon, could confine itself within no 
 certain limits, and the same variations, in which an enthusiast 
 indulged hims(jlf, he was apt, by a natural train of thinking, to 
 perniit in othe/s. Of all Christian sects, this was the first, which 
 <kiring its prosperity, as well as its adversity, always adopted the 
 principle of toleration ; and it is remarkable, that so reasonable 
 a doctrine oweil its origin, not to reasoning, but to the height of 
 extravagance and fanaticism. Popery and prelacy alone, whose 
 genius seems to tend towards superstition, were treated by the 
 Independents ^itli rigour. The doctrines, too, of fate or 
 destiny were deemed by them essential to all religion. In these 
 rigid opf.nions, the whole sectaries, amidst all their other differ- 
 jences, imanimously concurred." 
 
CHAPTER XIII- 
 
 The Scottish Confession of Faith. 
 
 The reformed church of Scotland acknowledges as its founder 
 the celebrated John Knox, a disciple of Calvin. From its 
 foundation, it adopted the doctrine and ecclesiastical government 
 of the church of Geneva. In 1581, King James, with his whole 
 family, and the whole nation subscribed a Confession of Faith, 
 with a solemn league and covenant, obliging themselves to main- 
 tain and defend the Protestant religion, and Presbyterian govern- 
 ment. The title of this Confession is, " A General Confession 
 of the true Christian Faith and Religion, according to God's 
 word, and Acts of our Parliament, subscribed by the King's 
 Majestie and his household ; with sundrie others. To the 
 Glory of God, and good example of all men. At Edinburgh, 
 the 28th day of Januarie. The year of our Lord 1581. And in 
 the 14th year of his Majestie's Reign." 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 The Irish Confession of Faith. 
 
 When Henry the Eighth was declared supreme he.ad of the 
 cliurch of England, George Brown, an Augustinian monk, 
 whom that monarch had raised to the archiepiscopal see of 
 Dublin, caused the Royal Supremacy to be acknowledged in 
 that portion of Ireland, which Mas said to be within the English 
 pale, and in many other parts of the kingdom, where the power 
 or influence of the English Government particularly prevailed. 
 It was further extended, by the Archbishop's exertions, during 
 the reign of King Edward the Sixth. On the accession of Queen 
 Mary, the acts, which established the Protestant religion, were 
 repealed. They were re-enacted by the first f)arliament of 
 Queen Ehzabeth, and the Irish dioceses were filled with Protes- 
 tant Bishops. But the general body of the nation continued 
 Catholic. King James the First was very desirous of bringing 
 over the body of the nation to the Protestant religion, and em- 
 ployed a multitude of missionaries in the work of their conver- 
 sion. They consisted chiefly of Scottish and English puritans ; 
 and thus, though Episcopacy were the legal establishment, the 
 reformation of Ireland had chiefly a Presbyterian foundi.iion. It 
 being thought advisable that, in imitation of other cluirches, 
 some articles of their common faith should be framed, and 
 legally sanctioned, it was moved in convocation to adopt the 
 
m 
 
 articles of the English Church : but the convocation came to 
 a resolution of forming a confession of their own. Such a con- 
 fession was accordingly framed by Doctor James Usher, then 
 Provost of Dublin College, and afterwards Lorn Primate, and 
 approved by the houses of convocation, it passed both houses 
 of Parliament ; and, being sent over to the Enghsh f ouit, was 
 approved in council, and ratified in the king's name, by the Lord 
 Lieutenant Chichester. The title of it is, " Articles of Religion 
 agreed upon by the Archbishops and Bishops and the rest of 
 the Clergy in Ireland, in the Convocation holden at Dublin, in 
 the year of our Lord l6l.5, for the avoiding of diversities of 
 opinions and the establishing of consent touching the true re- 
 ligion." This confession continued in force till the year lC)34, 
 when, by the influence of Archbishop Laud, and the Earl of 
 Stafford, it was set aside, and the thirty-nine articles established 
 in its place. 
 
CIIAPIEII XV. 
 
 The Confession of Fdith of the Anabaptists. 
 
 JVIoshkim's elaborate, tliough concise account of the Ana- 
 baptists, (Cent. XIII. Purs 11. c/i. 3,) is, perhaps, the best, 
 which luis yet appeared of this important denomination of 
 Christians. He mentions in it, that they are deducible from l}ie 
 Wakleiises, I'etrohussians and other ancient sects. " Before," 
 (to nse his own words, Cent. XVI. C. III. Sect. 2.) "the rise 
 of Luther and Calvin, there lay concealed in almost all the 
 countries of Europe, particularly in Bohemia, Moravia, Swit- 
 zerland, and Germany, many persons who adhered tenaciously to 
 the following doctrines, \\hich the Waldenses, VVicklitfites, and 
 Hussites had maintained ; some in a more disguised, and 
 others in a more open imd public manner, viz. That the 
 kingdoiu of Christ, or the vhible church lie had established 
 on earth, teas an assembly of true and real saints, and 
 ought therefore to be inaccessible to the xcicked and un- 
 righteous, and also exempt from all those instituiiojis which 
 human prudence suggests, to oppose the progress of iniquity, or 
 to correct and reform transgressions. This maxim is the true 
 source of all the })eculiaritics, that are to be found in the 
 religious doctrine and discipline of the Anabaptist?;, and it js 
 uiost certain, tiiat the greatest part of these peculiarities were 
 approved by many of those, who before the dawn of the Re- 
 formation, entertained the notion, already mentioned^ relating to 
 
94 
 
 the visible church of Christ." Persons of this sect were not 
 likely to be satisfied with the system of reformation introduced 
 by Luther. They looked upon it as much below the sublimity 
 of their views, and proposed to found a new church, entirely 
 spiritual and truly divine. 
 
 The most remarkable of their religious ritual related to ttie 
 sacrament of baptism ; they contended that it ought to bead- 
 ministered only to persons grown up to years of understanding, 
 and should be performed_, not by sprinkling them with water, 
 but by dipping them into it. For this reason, they condemned 
 the baptism of infants, and re-baptised all, whom they admitted 
 into their society. This gave them the name of Anabaptists. 
 
 In this ceremony, there Mas nothing inconsistent with the 
 order of civil society or civil government : but they held tenets 
 absolutely incompatible with either, — " that all things ought to 
 be in common among the faithful ; that taking interest for the 
 loan of money, tythes and tribute ought to be entirely abolished, 
 that, in the kingdom of Christ, civil magistrates were absolutely 
 useless, and that God still continued to reveal his will to chosen 
 persons by dreams and visions." (Mosheim, Cent. XVI. ch, iii. 
 sect. 5.) 
 
 At first they contented themselves with employing the arts of 
 persuasion, to propagate their doctrines ; but they soon had re- 
 course to violence, and involved many parts of Switzerland, 
 Holland, and Germany, in tumult and violence. Their zeal 
 frequently amounted to frenzy ; and many sovereign states en- 
 acted severe edicts against them, and strove to repress them by 
 capital punishments : but, for a long time, the attempt was 
 fruitless ; the unhappy objects of the edicts preferring death, in 
 its most terrible forms, to a retractation of their errors. The 
 scenes which were exhibited at Munster are generally known. 
 In that city, and many other parts of Germany and Holland, 
 they committed, to use the language of Mosheim, "all the 
 enormous crimes and ridiculous follies, which the most per- 
 verse and infernal imagination could suggest." But the re- 
 capture of the city of Munster, the painful and ignominious 
 death, inflicted on John Bockhold, the mock monarch of it, and 
 
95 
 
 the sanguinary persec aliens, in almost every part of Europe, of 
 these fanatics, greatly lessened their numbers, and introduced a 
 better spirit among the survivors. 
 
 Two things, however, should not be forgotten. In the perse- 
 cution of the Anabaptists religious principles were too often 
 admitted as evidence of the actual commission of crime ; and 
 even when the ferment was at its utmost height, there were not 
 wanting among them many, who, while they admitted the re- 
 ligious tenets, condemned and deplored the disorganising prin- 
 ciples and rebellious proceedings of their brethren. 
 
 Among tiiese, was the celebrated Simon Menno, a Roman 
 Catholic priest, who embraced the Anabaptist communion. 
 By his eloquence, learning, conciliating manners, and inde- 
 fatigable exertions, he obtained the confidence of its mem- 
 bers, and availed hhnself of it to restore them to social 
 and peaceful habits. The guarded manner, in which he him- 
 self expressed and accustomed his followers to express their 
 doctrines, disposed the public mind to view them, if not with 
 kindness, at least with pity. Such was the reverence, in which 
 he was held by them, and the space w hich he filled in the public 
 eye, that, on the continent, they received from him the name of 
 Mennonites, and are more frequently called on the continent 
 by that, than by the name of Anabaptists. In this state, they 
 are said by Mosheim to be descendants of the original Ana- 
 baptists, but to be purged from the fanaticism, by which these 
 ^vere disgraced. Soon after Menno's decease, they branched 
 into two divisions, the refined and the gross, or the rigid and the 
 moderate. The former are few in number; the latter are 
 numerous, particularly in Holland. There, under the protection 
 of William, the first Prince of Orange, and Maurice his son, 
 they obtained a considerable degree of legal toleration. 
 
 They have published several confessions of faith. Five of 
 them were printed at Amsterdam, in 1675, in one volume 8vo. 
 The most remarkable of these is that composed by John de 
 Ries, assisted by Lubert Gerard, in 1580, and one, signed by 
 them in 162G, in which, by disavowing the most offensive tenets 
 imputed to them, they successfully attempted to propitiate the 
 favour of the United States. 
 
96 
 
 'I'he descent of the English Baptists from the Mennonites, 
 and still more their descent from the Anabaptists, parents of these, 
 is very problematical. At first, they were known under the 
 name of Brownists ; M-ith both they agree in their administration 
 of Baptism by immersion, and the refusal of that sacrament 
 to infants and persons in tender years : but, in almost every other 
 particular, they ditier from each. They have none of the 
 Anabaptist prejudices against lawful war and magistracy. They 
 are divided into General or Arminian Baptists, and Particular 
 or Calvinistic Baptists. The latter are most numerous ; their 
 discipline and form of worship are those of the Presbyterians. 
 There cannot be a stronger contrast between two religious 
 sects than that which is observable between the ori"inal Ana- 
 baptists and the llnglish Baptists. These have ever possessed 
 and still possess many persons of great learning, integrity, and 
 liberality. Among them may be reckoned Mr. Solom Emlyn, 
 so scandalously persecuted for his religious principles. 
 
 The Calvinistic Baptists published, in \G43, a confession of 
 faitli, mentioned in the Bibliot/ierjiie Biillaiuiique, Turn. VI. 
 p. 2. and another confession of faith, in 1660, published by 
 Mr. VVhiston, in the Memoirs of his Life, Fol. II. p. 561. 
 
 At Baptism, tliey dip once, and not three times, and esteem it 
 indifferent, whetber the sacrament be administered in the name 
 of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, or in that of Christ alone. 
 They believe iu a kind of Millennium, and that the Apostolic 
 Ordinance against things strangled w as intended for perpetual 
 observance, that the soul, from the niomeiit of the death of the 
 body, remains, till the day of general resurrection, in a state of 
 insensibihty : many of them observe both the Jewish and the 
 Christian Sabbath. They have three ecclesiastical orders, bishops, 
 (whom, from the language of the book of Kevelalions, they 
 style messengers,) elders, and deacons. 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 The SijmhoUc Books of the Quakers. 
 
 This denomination of Cliristians had rise in England during 
 the civil wars. The founder of it was George Fox, a shoemaker, 
 of an enthusiastic turn of mind. 
 
 To tremble at the divine judgments, was one of the duties 
 most frequently inculcated by him ami his associates. Being 
 sunuv.oiied before Mr. Ju^tice Bennett, in 1650, they orderetl 
 the magistrate to tremble at the word uf the Lord. This tixed 
 on them the appellation of Quakers. Widi this explanation, they 
 are not unwilling to accept it : but, on account of a fundamental 
 principle of Uieir religion, they prefer the appellation of Children 
 or Conjesaors of the Light. In their intercourse with one 
 another, they constantly use the appellation of Friends. — 
 Friends to humanity, they certainly have been ; they have 
 uniformly reprobafetl rehoious persecution; uniformly advo- 
 cated the cause of civil liberty. Their charities to the mem- 
 bers of then- own association, their incessant endeavours to 
 promote harmony among them, their contempt of the gands of 
 life, and l!ie:r universal benelicence, are beyond praise. We 
 owe to them, the abolition of the Slave Trade ; they have been 
 the great promoters of the Lancastcrian system of education ; 
 and at this time are actively employed in effecting the repeal of 
 the statutes which sanction punishment by death. The method 
 which they adopt to carry their salutary (Vsigns into execution, 
 Coiif. G 
 
98 
 
 deserves the highest commendation : they collect all the facts, 
 ■which serve to place the object in their view in its true light, 
 and all the arguments which support the doctrines which they 
 M'ish to inculcate. 1 hese, they assiduously circulate in every 
 literary form, from operose disquisition, to familiar instruction. 
 Thus, even witiiout the slightest contentious eftbrt, they insen- 
 sibly produce a salutary effect on the public mind : and, at a 
 propitious time, submit their plans to the legislature. 
 
 The doctrine of the Quakers was refined and reduced to a 
 consistent form, by Mr. Robert Barclay; and some of his 
 writings are their standard books. 
 
 He first published his Catechism : the title of it is, " A 
 Catechism and Confession of Faith, approved of and agreed 
 unto, bi/ the General Assembly oj the Patriarchs, Prophets, and 
 Apostles, Christ himscf chief speaker in and among them. 
 Which rmituineth a full and faithful account of the Principles 
 and Doctrines, zohich are most surelij believed by the churches 
 of Christ, in Great Britaiji and Ireland, who are reproachfully 
 called by the name of Quakers, yet are found in the one Faith 
 tcith the primitive church and saints, as is clectrly demonstrated 
 by some plain scripture testimonies, zcithout consequences or com- 
 metUaries, zchich are here collected, and inserted by wai/ of 
 answer to a few weight)/, yet easy and familiar expressions, f tied 
 as well for the wisest and largest, as for the weakest and loxvest 
 capacities. To which is added, an Expostulation with, and 
 Appeal to, all other Professors. By Robert Barclay." The 
 Preface to the Reader is dated, ''From Urie, the place of my 
 being, in my native country, in Scotland, the II th of the 6th 
 Month, ]G75." It consists of 18 chapters: the 14 first, con- 
 tain his Catechism ; — the loth, a Short Introduction to the Con- 
 fession of Faith ;~-lhe l6th,- the Confession of Faith, in 23 
 articles; — the l7ih,ashott Expostulation, with an Appeal to 
 all other Professors ;— the 18th, "a shoit Examination of some 
 of the Scripture Proofs aliedged by the Divines at Westmijister, 
 to prove diverse articles in their Confession of Faith and 
 Calechism." 
 
 Not long after the publication of his Catechism, INIr. Robert 
 
99 
 
 Barclay published his Theses Theologica-, with the following ad- V«V- 
 dress : " To the Clergy, of what sort soever, unto whose hands 
 soever these may come ; but more particularly to the Doctors, 
 Professors, and Students of Divinity in the Universities and 
 Schools of Great Britain, whether Prtlatical, Presbyterian, or 
 any other; Robert Barclay, a servant of the Lord God, and one 
 of those, who, in derision, are called Quakers, wishes unfeigned 
 repentance, unto tlie acknowledgement of the Faith." 
 
 It was speedily followed by his " Apology for the true 
 Christian Diviniti/ ; being an explanation and vindication of 
 the Principles and Doctrines of the persons called Quakers ;" 
 with a Dedication to Charles the Second, dated the 25th of 
 November, 1675. It is a logical demonstration of the Propo- \ 
 sitions in the Theses Theologica ; and is universally considered to ( 
 shew an uncommon power of mind. It was immediately trans- \ 
 latcd itito almost every European language, and presented to all 
 the Ministers at the Congress of Nimegueu. 
 
 These are the symbolic and standard books of the Friends. 
 It has been alleged, that they are expressed so guardedly, as to 
 coiiceal, in some measure, their real doctrine, or, at least, its 
 ultimate tendency. These, it is said, are more easily discoverable 
 from "T/ie Christian Quaker, and his Divine Testimon^f tin- */t-^^ 
 dicated by Scripturej reason, and authorities, against the in- 
 jurious attempts that have been lately made by several 
 adversaries." 
 
 This work appeared in 1674 ; the first part of it was written ^ 
 by Penn, and the second by Whithead, one of his most distin- 
 guished disciples. 
 
100 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 NOTE I. 
 
 The Confession of Faith of the Eastern Church, 
 {Referred to in page 19-) 
 
 1- 
 
 The Title of the Confession, and the Pastoral Letter prefixed 
 
 to it. 
 
 The Title of this work is, " Op^odo^og OjxoKoyia. TY^g 
 Ka.hXiKif\i; ?ta< ATTOiTroKix.y\g £xxX»)(r»aj t>]j JivuToKiK-qig. Hoc est, 
 Orthodoxa Confessio CathoHcoi atque Apostolicce Ecciesicc 
 Orientalis, cum interpretatione Latino, et Versione Germanicd. 
 Pramissa est Historia Jiujus OixoXoyicti sen Catechisnii, a D. 
 Carlo Gottlob. Hofmann S. S. Theol. Prof. Primar. in Aca- 
 demia Wittebergensi Consist. Past, et circ. Elect. Saxon. 
 General. Superintend. JVratislavico, ajmd Jo. Jacob. Horn. 
 MDCCLI. oct. p. 259." 
 
 The- Catechism is preceded by an historical account of its 
 composition and publication : this is followed by an address, or, 
 what would be called in Europe, a pastoral letter, from Nec- 
 tarius, " by the grace of God, Patriarch of the holy city of" 
 Jerusalem, and all Palestine ; to all orthodox readers, his be- 
 loved brethren, and sons in the Lord." Jt is dated the GOth 
 Nov. l662. We are then presented with a letter, of which the 
 following is a literal translation : 
 
 " Parthenius, by the mercy of God, Archbishop of Constan- 
 tinople, New Rome ; and CEcumenical Patriarch. Our medio- 
 crity, together with our sacred congregation of chief bishops 
 and clergy present, hath diligently perused a small book, trans- 
 mitted to us by our true sister, the church of Lesser Russia^ 
 
101 
 
 entitled. The Confession of the Oiihodox Faith of the Catholic 
 and Apostolic Church of Christ ;" in which the whole subject 
 is treated under the three heads of Faith, Charity, and Hope, in 
 such a manner, that Faith is divided into twelve articles, (to wit, 
 those of the sacred Nicene svnibol) Charity into ten precepts, 
 and such other precepts as are contained in the sacred and di- 
 vinely inspired books of the Old and New Testament, which 
 Christians are bound to hold : Hope, into the dominical player, 
 and the nine beatitudes of the sacred Gospel. 
 
 ** We have found that this small book follows steadily the   
 doctrines of the Catholic Church, and agrees with the sacred 
 canons, and, in no respect differs from them. As to the rest, ^ 
 to the other part of the book, that which is in the Latin tongue, 
 on the side opposite to the Greek text, we have not referred, 
 in our perusal ; so that we only formally confirm that which is 
 in our vernacular tongue. With our common and synodical 
 sentence, we decree, and we announce to every pious and ortho- 
 dox Christian, a member of the eastern and apostolic church, 
 that this book is to be diligently read, and not to be rejected. 
 Which, for the perpetual faith and certainty of the fact, we 
 guard by our subscriptions. In the year of Salvation, lG63, 
 4th day of March." 
 
 Then follow the subscriptions of, 
 
 *' Pardienius, by the divine mercy, Archbishop of Constan- 
 tinople, New Rome; and G^cumenical Patriarch, 
 
 " Joannicius, by the mercy of Gud, Pope and Patriarch of 
 the great city of Alexandria, and Judge of the whole world ; 
 
 " Macarius, by the mercy of God, Patriarch of Antioch, the 
 great city of God ; 
 
 « Paisius, by the mercy of God, Patriarch of the holy city of 
 Jerusalem ; 
 
 " The Bishops of Ancyra, Larissae, Chalcedon, Adrianople, 
 Berrhaea, Rhodes, ISIythynmge, Laceda-'mon and Chios ; and 
 thirteen church officers. 
 
102 
 
 II. 
 
 The First Book of the Catechism. 
 
 The Catechism is divided into Tliree Books, 
 
 Tlie first Book contains, One Hundred and Twenty-six Ques- 
 tions, and as many Answers. 
 
 II. 1. The first Question is, " What must an Orthodox 
 and Catholic Christian hold and perform, that he may become, 
 at a future time, heir of eternal life ?" 
 
 The answer is, — " Right faith and good works ; for lie, w}jo 
 observes these, is a good Christian, and hath the hope of eternal 
 salvation : witness the sacred Scripture, (James ii. 24), " Do 
 you see that man isjustifed by nvrks, and not by faith only :" 
 and, a little after, " For as the body, without the spirit, is dead; 
 so faith, zeithout works, is dead" The divine Paul adds the 
 same in another place, (1 Timothy, i. 19.), " Having faith and 
 a good conscience, which some having put axoay, have been ship- 
 xorecked in respect to their faith :" and, in another place, he says, 
 (1 Timothy, in. 9.), " Having the mystery of faith with a pure 
 conscience." 
 
 The second Question is, " Why should a Christian first be- 
 lieve, and afterwards do good actions r" — To this it is answered, 
 " Because none can please God without faith, according to the 
 saying of Paul," (Heb.xi.G.), " It cannot be, that, zeithout 
 faith, any person should p/ease God; for it is necessary that he, 
 who approacheth to God, should believe that he is, and that he 
 is the rewarder of those, who seek him diligently. Therefore, 
 that a Christian should be acceptable to God, and that his works 
 should be grateful to him, it behoveth him, first to have faith ; 
 then, that he should com]iosc and conform his life to the rule of 
 faith." 
 
 The third Question is, " In what things do these two con- 
 sist.'"' It is answered, "In the three theological virtues: in 
 Faith, in Hope, in Charity." 
 
 This serves as a preliminary chapter. 
 
103 
 
 11. 2. The fust part of the Catechism begins with the 
 Question, " What is Faith T "Faith," it is answered, "is, 
 according 'to the blessed Paul, (Ileb. xi. 1.) the substance of 
 those things, which are looped for, and the evidence of those 
 things not seen. And, for this, the antients obtained a good 
 testimony.'' Or, faith may be defined thus ; " The Orthodox, 
 Catholic, and Apostolic Faith, is to believe in the heart, and to 
 profess by the mouth, One God, and three persons :" (rgtavTroaTtx- 
 Tov), according to the doctrine of Paul himself, (Rom. x. 10.) 
 **■ Bi/ the heart it is believed to justice: bi/ the mouth, confes- 
 sion is made to salvation." Moreover, the Orthodox Christian 
 should believe, (Synod, vi. Can. xxxii.) all the articles of 
 faith, which the Catholic and Orthodox Church believes, de- 
 livered by our Lord Jesus Christ, through his Apostles, to his 
 Church, and exposed and approved b , the CEcumeuical Coun- 
 cils ; and these, he is bound to embrace, widi true faith, accord- 
 ing to the precept of the Apostle, (2 Thess. ii. 15 ), * Therefore 
 do you, brethren, persid to hold the tradition which ijuu have 
 learned from our speech, or by letter' Agani, in anodier place, 
 (1 Cor. xi. 2.) * I praise you, brethren, because you hold alt 
 my zmrdsin memory, and because you retain the traditions, as 
 I delivered them to you.' From this, it is manifest, that the 
 Articles of Faith owe their authority and approbation, partly to 
 the sacred scripture, partly to ecclesiastical tradition, and the doc- 
 trine of the councils, and the Holy Fathers." Jn confirmation of 
 this doctrine, a passage from the works of St. Dionysius the 
 Arropagite, (Hier. £cc. c. i. page 108, ed. Morell,) is cited. 
 
 The Catechism then proceeds in these words : " The Dog- 
 mata of die Church lire two in number, and of two kinds : some 
 are consigned in the writings, which are comprised in the divine 
 books of sacred Scripture. Others were delivered by the 
 Apostles, by their living voice. And these are the doctrines, 
 which afterwards were more fully declared by the Councils and 
 the Holy Fathers ; and, on those two foundations, faith is super- 
 structed." 
 
 II. 3. By the fifth Question, it is inquired, *' How many 
 are the articles oj the Catholic and Orthodox Faith ?" It is 
 
104 
 
 answered, that " ihey are twelve, according to the symbol of 
 the first Council of Nice, and the second of Constantinople. 
 In which councils, all things which appertain to our faith, are 
 so accurately expressed, that nothing more and nothing less 
 should be believed by us, nor sliould they be believed in any 
 other sense or understanding, tiian that in winch those Fathers 
 understood them." 
 
 II. 4. The Twelve Articles are then successively propound^ 
 ed and explained. 
 
 In the explanation of the First Article, I believe in God, 
 the Father Almighti/, maker of Heaven and Earth, much is 
 said of the being and attributes of the Deity, and tb.e fall of 
 Man; on Providence, Fate, and Free-will ; and on the nature 
 and office of Angels. The good Angels are described, as in- 
 cessantly employed in singing the praises of God. Kingdoms, 
 churches, monasteries, individuals, are said to be committed to 
 their care ; and it is added, that under the direction and pleasure 
 of the Almighty, they render innumerable services to man. The 
 bad Angels are said to have fell from their state of happiness by 
 their own fault, and to be the enemies of man. 
 
 The Second Article, " And in our Lord Jesus Christ, 
 the only begotten son of God, and born of the Father before all 
 ages; God of God; begotten, not made, consubstantial to the 
 Father, by tchom all things irei e made :"" is expressed in the same 
 terms as ours. The answer to the ninth Question acknowledges, 
 unequivocally, the consubslantiality of the son, and proves it by 
 the Three Heavenly Witnesses mentioned in 1 John, v. 7- 
 
 The TriiRD Article, as it is expressed in the Roman Ca- 
 tholic and English Liturgies, " Who for us men and fur our 
 salvation, came down from Heaven, and teas iticarnate by the 
 Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man," is dis- 
 cussed at some length. It commences at the thirty-seventh 
 Question. In the Gieek text, as it is given in the Catechism, 
 there may be thought to be more than a literal variation from 
 that of the Roman Catholic and English versions. The ex- 
 pression in the Greek text is (rugx.cu^svT ex nvs6jj.ciT0i dylov, k!x\ 
 
105 
 
 iVao/a, T^$ TTctp&ivov, iiicariuilus est ev Spirilu Snucfo cl Maria 
 Viroirie — iiitarnale of the Holy Gliost and / Ac Villain Mary. 
 
 On the part, which mentions that tlie Son of Cod " was in- 
 carnate of the Holy Ghost and the Virgin Mary," llie catechism 
 incidcates the necessity and utility of devotion to the Virgin 
 Mary, in the following words, in its 40, 41, and 42 answers — 
 " As Mary, the Virgin Mother of God, was held worthy to 
 fuim so great a mystery, all the Ordiodox, as is just and pious, 
 ought, in justice and according to her merit, to praise and vene- 
 rate her, as the mother of our Lord Jesus Christ ; or rather, as 
 the mother of God. For which reason, the church has framed 
 a salutation of her, from Uie words of the Archangel and St. 
 Elizabeth ; and to this, the church has nuule a small addition of 
 her own." It states the salutation in the following words : " O 
 Virgin ! Mother of God! Full of Grace! the Lord is nith thee! 
 Blessed art thou atnorigst women, and blessed the fruit of thy 
 womb; because thou hast begotten the Saviour of our souls : — 
 This the church, in virtue of her right and authority, has ordered, 
 — that the blessed Virgin should be frequently and earnestly wor- 
 shipped, and celebrated by this salutation. Moreover, the saluta 
 tion, when it calls the Virgin, lull of Grace, teaches, that because 
 she is the Mother of God, she partakes of divine grace, in a great- 
 er degree, than any other created being; and, on that account, 
 deservedly extols her above the cherubs and seraphs. For, 
 advanced far beyond the choirs of the Angels, she stands with 
 all her honors and dis;nitv at the rijiht hand of her son, according- 
 to tlie language of David, (Psalm xlv.) * The Queen sits at your 
 right hand, in gilded robes, dressed in various colours.' Now 
 the Ordiodox Christian ought to recite the salutation, and im- 
 plore the intercession of the Virgin with great devotion. For 
 the prayer of the V^irgin is of great weight with the piety of the 
 Son." 
 
 The Fourth Article, " was crucified for us^ imder 
 Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried," is the subject of the 
 43, 44, 45, 4G, 47, 48, 49, 50, and 51st Questions and Answers. 
 The 50th Answer inculcates the necessity of the frequent use of 
 the sign of the cross, and quotes St. Cyril, the Bishop of 
 
106 
 
 Jerusalem, in the beginning of the 5th century, for his recom- 
 mendation to the faithful, to make " the f'enerable Sign of the 
 Cross, when they eat, drink, sit, walk, speak, or are silent ; to 
 begin nothing witliont previously making it, to make it at home, 
 on the road, hy day, hy night, and in every placed {Catec. 
 XIII) The Catechism then describes, in the following words, 
 the method of making the sign of the cross : " First, with the 
 three first fingers, touch the forehead, and say, ' In the name of 
 the Father : ' then, bring down the hand, in the same form, to the 
 breast, and say, ' And of the Son :' then, move the hand to the 
 right shoulder, and say, * ^nd of the Holy Ghost,' moving the 
 hand, uhile you say these words, from the right to the left 
 shoulder, and conclude with the word ' Amen/ " This form of 
 making the sign of the cross differs from the form, in use in the 
 Western Church. The words are the same, and the figure of 
 the cross is observed; but, in the Western Church, the hand is 
 moved from the breast to the left shoulder, and thence to the 
 right. Some have supposed that this difference between the 
 Greek and Western Churches is owing to the difference of 
 opinion between them, on the procession of the Holy Ghost : — 
 But Cardinal Bona, (Op. 824), mentions the form used in the 
 Greek Church, as a form used in ancient times, in some parts 
 of the Latin Churches. In making the sign of the cross, the 
 Greek Priests generally bow to the ground, and almost touch 
 it with their foreheads ; their ease and rapidity in doing it can 
 scarcely be conceived by those, by whom it has not been seen. 
 
 The Fifth Article, " who, on the third day rose again 
 according to the Scriptures,"' employs the 32, 53, and 54th 
 Questions and Answers. 
 
 The Sixth Article is expressed in the following words : 
 *' who ascended into Heaven, and sits at the right hand of the 
 Father;" — and employs one Question and Answer. In the 
 latter, this article is said to contain four articles of Faith : — 
 1st. " That Christ ascended into Heaven, and, with glory and 
 praise, took his seat at the right hand of the Father, in the 
 same body as that in which he had suffered on the cross, and 
 rose from the dead. — 2ndly. That he ascended into Heaven, so 
 
107 
 
 far only as he was man ; for tliat, as God, he always was in 
 Heaven, and all other places. — Srdly. That Christ, having once 
 assumed human nature from the blessed Virgin, never laid it 
 down, and that, clothed with the same body, he will come to 
 judgment. — 4thly. Tiiat Christ, now, is in Heaven only ; and is 
 not on earth, in that mode of his body, which he formerly used, 
 while he resided on earth ; but that, in the sacramental mode, 
 in which he is present in the sacred table, he is, by transub- 
 stantiation, present on earth, the same Son of God, both God 
 and Man. For the substance of bread is changed into the 
 substance of the sacred body, and the substance of wine into the 
 substance of his precious blood : — wherefore it behoves us to 
 venerate and adore the sacred Eucharist, as our Saviour Jesus 
 Christ himself." 
 
 The Seventh Article is expressed in these terms : " and 
 shall come again in glory, to judge the living and the dead, of 
 whose kingdom there shall be no end ;" and employs the 57, 
 58, 59, 60, Gl, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, and 68th Questions and 
 Answers. These articles explain the doctrines of the Greek 
 Church on the condition of the dead. It seems to consist of the 
 8 following points: — I. That Christ is to return to earth, and 
 judge all mankind : — 2. That he is to judge them according to 
 their thoughts, words, and deeds : — 3. That a sentence of eternal 
 happiness or eternal misery will then be pronounced on each 
 individual, but that the judgment on each will be generally 
 manifested, not separately pronounced : — 4. Yet that, though 
 each person at his death is separately judged, the sentence is not 
 executed till the day of judgment, their knowledge of it forming 
 between their deaths and the universal judgment, their happiness 
 or misery : — 5. That the happiness of the good, and the misery 
 of the wicked, in the next life, differs in degree, but endures 
 for eternity : — 6. That there is no middle place, in which the 
 soul is purged of his crimes by temporary suffering : — 7- But that 
 many are snatched and liberated from the gates of hell, in con- 
 sequence of the pious works and prayers of the survivors ; and 
 particularly in consequence of the unbloody sacrifice, which the 
 church offers for the living and the dead :— 8. But that the dead 
 
108 
 
 do not participate of the prayers and sacrifices offered for them; 
 these being in the nature of suffrages or intercessions with God. 
 
 The EIGHTH ARTICLE ; — is expressed in the catechism, in 
 the following tenns : — " And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and 
 giver of life, who proceeds from the Father ; and, together with 
 the Father and Son, is adored and glorified, and who spoke by 
 the prophets." This article employs the 70th, 71st, 72d, 73d, 
 74tii, 75lh, 76th, 77th, 78th, 79ih, 80th, and 81st Questions 
 and Answers, 
 
 It is generally known that the great point of difterence be- 
 tween the Latin and Greek churches, is, that the formei main- 
 tains, that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, 
 and the latter maintains that the Holy Ghost proceeds from the 
 Father only. The opinion of each church is anathematised by 
 the other, 
 
 A second charge is brought by the Greeks against the Latins, 
 that they interpolated the genuine text of the Nicene Creed, by 
 foisting into the text, the words, " and the Son — Filioque." On 
 this point 3 things are clear, — 1st, That they were inserted in 
 the French and Spanish copies of the Creed, before they were in- 
 serted in the Roman ; 2d, That Pope Leo the Third, though from 
 the first he explicitly avowed and propounded the double pro- 
 cession of the Hoiy Spirit, yet disapproved, in the first instance, 
 of the insertion of the words in question in the symbol, as an al- 
 teration of the original text ; 3d, But that, soon after they had 
 been inserted by the French and Spanish churches, they were 
 inserted and chaunted in the Roman liturgies. (See Petav. Dog- 
 mata Theologica, 1. 7. p. 362.) Through the whole of the dis- 
 pute, the conduct of Leo was marked with great good sense 
 and moderation. When the Missi of Ciiaileniagne pressed him 
 to declare, that all who rejected the Fiiioque, or at least, all who 
 rejected the doctrine must be damned, he checked their preci- 
 pitancy ; " all," he said, " are not capable of understanding the 
 higher mysteries : he, who is capable of understanding them, 
 and will not, cannot be saved— (Collect. Cone. tom. ix. p. 277, 
 286)." 
 
 The MiNTH ARTICLE of thc Creed, — " I believe in the one 
 
109 
 
 Holy Catholic ami Apostolic Cliurcli," — begins with the 97th 
 «}uesti()n and answer. The Catholic Church is said to contain 
 all particular Catholic chnrchi s. A primacy of rank is said to 
 liave been assigned to the church of Jerusalem, for its being the 
 only church that was favoured with the presence of Christ ; the 
 first church that was honoured by the preaching of the gospel, 
 the first that received the forgiveness of sins, and the blessing of 
 salvation, and the church, from which the tidings of the gospel 
 M'ere propagated throughout the world. — Afterwards, (continues 
 the Catechisni,) the Emperors conferred a superiority of rank 
 on ancient and new Rome, as the seats of empire, and it was 
 confirmed to them by the 3d canon of the second CEcumenical 
 council of Constantinople. 
 
 The Catechism reckons nine precepts of the Church. 1 . To 
 assist on Sinidays or Holidays at the divine ofiices of the 
 Church : 2. To observe the four solemn fasts : 3. To reverence 
 the ministers of God, as Spiritual Fathers : 4. To make a con- 
 fession of sins, four times a year, to a priest regularly ordnined: 
 5. To avoid readhig the books of heretics : G. To pray to God 
 for every stale and order of men : 7- To observe the fasts and 
 devotions commanded by the metropolitan or Diocesan Bishop : 
 8. To respect tie property of the Church, and provide her nii- 
 iiisters with a suitable maintenance ; Q. Not to solenniize m.ar- 
 riages in times forbidden by the Church. 
 
 The questions and answers on the tenth article of the 
 Nicene Creed; — " I confers one Baptism for the remission of 
 sins," extend from the 97 ih to the 120tli. " Baptism," says the 
 Catechism, '' being the first mystery of the Church, this seems 
 a proper place to discuss her seven mysteries ; Baptism, Con- 
 firmation, Eucharist, Penance, Priesthood, Honourable Marria«>e, 
 and Extreme Unction. These answer to the seven "ifts of the 
 Holy Ghost, because, by them the Holy Ghost infuses his gifts 
 and graces on those who use the sacraments properly : on which 
 .subject the patriarch Hiereraias treats at length, in his book for 
 converting the Lutherans, 
 
 " A mystery is a certain holy ceremony, which, under a visible 
 sign, is the cause of invisible grace, and infuses it into the soul J 
 
110 
 
 it is instituted by our Lord, and by it each of the faithful receives 
 
 grace." 
 
 The Catechism then explains these mysteries successively. 
 Respecting the Eucharist, (question and answer, 106), it says, —   
 " under the visible species of bread and wine, Jesus Christ is 
 present truly and properly, that is, in reality." It then (question 
 and answer 107) describes the ceremony, and proceeds, — " at 
 the instant of the consecration, the priest is to say, O God ! 
 send down thy spirit from heaven upon us, and upon these prof- 
 fered gifts. Make the bread, the precious body of thy Christ; 
 and that which is in the cup, make the precious blood of thy 
 Christ; transforming them by the holy spirit. While he pro- 
 nounces these words, the transubstantiation (j«.sTOu<r»wo-»?), is in- 
 .»jtautaueously effected ; the bread is changed into the true body 
 of Christ, the wine into his true blood, the species of each 
 remaining visible by the divine disposition. Both Priests and 
 laity should participate of this mystery under both kinds, viz. 
 both of the bread and the wine. Moreover the honor shewn to 
 these tremendous mysteries, should be equal and similar to that 
 which is shewn to Christ himself." 
 
 The ELEVENTH ARTICLE, " I expect the resurrection of 
 the dead," employs the 120, 121, 122, 123, and 124th ques- 
 tions and answers. 
 
 The TWELFTH ARTICLE, " and the life of tlie world to 
 come/' employs the three remaining questions and answers. 
 
 III. 
 
 The second and third parts of the Catechism. 
 
 Tlie 2d and 3d pavts of the Catechism, treat principally of 
 the duties of man : — as the present work is confined to the 
 creeds of Christians, a slight mention only, of these parts of the 
 Catechism suits this place. 
 
 The SECOND PART Contains a brief exposition of the Lord's 
 Prayer. The words, " For thioe are the kingdom and power 
 
Ill 
 
 aiul glory for ever," are mentioned as an epilogue to the prayer. 
 The answer to the 28th question, observes, that speaking gene- 
 rally, these words, when a clergyman is present, should be pro- 
 nounced by the clergyman only, on account of the loftiness of 
 the sentiments which they express: but recommends that they 
 never should be omitted. 
 
 Nine Beatitudes are reckoned : — The verse (V. Mat. 1 1 .), 
 *' Blessed are ye, when they shall revile you, and persecute you, 
 and speak all that is naught against you, for my sake: rejoice 
 and exult, for great is your reward in heaven," form the ninth. 
 In treating of the beatitude of the merciful, the catechism reckons 
 seven works of spiritual and seven of temporal mercy. This 
 part of the catechism contains 63 questions, and as many an- 
 swers. 
 
 The THIRD PART Contains 72; and treats of good works, 
 the four Cardinal virtues, Prudence, Justice, Fortitude and 
 '^J'emperance ; original and voluntary sin, the 7 capital sins. 
 Pride, i\varice, Fornication, F.nvy, G'luttony, Desire of Revenge 
 and Sloth. (3f Despair and Pr(>sninption; of the 3 sins against 
 the Holy Ghost; of inurdcr, oppression of the poor, and un- 
 diitifulness to parents, — sins which, even in this life, are said to 
 bring down Divine vengeance on the offenders: — of venial sins; 
 of the manner by which we become guilty of the sins of others ; 
 of the two commandments of Christ ; and the ten precepts which 
 are derived from them. The worship of God alone, is said not 
 to forbid the invocation of the saints, as fiiends, through whose 
 intercession God s(mietinies pleases to bestow his favours. 
 
 The fifth answer states, that " there is a great difference be- 
 tween iuiaires and idols. For idols are mere works or inventions 
 of men, as the apostle testifies, when he says, (1 Cor. viii. 4,) 
 ' Zi'e know that an idol is iiot/iifig in the zcorld.' " But an 
 image is the representation of a thing that really exists in the 
 world. Such is the image of our Lord and Saviour Christ ; and 
 the images of the holy Virgin Mary and all the Saints. More- 
 over, the pagans adored the idols as gods ; believing, as did Ne- 
 buchodinoser of old, that the gold and Silver of them was God 
 
lis- 
 
 But, when vve venerate and adore images, we do not M'orship 
 the colours tinctured on the wood, or the wood itself ; but we 
 worship the saints represented by the images, with that kind of 
 veneration which is termed Dulia : thus bringing their presence 
 into our minds, as if we beheld them with our eyes. For example, 
 when we adore the images of Jesus crucified, then in the eye of 
 the mind, we place Christ himself, hanging on the cross for our 
 salvation ; and we bend our heads and knees to him, with a re- 
 ligious act of thankfulness. In the same manner, when we 
 venerate the image of the Virgin Mary, then we ascend in mind 
 to the most holy mother of God, and bend our head, and bend 
 our knee to her. It is clear, therefore, that this adoration of 
 holy images, received in the orthodox church, does not derogate 
 from the precept. For it is not the same adoration as that which 
 we pay to God ; nor is it paid by the orthodox to the image or 
 painting, but to the perpons of those saints, which the images 
 represent." 
 
NOTE II. 
 
 {Referred to in page 54.) 
 
 " The Visitatorial Articles published in 1302, in the Electorate 
 and Provinces of Upper Saxony, and proposed and ordered to 
 be subscribed and observed by the Judges of Consistories, Super- 
 intendents, Ministers of Churches and Schools, and by the 
 Administrators of Ecclesiastical Property, and also by Patrons 
 and Collectors." 
 
 *' ARTICLE I. 
 
 " On the Satred Supper, 
 
 " The pure and true Doctrine of our Church, on the Sacred 
 
 Supper. 
 
 " I. That tlie words of Clirist, " Take and eat, This is my 
 Body ; Drink, This is my Blood;" are to be taken simply, and 
 uccordiiig to the letter, as they sound. 
 
 " II. That, in the Sacrament, there are two things, which 
 are exhibited and received together ; one, earthly, which is bread 
 and wine; the other, heavenly, which is the body and blood of 
 Clirist. 
 
 *' III. That the Union, Exhibition and Sumption are done 
 here below, on tlie earth; and not above, in the heavens. 
 
 " IV. That the true and natural body of Christ, which hiing 
 Cvuf H 
 
( 
 
 [ 
 
 114 
 
 on the cross, and the true and natural blood, which flowed from 
 s the side of Christ, are exhibited and received. 
 / " V. That the body and blood of Christ are received in the 
 I Supper, not only spiritually by faith, which might be done out of 
 I tile Supper; but, by the mouth, with the bread and wine; yet, 
 / in an inscrutable and supernatural manner ; and this for a pledge 
 
 and ascertainment of the resurrection of our bodies from the 
 
 dead. 
 
 " VI. That the perception of the body and blood of Christ 
 
 by the mouth, is had, not only by the worthy, but also by the 
 
 unworthy, who approach it without penance and true faith ; but 
 
 with dift'erent effect. — By the worthy, it is received for salvation; 
 
 by the unworthy, for judgment. 
 
 " ARTICLE II. 
 
 " Of the Person of Christ. 
 
 r 
 
 " The pure and true Doctrine of our Church oji the Articles of 
 
 the Person of Christ. 
 
 " I. In Christ, there are two distinct natures, the divine and 
 human. These remain eternally, unconfined and inseparable 
 (or undivided).' 
 
 " II. These two natures are personally, and in one another 
 so united, that there is but one Christ and one person. 
 
 " Hi. On account of this personal union, it is rightly said, 
 and in fact and truth it really is, that God is man, and man is 
 God ; that Mary begat the Son of God ; and that God redeemed 
 us by his own proper blood. 
 
 " IV. By this personal union, and the exaltation which fol- 
 lowed it, Christ, according to the flesh, is placed at the right 
 
 ' The words in the parenthesis are in the original. 
 
115 
 
 liand of God, and lias received all power in heaven and in earth, 
 and is made partaker of all the divine majesty, honor, power, 
 and glory. 
 
 '* ARTICLE III. 
 
 " Of Holy Baptism. 
 
 The pure and true Doctrine of our Church on this Article of 
 
 Holy Baptism. 
 
 <( 
 
 " I. That there is bat one Baptism, and one Ablution; 
 not that^ which is used to take away the filth of the body, but 
 t hat, whi ch jwgshes us frojii pur sins. 
 
 " II. By Baptism, as a bath of the regeneration and renova- 
 tion of the Holy Ghost, God saves us, and works in us, such 
 j ustice a nd purga tion from our sins, that he, who perseveres to 
 the end in that covenant and hope, does not perish, but has 
 eternal life. 
 
 " III. All, who are baptized in Jesus Christ, are baptized in 
 his death ; and by baptism are buried with him in his death, 
 and have put on Christ. 
 
 " IV. Baptism is the bath of regeneration ; because in it we 
 are born again, and again sealed by the Spirit of adoption, from 
 favor (or gratuitously).' 
 
 " V. Unless a person be born again of water and Spirit, h« 
 cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven. 
 
 " VI. Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh; and, by nature, 
 all of us are children of divine wrath : because we are born of 
 sinful seed, and we are all born in sin. 
 
 ' The words in the parenthesis are in the original. 
 
116 
 
 " ARTICLE IV. 
 
 " On Predestination and the Eternal Providence 
 
 of God. 
 
 " The pure and true Doctrine of our Church on this Article. 
 
 " I. That Christ died for all men, and, as the Lamb of 
 God, took away the sins of the world. ^ 
 
 " II. That God created no man for condemnation; but wills 
 that all men should be saved, and arrive at the knowledge of 
 truth : He therefore commands all to hear Christ, his Son, in 
 the Gospel ; and promises, by his hearing, the virtue and 
 operation of the Holy Ghost, for conversion and salvation. 
 
 " III. That many men, by their own fault, perish ; some, 
 who will not hear the Gospel respecting Christ ; some, who af- 
 terwards fall from grace, either by fundamental error, or by 
 fins against conscience. 
 
 " IV. That aK sinners, doing penance, will be received into 
 favour ; and none will be excluded, though his sins be red as 
 blood ; as the mercy of God is greater than the sins of the whole 
 world, and God hath mercy on all his works. 
 
 ** The false and erroneous Doctrine of the Calvi- 
 
 nists follows. 
 
 " On the sacred Supper. 
 
 " I. That the before-cited words of Christ are to be under- 
 stood figuratively, and not according to the letter, as they sound. 
 
 ** \1, That bare signs only are in the Supper; but the body 
 of Christ is as far from the bread, as the highest heaven from 
 the earth. 
 
117 
 
 " III. That Christ is present therein, by his virtue and ope- 
 ration, and not in his body. As the mn, by, his splendor and 
 operation, is present and effective on garth ; but the body of the 
 sun exists above in heaven. 
 
 " IV. Th;it the body of Christ is therein a typified body, 
 which is only signified and prefigured by the bread and wine. 
 
 " V. That the body is received by faith atl^ne, which raiseth 
 jtself to heaven, and not by the mouth. 
 
 " VI. That the worthy only receive it, that the unworthy, 
 who have not the faith, which ariseth to the heavens, receive 
 nothing besides bread and wine. 
 
 " The false and erroneous doctrine oftheCalvinists. 
 
 " On the Person of Christ : which differs, in particular, from 
 the third and fourth Article of the more pure doctrine. 
 
 " I. That God is man, and man God, is a figurative mode of 
 speech. 
 
 " II. That human nature hath communion with the divine, 
 not in fact and truth, but in name and words only. 
 
 ** III. That it is impossible to God, by all his omnipotence, 
 to effect, that the natural body of Christ, which is in one place, 
 should, at the same time and instant, be in several. 
 
 " IV. That, according to his human nature, Christ hath, by 
 his exaltation, received only created good and finite power; 
 and doth not know and cannot do all things. 
 
 " V. That, accoidiug to his humanity, Christ reigns, where he 
 is absent, as the king of Spain governs his Islands. 
 
 " VI. That it is a damnable idolatry, to place the hope and 
 faith of the heart in Clirist, not singly according to his divine, 
 but also according to his human nature, and to direct the honor 
 of adoration to both. 
 
118 
 
 "The false and erroneous doctrine oftheCalvinists. 
 
 " On Holy Baptism. 
 
 " I. That Baptism is an external washing, by which a certain 
 internal ablution from sin is merely signified. 
 
 " II. That Baptism does not work, nor confer regeneration, 
 faith, the grace of God, and salvation, lj^utj)nlv signities^andsgds 
 them. 
 
 " III. That not all, mIio are baptized in water, but the elect 
 only, obtain by it the grace of Christ, and the gifts of faith. 
 
 " IV. That salvation doth not depend on baptism, and there- 
 fore in cases of necessity, should not be permitted in the church; 
 but when the ordinary minister of the church is wanting, the 
 infant should be permitted to die Avithout baptism.' 
 
 " V. Tlie. infants of Christians are already holy before bap- 
 tisui, in the womb of the mother, and even in the womb of the 
 mother, are received into the covenant of eternal life: otherwise 
 J the Sacrament of baptism could not be conferred on them. 
 
 " The false and erroneous doctrine oftheCalvinists. 
 
 <' On Predestination and the Providence of God. 
 
 " I. Tliat Christ did not die for all men, but only for the 
 elect, 
 
 1 This article stands in the original, " Salutem non dependere a Bap- 
 tismo, atque ideo, in casu necessitatis, non permittendiim esse, in Ec- 
 cleiia ; sed in defectu ordinarii minir^tri Ecclesije, permittendiim esse, nt 
 infans sine Baptiismo moriatiir.'' The case of necessity referred to in this 
 place, seems to denote the circumstance, where a minister cannot be pro- 
 cured in time to baptize the child, wliile he lives. The Article seems to 
 assert it to be a doctrine of the Calvinists, that baptism, being merely a 
 rite, and not being necessary to salvation, and the miinster being, by 
 the discipline of their church, the only proper minister of baptism, it 
 is improper, that, even in this case of necessity, it should be conferred 
 by any other ; and the child therefore should in such a case die without 
 baptism. 
 
119 
 
 " II. That Christ created the greater part of mankind for 
 eternal damnation, and wills not that the greater part should be 
 converted, and live. 
 
 " III. That the elected and regenerated cannot lose faith and 
 the Holy Spirit, or be damned, though they commit great sina 
 and crimes of every kind. 
 
 " IV. That those, who are not elect, are necessarily damned, 
 and cannot arrive at salvation, though they be baptized a thousand 
 times, and receive the Eucharist every day, and lead as blameless 
 a life, as ever can be led." 
 
ESSAY I. 
 
 t^j^ 
 
 A SHORT 
 
 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT 
 
 OF THE 
 
 PRINCIPAL MONASTIC ORDERS OF THE CHURCH 
 
 OF ROME, 
 
 The following Essay may be found to give a succinct 
 account— I. Of the nature of religious profession, in respect 
 to the vows, taken by persons eutering into religion, of obedience, 
 poverty, chastity, and stability: ii. Of the Eastern monks: 
 III. Of the Western monks, or Benedictines; of the congrega- 
 tions, which have diverged from iheni ; and of the introduction 
 of lay-brothers into the monastic state: iv. Some account of 
 the Canons Regular of St. Augustiii : v. Of the four Men- 
 dicant orders, the Franciscan, Dominican and Carmelite friars, 
 and the Hermits of St. Augustin : vi. Of the Society of Jesus : 
 VI r. Of the Oratorian, Lazarist, and Sulpician communities: 
 and VIII. Of the Military Orders of the church of Rome. 
 
 Those, who wish to see these subjects more fully treated, 
 may consult VHistoire. des Ordres Monastiques, Reiigietix et 
 Militaires, 8 vol. 4(o. by Father Helyot, a Franciscan Friar. — 
 
 This work, and the particular historians which we shall 
 notice, in this Essay, will give the reader an accurate view of 
 the Rules and Constitutions of the several Orders. 
 
121 
 
 I. 
 
 Every Christian is bound, by his baptismal vows, to practise 
 the precepts of the Gospel. A religious person, in the sense, in 
 which that word is used in the ecclesiastical law of the Church ot 
 Rome is a person, engaged by a solemn vow, to practise, during 
 his whole life, the counsels of the Gospel, in a mode, prescribed 
 by a rule, approved by the Pope. A vow, is a promise made 
 to God, to perform a good work, which is not a duty of obli- 
 gation. A simple vow, is a vow, made secretly, and without 
 solemnity; a solemn vow, is a vow made, with certain public ce- 
 remonies. The vow, made by a person, who professes himself 
 of a religious order, is a solemn vow. The person received into 
 it, pronounces, in public, the formulary of the vow prescribed by 
 the order, and signs it with his hand ; it is then registered. To the 
 validity of th e Religious Vow of Profession, the Coun- 
 cil of Trent requires, that the party should have completed his 
 .sixteenth year, and should have passed through a year's 
 noviciate. 
 
 In the early ages of the monastic state, those, who engaged ^ %^Vf 
 in it, did not bind themselves to it by vow : when a vow was ) r 
 first made an essential part of monastic profession, is uncertain. ^ 
 
 The vows of every religious order oblige the persons, who / 
 make them, to obedience, poverty, chastity and stability. 
 
 1. 1. The vow of obedience obliges them to a perfect submission 
 to the rule of the order; and also to the will of the superior, in 
 all things, not inconsistent with the law of God, or the word 
 or spirit of the rule. 
 
 1. 2. The vow oi poverty renders the person, who takes it, inca- 
 pable of inheriting or acquiring property, except for the benefit 
 of the order ; and renders his enjoyment, even of the slightest 
 article of property, as a book or a watch, absolutely depen- 
 dent on the will of his superior. In respect to his inheriting or 
 acquiring property for the benefit of the order, it is to be ob- 
 served, that, in some countries, as in certain parts of Italy, it is 
 
 \ 
 
122 
 
 modified, in others, as in Fiance,it is altogether prohibited, by the 
 national law. Where it is prohibited, the religious person, in 
 respect to property, is supposed to be civilly dead. This was 
 the case in England before the Reformation ; and it deserves 
 attention, that the English law did not then notice or admit the 
 proof of foreign profession, and therefore did not interfere with 
 the property, in this country, of any person, professed abroad. 
 1 he reason was, that if, in the English secular courts, it became 
 necessary to ascertain, whether a person were a professed reli- 
 gious, the judges issued a writ, addressed to the bishop of the 
 diocese, in which the party was alleged to have been professed, 
 directing him to inquire and certify, whether the party were 
 a professed monk, or not ; and the bishop's certificate was the 
 only regular evidence of the fact. Now, as a foreign bishop 
 was not amenable to the jurisdiction of an English court, such 
 a writ could not be effectually served on him. 
 
 I. 3. The vow of chastity consists in the renunciation of 
 marriage. 
 
 I. 4. In the formulary of profession used in the Benedictine and 
 some other orders, the party expressly vows stabiliti/, or per- 
 petual residence, wiiliin the monastery, unless the superior 
 dispenses with it. Where the vow does not express stability, 
 it is always implied. But, stability is understood, in some 
 orders, in a much looser sense, than it is in others. 
 
 II. 
 
 The Monastic State originated in the East. In the 
 earhest ages of Christianity, many persons, in imitation of the 
 Rechabites, the prophets, and St. John the Baptist, under the 
 Judaic dispensation, embraced a life of solitude, and dedicated 
 all their time to prayer, fasting and other exercises of a penitential 
 life. Cassian mentions that, in the neighbourhood of Alex- 
 andria, a large number of Christians lived in separate houses, 
 apart from the world, and wholly devoted to prayer, pious medi- 
 tation, and silent labour. They were called " Monks," from 
 
123 
 
 a Greek word, signifying, a person living alone. For the same 
 purpose of pious retirement, others, particularly in times of per- 
 secution, retired to inaccessible mountains or lonely deserts. 
 (3f these, the first whose name has reached us, is St. Paul, 
 usually called the first hermit. In the 250th year of the Christian 
 ara, he retired to the Upper Egypt ; and, having attained his 
 113th year, died in 341. About the same time, St. Anthony, 
 after spendiiig manyvears in perfect solitude, permitted a nume- 
 rous body of men to live in community \vilh him, and to lead, 
 under his direction, a life of piety and manual labour, sanctified 
 by prayer. 
 
 St. Pachomius was the first, who composed a v ritten rule for 
 the conduct of monks. The communities under his direction 
 inhabited the desert of Tabenne, a small island in the Nile, 
 between the town of Girge and the ancient Thebes. Thirty or 
 forty of them occupied one house ; thirty or forty houses com- 
 posed a monastery, and the desert of Tabemie contained about 
 thirteen monasteries. A dean was placed over every ten monks ; 
 every house had its superior, every monastery its abbot, and a 
 general director superintended all. Every Sunday, all the 
 monks of the monastery met at its common oratory : and, at 
 Easter, the monks of all the communiiies, sometimes amounting 
 to 50,000, assembled in one body, for its celebration. It some- 
 times happened, that, after passing several years of a monastic 
 life, a monk, aiming at higher perfection, retired, with that view, 
 to a stricter solitude. This divided the mcmks into two classe.*;, 
 the Coenobites, who lived in community, and the Anchorites, who 
 lived in separate cells. Each separate cell was sometimes 
 bounded by a small inclosure ; their general precinct was called 
 a Laura. With such establishments, i^^gyptand Libya abounded. 
 The number of these monastic establishments was very great : 
 almost all of them were destroyed by the Saracens : the few, 
 which remain, are described by Father Sicard, {Missions du 
 Levant, torn. 1 1. pa. 29—79, torn. v. pa. 122 —200.) 
 
 Such was the origin of the monastic state. — Nothing in sacred 
 biography, is more interesting than the accounts of its founders. 
 
124 
 
 and their most eminent disciples. These were written by their 
 contemporaries, and have been translated into almost every mo- 
 dern language. — Every Koman-catholic recollects with pleasure, 
 the exquisite delight, with which, when he was at school, he pe- 
 rused the Lives of the Venerable Fathers of the Desert, the name 
 assigned to them by the Roman-catholic church, as they are 
 written by Arnaud d'A ndilly in his f^ies des Peres du desert 3 
 vol. 8ro. or 2 vol. 4to .- by Villefure, in his Fiex des Saints P^res 
 des deserts d'Orienl et d' Occident, 5 vol. ]2,mo.: by Rossweide, 
 in his Histoires des Vies des Peres des deserts, 1 vol.fol. by the 
 late Doctor Challoner, in his Lives of the Fathers oj the desert, 
 1 vol. 8i'o. and by Mr. Alban Butler, in his Lives of the Saints, of 
 ■which a stereotype edition, in twelve volumes octavo, with ele- 
 gant engravings has lately appeared. 
 
 Similar establishments of monastic communities, but much 
 fewer in number, were established for the female sex. 
 
 III. 
 
 St. Athanasius introduced the Monastic State into 
 THE West. 
 
 III. 1. About two hundred years after its introduction, St. Be- 
 nedict, an Italian monk, framed his religious rule for the 
 government of a convent at Mount Cassino, between Rome and 
 Naples, over which he presided. It was formed on that of 
 St. Pachomius, and contained the same division of tune, for 
 prayer and manual labour : the same silence and the same soli- 
 tude : but there was some relaxation in the article of diet. St. 
 Pachomius allowed his disciples twelve ounces of biscuit, to 
 be taken by them at two repasts ; one, early in the afternoon ; 
 the other, late in the evening, with an occasional, but not a very 
 frequent allowance of cheese, fruit, herbs and small dried fish. 
 Meat was expressly forbidden by St. Benedict, to be served to 
 his disciples except in serious illness. They were indulged by 
 him, with a daily allowance of half a pint of wine : which his 
 
125 
 
 disciples exchanged, in the northern chtnates, for a proportional 
 allowance of strong beer or cyder. His rule was embraced by 
 all the monks uf the West. 
 
 Among the benefactors to humanity, none, perhaps, are enti- 
 tled to a higher rank, than the disciples of St. Benedict. A ce- 
 lebrated Protestant historian, M. Mallet, in his Ilistoire lies 
 Sui'ises oil Hehetiens, (torn. i. p. 10.3) expresses his opinion 
 of the services rendered by them to society, iu the following 
 terms : 
 
 " The christian clergy, like the druids of Gaul, were the only 
 '* depositaries of knowledge ; the only lawyers, physicians, as- 
 " tronomers, historians, notaries ; the only persons, acquainted 
 " with the Belles-Lettres ; the only persons who could instruct 
 " youth ; — except ainoiig them, profound ignorance reigned 
 " every where. The monks softened, by their instructions, 
 " the ferocious manners of the people ; and opposed their 
 " credit to the despotism of the nobility, who knew no other 
 *' occupation than war, and grievously oppressed their sub- 
 " jec ts and inferiors. On this account, the government of 
 " the monks was preferred to theirs. The people sought them 
 " lor judge?: it was an usual saying, that it was better to be 
 " governed by a bishop's crosier, than a monarch's sceptre. 
 " The monks were engaged in usefid employments; they clear- 
 " ed and cultivated desert and savage lands. We find that, in 
 " many places, where those missionaries established themselves, 
 " agriculture, next to preaching, was their principal occupation. 
 " Where St. Gal built his church, he planted a garden and reared 
 " a tlock of sheep : he recommended to his disciples to support 
 *' themselves by the labour of their hands. Was it possible that 
 " such men should not be venerated, both during their lives and 
 " after their deaths ? Can, then, history reckon up such a supera- 
 " bundance of men, who have devoted themselves to the welfare 
 *' of their neighbours? At a later period, the monks were cor- 
 " rupted by riches and power : this is the common fate of men : 
 ** but, at the time of whiih we are now speaking, they had never 
 " been other than respectable. The monastery of St. Gal had also 
 " a school, which bv degrees became fanious; both laymen and 
 
<t 
 
 120 
 
 " persons, who devoted themselves to the church, flocked to if 
 in crowds ; iheie, they copied ; there, several precious works 
 of ancient writers were discovered, which must have perished 
 " in the general confusion of barbarous ages, without these 
 " asylums, where religion still threw out some light. When we 
 " consider the profound ignorance of the nations, who in- 
 *' vaded the Roman empire, and established themselves on its 
 " ruin, their exclusive passion for war, their contempt for the 
 " sciences, the arts, and even for writing, one perceives that 
 *' every thing then concurred to produce in Europe, the barbarism 
 *' which had reigned so long among the Celts, the Scandinavians 
 " and Sarmatians. What was it, which, in this aera of the 
 *' Roman empire, preserved the human mind from being plunged 
 " into the darkness of the greatest barbarism, and from losing 
 " the last remair.s of Greek and Roman lore? For this blessing, 
 " mankind is indebted to the Christian religion. Nothing less 
 *' than the power of religion could subdue those barbarous pre- 
 '* judices, which carried the contempt of the sciences, even to 
 " writing. It was necessary that there should be a sacred book, 
 *^: whi( h made the knowledge of writing indispensable : — a par- 
 " ticular class, an order of informed men, bound to study and 
 " teach its contents." It should be added that in every age and 
 country, the Benedictine monks have rendered the greatest ser- 
 vices to religion. Few nations can read the History of the first 
 introduction of Christianity among them, without being sensible 
 of their obligations to the Benedictine monks ; their services to 
 literature have been equally great; the shelves of libraries, to use 
 Mr. Gibbon's strong expression, groan under the weight of Be- 
 nedictine folios. 
 
 " The world," says a writer in the Quarterly Review, for the 
 month of December, 1811, " has never been so deeply indebted 
 " to any other body of men, as to this illustrious order ; but histo- 
 " rians,when relating the evil of which they were the occasion, have 
 " too frequently forgotten the good, which they produced. Even 
 '* the commonest readers are familiar with the history of that arch- 
 " miracle-monger St. Dunstan ; while the most learned of our 
 " countrymen scarcely remember the names of those admirable 
 
m 
 
 " men, who went forth from England, antl became the apostles 
 '' of the north. Tinian and Juan Fernande?:, are not moie 
 '^ beautiful spots on the ocean, than Malmsbury and Lindisfarne, 
 '*' and Jarrow in the ages of our heptarchy : a community of pious 
 ** men, devoted to literature and to the useful arts, as well as to 
 " religion, seems, in those ages, like a grteu oasis, amid the de- 
 " sert ; like stars in a moonless night, they shine upon us with a 
 " tranquil ray. If ever there was a mnn who could truly be called 
 " venerable, it is he, to whom that appellation is constantly fixed, 
 *' Bede, whose life was past in instructing his own generation, and 
 *' preparing records for posterity. In those days the church 
 " offered the only asvlum from the evils to which every country 
 " was exposed ; amidst continual wars the church enjoyed peace ; 
 ** it was regarded as a sacred realm, by men, who, thouiih they 
 " hated each other, believed and feared the same God. vVbuseo, 
 " as it was, by the worldly-minded and ambitious, and disgraced by 
 *' the artitices of the designing and the follit.s of the fanatic, it 
 *' afforded a shelter to those, who were better than the \^'or!d in 
 " their youth, or weary of it in their age; the wise, as well as the 
 " timid Slid the gentlf, ^^d to this Goshen of Gjd, which enjoyed 
 *' its own light, and calm amid darkness and storms." 
 
 111.2. In consequence of the general devastation and confusion 
 occasioned in Italy, by the Lombards, in Spain, by the Saracens, 
 in France, by the civil wars among the descendants of Charle- 
 magne, and in England, by the irruption of the Danes — the Bene- 
 dictine monks fell from their original fervour into great disorder. 
 St. Odo, restored it, with some modification, iii his monastery at 
 Cluni : and several monasteries adopted his reform. They were 
 called the Congregation of Cluni ; but, by degrees, the congre- 
 gation of Cluni itself wanted reform ; and the general decline of 
 ▼irtue and piety in the Benedictine order was so great, that, la 
 the beginning of the eleventh century, it was difficult to tind a 
 single monastery, where even a fahit likeness to the state, in 
 which the order had been left by its original founder, N\as disco- 
 ▼erable. But, towards the middle of the eleventh century, se- 
 veral eminent men arose in the Benedictine order, who endea- 
 voured to rctitoie it to its ancient jiurity ; and while each oflhcm 
 
128 
 
 added some new statute or custom to the original rule, each or 
 ihem became tlie founder of a congregation or secondary order, 
 adhering, in essentials, to the order of St. Benedict, but differing 
 from it, in some particular observances. Such are the Carthu- 
 sians, the Camadules, the Celestines, the monks of Grandmont, 
 the congregation of St. Maur, and the order of Citeaux, — and 
 the filiation from them, the Monks of la Trappe. 
 
 " I believe," says the Protestant authoress of the elegant Tour 
 to Jlttatid the Grande Chartreuse, " that very few, even among 
 " Protestants, have visited la IVappe, without being struck with 
 " the heavenly countenances of these recluses, with the truly ange- 
 " lie discourse, which (lows from their lips as from a fountain of 
 " living water. It is impossible to describe the gravity, benignity, 
 " peace and love, visible inmost of their aspects, or the humility, 
 " yet self-possessed politeness and attention in their manner. 
 " When they are asked, why they chuse this seclusion, their an- 
 " swer is uniform : To glorify God, to repent of our sins, and to 
 " pray for the unhappy world, which prays not for itself." 
 
 III. 3. St. Benedict admitted both the learned and the unlearn- 
 ed into his order. The first, recited the divine office, in the 
 choir ; the second, discharged several duties, which regarded the 
 household cecononiy, and the other temporal concerns of the 
 monastery. At this time, the regular recitation of the divine 
 office was only a practice of monastic discipline : at a subse- 
 quent period, it was made the general duty of all priests, dea- 
 cons, and subdeacons ; and became of course, the duty of all 
 the religious, who had entered into any of those orders. As it 
 was performed in the choir, it became a general practice in the 
 Benedictine order, to admit none into it, who were not suffici- 
 ently instructed to recite the office in the choir; but it was not 
 required that they should be priests, or even be in holy orders. 
 All St. Bernard's brothers were professed religious, but none of 
 them was in orders. — Afterwards, the Benedictines judged it 
 advisable to admit into their order many, who, from ignorance, 
 or some other circunistance, were incapable of the duty of the 
 choir, and to employ them in the menial duties or other labori- 
 ous employments of the house. This introduced hay Brothers 
 
129 
 
 into the Benedictine order. At first, they were rather attached 
 to the general body of the order, than a portion of it ; but, in 
 time, iliey were acknowledged, both by the church and the order, 
 to be a portion of the order, and in the strictest sense of the 
 word to be professed religious. — In its admission of lay- 
 brothers, the Benedictine order has been followed by all other 
 religious orders, bodi men and women. In 1322, the Council 
 of Viemie, ordered all monks to enter into the order of priest- 
 hood, and to be instructed for it accordingly. — The monks of 
 Vallombrosa in Tuscany, are the first among whom lay-brothers 
 are found with that name. 
 
 Few of our readers will have patience to peruse the Annales 
 Ordinis Saudi Bencdicti of Mabillon, in six volumes, in 
 quarto, or his ylcia Sanctorum Ordinis Sancti Benedicti, in nine 
 volumes, in folio : they will find the substance of them in Bul- 
 teaus Jbrtge de I'histoire de Saint Benoil, 2 volumes, quarto, 
 10G4. 
 
 IV. 
 
 The Canons Regulah of St. Augustin derive their 
 origin from certain respectable ecclesiastics, who, in the 8th 
 century, formed themselves into a kind of middle order, between 
 the monks and the secular clergy. '^Tliey adopted so much of 
 the monastic discipline, as to have their dwellings and table, in 
 common, and to assemble, at stated hours, for the divine service; 
 but they made no vows; and often discharged the functions of 
 the holy ministry, in churches committed to their care. Thus, 
 they rendered essential service to religion. — By degrees, they 
 degenerated; but, in the 12th century, a considerable reform- 
 ation was introduced among them, under the auspices of Pope 
 Nicholas the second. Some of the members, among whom it 
 was introduced, formed themselves into communities, which had 
 a common dwelling and common table, but each individual, 
 after contributing to the general stock, employed the fruits and 
 revenues of his benefices, as he thought expedient. Others, in 
 consequence of the zealous exhortations of Ivo, bishop of Char- 
 Con/'. I 
 
130 
 
 tre?, su-bjected themselves to an austere mode of life ; tliey re- 
 nouivced their worldly possessions, all private property, and 
 lived in a manner resembling the austerity and discipline of a 
 monastic life. This gave rise to the distinction between the se- 
 cular and the regular canons. — The former-observed the decree 
 of Nicholas the second ; the hitter conformed to the directions 
 of Ivo ; and being formed on the rules and suggestions laid 
 dokwa by St. Augustin, in his Epistles, the observers" of them 
 became generally called the Regular Canons of St. Augustin. 
 They kept public schools for the instruction of youth, and exer- 
 cised a variety of functions, which rendered them extremely 
 useful to the church. A spirit of relaxation having found its 
 way into the order, St. Norbert attempted to restore it to its 
 primitive severity. He first introduced his reform into his 
 convent at Premontre in Picardy ; it spread tliroughout Europe, 
 with great rapidity ; and, from the convent, in which it was first 
 established, the communities, which embraced it, were called 
 the Premonstratenses. 
 
 An account of the Canons regular of St. Augustin, and of the 
 Premonstratenses, is given in a work, entitled Joan, le Paige, 
 Bibliotheca Ordinis Prenionsiratensis, prccsertim vero Sancti 
 Augustini regulam projitentibus, utilis muximeque iiecessariu. 
 Par. 1633, in folio. 
 
 It remains to add, that Convents of Nuns were fomided, the 
 institutes of which corresponded with those of the religious 
 orders and congregations which we have noticed^ and with some 
 of their principal reforms. 
 
 V. 
 
 Foil many centuries, the Benedictines, and the congregations 
 which emanated from them, and the Canons of St. Augustin, 
 constituted the only monastic orders of the West : but, in the 
 13th century, the Mendicant Orders arose : these were, 
 the Franciscans, the Dominicans, the Carmelites, and the Her- 
 mits of St. Augustin. 
 
131 
 
 V. 1. The Fraud scans were fouiuled by St. Francis, the son 
 of a nicrcliant of Assissiuni in the Province of Umbria. He 
 had liille human learning, but, in the science of the saints, he 
 had few equals. From humility, he called tlie brethren of his 
 ordei". Friars-minors, or, the Little Brethren, and composed a 
 rule for them, which the I-*ope approved, liiey chielly exerted 
 themselves in the laborious parts of the sacred n)inistry. In 
 hospitals, in prisons, an^ong the lowest orders of the poor, in 
 every place, where labour or ilanger attended the exercise of the 
 functions of the ministry, or w here there was a total absence of 
 remuneration, the Franciscan friars were sure to be found. But 
 it was not only in the lower walks of the ministry, that they labour- 
 ed ; many of tiiem were eminent for their learning ; many have 
 tilled the highest dignities of the church, and some have worn 
 the Triple Crown. 
 
 There are three orders of St. Francis. The fnst of them, 
 soon after the decease of St. Francis, divaricated into the CoJi- 
 rcufuu/ Fiiais, who admitted some mitigations into their prac- 
 tice of the rule, and the Observaiitine Friars, who derived their 
 name from their stricter observance of it. In France, they were 
 called Cordeliers, from a cord, with which they girded their 
 habit. Reforms have sometimes been introduced among the' 
 Obseivantines ; the principal of the reformed congregations are, 
 the liecollectSy or Grev IViars, who received their name from 
 the Spanish word Ricogidios, which signifies reformed : and the 
 Capucins, who received their a[)pellation from a patch, worn by 
 them on the back of their habits. 
 
 The Secmid Order of Si. Francis, is that of the Poor Clares, 
 and is ren)arkable for its extreme severity. 
 
 The Third Order of St. Francis, was instituted by him for 
 persons of both sexes, living in the world, but united by certain 
 rules and exercises, compatible with a secular life; and not 
 binding under sin, but serving as rules for their direction. This 
 institute was imitated by the Dominicans and Carmelites. There 
 were some monasteries, particularly in Flanders, of Nuns, who 
 were called of the 'Jliird Order of St. Francis : they vowed jn- 
 closure, and had a mitigated rule. 
 
132 
 
 The Annals of llie Order of St. Francis are written in 17 vo 
 liinies, in folio, entitled Lnca Wadd'um, Annales Minorum, sen 
 Ihstoria Triiim Ordinion a Sancto Francisco institutorum, 
 Ldido secunda, studio Josephi Maria Fonseca. Roma 1731, 
 ^c. Wadding was an Irishman : Father Harold, also an 
 Irishman, published a good abridgement of this work, and a 
 continuation of it, in two volinnes. 
 
 V. '2. St. Dominic, from whom the Dominicans derive their 
 name, originally adopted, for the government of his disciples, the 
 rule of the Cations Regular of St. Augustin. Afterwards, he sub- 
 stituted for it, the ride of St. Benedict ; but with so many al- 
 terations, as almost made it a new rule. Public instruction was 
 its great object: on this account, the disciples of St. Dominic 
 were, at first, called Preaching Friars. 
 
 The history of the Order of St. Dominic, is elegantly writ- 
 ten, by Father Touron, a monk of that Order, in six volumes, 
 quarto. A complete edition of the Hiberma Dominica of 
 Thoma de Burgn Col. Agr. 1762, is one of the greatest typo- 
 graphical curiosities. The Supplement is not easily found, 
 and, in the work itself, the pages, from \3Q to 147, are wanting 
 in most editions. 
 
 V.S. Some writers have endeavoured to derive the origin of the 
 Carrnclita from Elias. They allege, that, after the decease of 
 that pi ophfcl, an uninterrupted succession of hermits, inhabited 
 Mount Carmel, down to the time of Christ and his Apostles; 
 and that, having embraced, in the earliest years of Christianity, 
 the Christian religion, they continued their succession to the 
 twelfth or thirteenth centurv, when the rule of the Carmelites, as 
 it is now- observed, was communicated to St. Simon Stock, their 
 general, by divine revelation. At that time, they were established 
 at Palestine : Albeiic, their fifth seneral in succession from St. 
 Simon Stock, removed from Palestine ; and houses of the order, 
 were established in many parts of Europe. A reform was in- 
 troduced into the order by the exertions ot St. Theresa. "^Ihose, 
 who oml)raced the reform, were, from their not wearing shoes, 
 called the Discalceated, or Unshodden Caiinelites, in opposition 
 to those, who continued Calceated, or shodden. 
 
133 
 
 The history of the Carint'lites is writlcn in tlie Spcaihtm 
 dirmelitannii, published at Antwerp, in four vohunes, in folio, 
 in 1680. 
 
 V.4. The Hermits oJ'St.yhistin, derive their institute from a bull 
 of Pope Alexander i\ . which collected into one order, luider 
 tliat name, several orders of hermits, and prescribed a rule for 
 their government, 
 
 V. 5. The four orders, which we have mentioned, are the only 
 orders, which the church has acknow ledged to be mendicanL 
 An order is considered to be mendicant, in the proper import 
 of that word, when it has no fixed income, and derives its whole 
 subsistence from casual and uncertain bounty, obtained by per- 
 sonal mendicity. To that, St. Francis did not wisli his brethren 
 to have recourse, till they had endeavoured to earn a competent 
 subsistence by labour, and found their earnings insuflicient. 
 " With my own hands," he says in his testament, " 1 laboured 
 and wish to labour ; and 1 earnestly wish all my brethren to 
 labour incessantly, for a decent livelihood. Let those, who have 
 not learned any laborious employment, learn one ; not from an 
 improper desire of the profit of labour, but, as a good example, 
 and to keep off idleness: and, when we do not receive the 
 wages of our labour, let us then ai)proach the table of the Lord, 
 and beg from door to door." Hut, soon after the decease of 
 St. Francis, the exertions, equally incessant and laborious, of 
 his disciples, for the spiritual welfare of the faithful, appeared, 
 in the universal opinion of the church, to be both incompatible 
 with manual labour, and much more than a compensation to the 
 public, for all they could possibly obtain from it by mendicity. 
 This opinion was unequivocally expressed by St. Thomas of 
 Aquin, and sanctioned by a bull of Pope Nicholas the third. 
 From that time, the friars did not use manual labour as a means 
 of subsistence, but resorted, in the first instance, to mendicity. 
 In this sense, it was an article of the rule of St. Francis. 
 
 It made no part of the original rule of St. Dominic, or of the 
 original rules of the Carmelites, or the Hermits of St. Augustin. 
 Insensibly, however, all of them engrafted it, by particular con- 
 tititution^ on their respective rules ; and thus, the four orders. 
 
134 
 
 which we have mentioned, became the four mendicant orders ; 
 but St. Francis was the only founder. of a rehgioiis order, of 
 whose original rule, niendicit)' was an article. 
 
 Experience soon discovered, that many spiritual and many 
 temporal evils atteuded mendicity. In consequence of them, 
 some of the Franciscan establishments, and almost all the estab- 
 lishments of the three other orders, began to acquire permanent 
 property. This the church first permitted, and afterwards coun- 
 tenanced ; and the Council of Trent, confined mendicity to the 
 Observantines and Capucins. 
 
 VI. 
 
 In 1534, St. Ignatius of Loyola, laid the foundation of the 
 Society of Jesus, by the vow, which, with his ten com- 
 panions, he took in the chapel of Montmartre near Paris. 
 In 1540, and 1543, his Institute was approved by Pope Paul 
 the third. In il>e history of the life of St. Ignatius, written by 
 Father Bouhours, one of the most elegant works in the French 
 language, the reader will find a succinct account of the constitu- 
 tions of this celebrated society. 
 
 The following character is given of the Society of Jesus, by 
 " M. Bausset, Aucien Eveque (VAltth, dii Lhapitrc imperial de 
 Saint Denis, et Couscilier titidaire, de I' Universile imperiaie/' 
 in his very interesting life of Ftnelon. 
 
 " The Institute of the Jesuits," (says M. de Bausset) " to 
 which no oiher institute ever has been, or ever could be com- 
 pared, for the energy, the foresight or the depth of conception, 
 which traced its plan and combined its springs of action, was de- 
 signed in its creation, to embrace within the vast employment or 
 its attributes and functions, all classes, all conditions, all elements, 
 which enter nito the harmony or verge of political or religious 
 power. 
 
 " Ascending to the epocha of its establishment, it is easily 
 perceived, that the public and avowed object of the institute in 
 religion, was to defend the Catholic Church against the Lulhe- 
 
135 
 
 rails and Ciilvinists; and that its (jbject in politics, was to 
 protect social order, and the established government of every 
 country, against the torrent of anarchical opinions, which always 
 advance on a line with relij^ions innovations. Wherever tlie 
 Jesuits made themselves heard, they preserved all classes of 
 society in a spirit of order, wisdom and consistence. Called, in 
 their lirst origination, to the education of the principal families 
 of the state, they extended their cares to the inferior classes : 
 they kept them hi tlie happy habits of religious and moral 
 virtue. Such, particularly, was the useful object of the nume- 
 rous congregations which they erected, in almost every town, , 
 and which they had the talent of connecting with every profes- 
 sion, with every social institution. Simple and easy exercises of 
 piety, familiar instructions, proportioned to every condition, and 
 no wise interfering with the labours or duties of society, served 
 to uphold, in every state of life, that regularity of manners, that 
 spirit of order and subordination, and that wise economy, which 
 preserve peace and harmony in families, and assure the pros- 
 perity of empires. — The principal towns of France still re- 
 member, that there never was more order and tranquillity, more 
 probity in dealings, fewer failures, or less depravation, than 
 while these congregations lasted. 
 
 " Profoundly versed in every branch of knowledge, the Jesuits 
 availed themselves, with great ability, of this circumstance, to 
 acquire the consideration always attached to superior lights and 
 talents. The conlideiice of all Cadiolic governments, the suc- 
 cess of their method of instruction, caused the deposit of public 
 education to pass, almost entirely, into their hands. 
 
 " They had the merit of attracting honour to their religious 
 and moral character, by a severity of manners, a temperance, a 
 nobilitv, and an individual disinterestedness, which even their 
 enemies could not deny. 'l\m is the fairest answer they can 
 make to the satires, which accused Uiem of relaxed morality. 
 
 '* This body was so perfectly constituted, that it never had 
 eidier infancy or old age. We see it, in the first days of its birth, 
 forming establishments in every Catholic state ; intrepidly com- 
 bating all the sects, which spring from Lutheranism ; founding 
 
136 
 
 missions in the East, and the deserts of America, and traversing 
 the Chinese, Japanese and Indian seas. — The order existed dnring 
 two centuries, and it still had the full vigour of its maturity. 
 To its latest breath, it was animated by the spirit which gave it 
 birth. It had no origitial imperfections, which called for a sup- 
 ply of new laws. 
 
 *' The emulation, which it occasioned, was one of its neces- 
 sary effects ; and was useful even to its rivals. All of it expired 
 together, and it dragged in its fall, the madmen, w ho imprudently 
 triumphed in its catastrophe ! 
 
 '' It will never be explained, by what spirit of giddiness, the 
 governments, of which the Jesuits had best deserved, were so 
 unwisely led to deprive themselves of their most useful defenders. 
 The puerile causes, the laughable accusations, which served as 
 a pretence for their proscription, are now scarcely remembered ; 
 
 but it is remembered, that the judges, who declared the whole 
 
 body convicted of the greatest crimes, could not point out, 
 amont^ all the members, which composed the order, a single 
 guilty individual. The destruction of the Jesuits was a deadly 
 wound to the education of youth, in all Catholic Europe, — a re- 
 markable confession, equally in the mouths of their friends and 
 enemies. 
 
 *' The society knew how to make its misfortunes redound to 
 their honour, by supporting them with a noble and tranquil 
 coura<^e. The religious and unconquered resignation of the 
 members of the order, attested the purity of its principles and 
 feelings. These men, who were described so dangerous, so power- 
 ful so vindictive, bowed without a murmur, under the terrible 
 hand that crushed them ; they had ihe generosity to respect and 
 mourn over the weakness of the pontiff destined to sacrifice 
 them. The proscription of them was the essay, and served for 
 the model, of those cruel sports of fury and folly, w hich destroyed 
 in a moment die wisdom of ages, and devoured in one day the 
 riches of past and future generations." A complete series of 
 the historians of the Society of Jesus, is given by De Bure, in 
 his Bibliographie Instructive, Histoire Eidkiastique, section 
 IF. 4. 55. Those who read the Provincial Letters, should also 
 
137 
 
 read Fallit-r Danier.s Ilfpo>tse mix Lettres Proriticiales, and 
 his Lettres an Fere Alexcnulre. " No author," says Doctor 
 JSlaclaine, in a note (u)to his Tnmslation of Moshciiris Eir/e- 
 siastical History, Cent. xvi. Part i. C. 35., "has given a 
 more accurate, precise, and clear enumeration of the objections 
 that have been made to the moral doctrine of the Jesuits, and 
 tiie reproaches that have been cast on their rules of life ; and 
 none, at the same time, has defended their cause with more art 
 and dexterity, than the eloquent and ingenious Gabriel Daniel, 
 (a famous member of their order), in a piece entitled, Eiitretieiih 
 de Cfeandre et d'Eiidoxe." His Lettres cm Phre Jlexavdre, 
 are written with still greater point and elegance. Those who 
 read more recent publications against them, should also read 
 L'j4pologie de I'lnstitut des Jesuites and Mi-. Dallas's Net:; 
 Conspiracy against the Jesuits detected, and briefly exposed, 
 an elegant and able work. 
 
 In 1776, the Society of Jesus Mas suppressed by Pope 
 Clement the Fourteenth. " In general," says the author of the Vie 
 privee de Louis XT. Vol. iv. p. 6I., and he cannot be accused 
 of partiality to the Society, " the more numerous and respect- 
 able portion of the commimity regretted the Jesuits. If tlie 
 great cause had been heaid, with the solemnity and gravity due 
 to its importance, the Jesuits might thus have addressed the 
 magistrates : — ' You, yes, all you, whose hearts and understand- 
 ings we have formed, answer, before you condemn us, these 
 Questions ! We appeal to the judgment, which you formed of 
 us, in that age, when candour and innocence reigned in our 
 hearts. Now, therefore, come forward and declare, whether in 
 our schools, in our discourses, or in the tribunal of penance, we 
 ever inculcated to you any of those abominable maxims, with 
 which we are now reproached ? Did you ever hear them fall 
 from our lips ? Did you ever read them in the books which we 
 put into your hands:' — Alas ! " continues the same writer," the 
 magistrates said all this to one another. In private, they held 
 no other language, but they were no sooner seated on the bench 
 of justice, than they were overpowered by their fanatical and 
 louder brethren." 
 
158 
 
 By a Bull, dated the 15th of August, 1814, the Society of 
 Jesus, faventihus bonis omnibus, was restored. A fuller ac- 
 count of this interesting society has been prepared by the writer 
 of these pages, and inserted in a work, which, in the course of 
 the next year will be submitted to the public, under the title of 
 Historical Memoirs of the Church of France^, during the reigns 
 of Lewis the Fourteenth, Lercis the Fifteenth, Lewis the Six- 
 teenth, the Revolution, and the Restonition (f the Monarchy. 
 
 VII. 
 
 The reign of Lewis the Fourteenth was illustrated bv several - 
 Religious Communities, which, during that period, were either 
 founded or first established in France. W^ithout being bound 
 by religious vows, the members lived in comniunitv, in the ob- 
 servance of certain settled rules, and, thus far, had a resemblance 
 to religious orders- Such were the Oratoriuns, the Luzurists, 
 and the Sufpicicns. 
 
 The Oratorians were particularly given to the study of 
 llieology and Sacred Literature, and, po2sessing Mallebranche, 
 Lami, Simon, Le Brun, and other able writers, attracted, in a 
 high degree, the notice of the public. The Lazarisls and Sul- 
 piciens courted obscurity. The character given by M. de 
 Bausset, of the Sulpiciens, in his life of Fenelon, may be applied 
 equally to them and the Lazarisls. In perusiug it, the reader 
 ^vill probably be put in mind of the beautiful lines, in which the 
 Poet, in his Temple of Fame, (verse .■35f) — S()().), describes the 
 smallest tribe he yet had seen. " Avoiding public notice," says 
 M. de Bausset, " engaging in no contest, resigning to others 
 those good works, which confer celebrity, it was their object to 
 be actively employed in the service of the church, in the most 
 obscure and most humble functions : and, within that modest 
 but useful line of duty, their exertions were uniformly confined. 
 They had nurae»ous establishments in France, and existed 1 50 
 years, without the slightest abatement of their first fervor, when 
 at the bejiinnui" of the French Revolution, thev perished in the 
 general wreck of what was most respectable and holy in France." 
 
139 
 
 VIII. 
 
 Vni. 1. h remains to give some account of the Military 
 Ordcrs of thi: Church of Rome. Some time before 
 the tirst crusade, an hospital was established at Jerusalem, for 
 the relief of the poor pilgrims who resorted there. In 1100, 
 Gerard, the director of it, and his companions, professed them- 
 selves members of the order of St. Benedict, and formed a con- 
 gregation, under the name of St. John the Baptist. It was 
 approved by Pope Pascal II. In 1113, Raymond du Puy, the 
 successor of Gerard, divided the order into three classes ; to the 
 nobles he assigned the profession of arms, for the defence of the 
 faith, and the protection of pilgrims ; the ecclesiastics were to 
 exercise the religious functions, for the benefit of the order ; 
 the lay-brothers were to take care of the pilgrims and the sick. 
 These regulations were approved by pope Calixtus II. ; and the 
 order then took the name of Knights of the Hospital of St. 
 John of Jerusalem. After the loss of the Holy Land they re- 
 tired to Cyprus: thence to Rhodes: in 1522, that island was 
 taken from them by Solyman tiie Great : Malta was then given 
 them by the Emperor Cliarles V.; from that time, they have 
 generally been known by the appellation of Knights of Malta. 
 VIII. 2. The order of the Knights Templars was established 
 nearly about the same time, attd for the same purposes as that 
 of the Knights of Malta. They took their name from a monas- 
 tery given them by Ikldwin, the second king of Jerusalem, 
 which inmiediately adjoined the temple in his palace. Tbey 
 were suppressed by ihe Council of Vienne, in 1312. 
 
 VHI. 3. The Teutonic Order was founded on the model of 
 that of the Knights Templars. It was confirmed by Pope Ce- 
 lestme, m liyi. The knights conquered Prussia in 1230, and 
 fixed the head seat of their order at Marienburgh. In \o25, 
 the grand master embraced the protestant religion : since which 
 time, the head seat of the order has been at Margentheim, in 
 Franconia. 
 
uo 
 
 VIII. 4. The original object of the Order of St. Lazarus, 
 was to take care of persons infected with leprosy ; in the course 
 of time, it became a military order. The whole body returned 
 with St. Lewis into Europe, in 12.04. Afterwards, it was^ 
 united in France, with the order of our Lady of Mount Carniel, 
 and in Savoy, with the order of St. Maurice. —All these orders 
 displayed heroic acts of valour, in the enterprises of the Crusa- 
 ders, to recover the Holy Land. 
 
 For the history of the military orders of the church of Rome, 
 the reader may consult, Histoire des Ordres Militaires seculiers et 
 reguliers de fun et de I'autre sexe, tirees des dijjerens auteurs, et 
 principahment de VAbhe Giustini-ani, avec des figures gravees 
 en taille douce, qui representent leurs habilkmens. Ams. \1'2.\„ 
 A vol. in 8vo. 
 
ESSAY IT. 
 
 On the Discipline of the Church of Rome, re- 
 specting the general Perusal of the Scriptures 
 in the vulgar tongue^ by the Laity. 
 
 This Essay comprises, with some additions, the whole of a 
 first, and extracts from a second and third letter, addressed to 
 Tliomas Stonor, Esq., and published in the Gentleman's Maga- 
 2ine, for the month of December, 1813, and the months of P'e- 
 bruary and September in the following year. Several replies 
 to them appeared in different numbers of the same valuable re- 
 pository. 'I'o those, the writer, being perfectly satisfied with 
 the ground, on which they left the question, made no replica- 
 tion. 
 
 As they are now offered to the reader, the substance of these 
 letters may be found to contain some account : 
 
 I. Of the ancient discipline of the Church of Rome, respect- 
 ing the general perusal of the scriptures by the Laity. II. Some 
 account of the change made in the ancient discipline, in conse- 
 quence of the troubles occasioned by the Waldenses and Albi- 
 genses. III. Some account of the actual state of the discipline 
 of the Church of Rome in this respect. IV. A short statement 
 of the sentiments of some respectable protestant writers on the 
 unrestricted perusal of the scriptures. V. Some observations 
 on the notion, entertained by several protestants, of its being 
 considered by the Roman-catholics to be unlawful to print a 
 
142 
 
 Translation of the scriptures, in a vulgar tongue without notes, 
 VI. Some facts, which show the earnest wish of the Churcli of 
 Rome to promote the circulation of the scriptures, both hi the 
 original languages and in translations. VII. Some facts which 
 show the groundlessness of the charge brought against the 
 Church of Rome, that she did not allow translations of the 
 Bible, into vulgar tongues, to be printed, till she was forced to 
 it against her will, by the protestant translations. VIII. Some 
 account of the English Roman-catholic versions of the Bible. 
 IX. Some observations on the harsh expressions, charged on 
 the notes to the Rheimish version of the Bible, and the edition of it 
 by Doctor Challoner. X. A suggestion of the rules which 
 should be constantly observed in polemic controversy. XI. 
 And of a rule, particularly to be observed in controversies with 
 Roman-catholics. These observations having been drawn up 
 originally in the nature of a letter, it is hoped that the frequent 
 introduction in them of the pronoun of the lirst person will be 
 excused. 
 
 I. 
 
 The early disclp/iiie of the Church of Rome hi respect to the 
 perusal of the scripture, by the general body of the luaitij, has 
 varied. On this head, I cannot do better than extract the fol- 
 lowing passages from a letter of Fenelon to the Bishop of Arras, 
 (Oeuvres Spirituels de Fenelon, 8vo. Tom. 4. p. 241.) "I 
 think," says the illustrious prelate, " that much trouble has been 
 taken in our times very unnecessarily, to prove M-hat is incon- 
 testiblc, that, in the first ages of the church, the laity read the 
 holy scriptures. It is clear as daylight, that all people read the 
 Bible and Liturgy in their native languages : that, as a part of 
 good education, children were made to read them ; that, in 
 their sermons, the ministers of the church regularly explained 
 to their flocks whole books of the sacred volumes; that the sa- 
 cred text of the scriptures was very familiar to the people; that 
 the clergy exhorted the people to read them ; that the clergy 
 
143 
 
 blamed tlic people for not reading tluin ; and considered the 
 nc>rle(t ol" llie perusal ol" then), as a source of heresy and immo- 
 rality. But, in all this," continues the ilkntrious prelate, " the 
 rliurcli used a wise oeconomy ; adapting the general practice to 
 the circumstances and wants of individuals. It did not, how- 
 ever, think that a person coidd not be a Christian, or not be 
 >\ell instructed in his religion, without perusing the sacred wri- 
 tiivis. \\ liole countries of barbarians, innumerable multitudes 
 of the faithful were rich (to use the words of St. Paul) in words 
 and science, though they had not read the sacred writings. To 
 listen to the pastors of the church, who explain the scriptures 
 to the faithful, and distribute among them such parts as are suit- 
 ed to their wants, is to read the scriptures." 
 
 Thus far f have translated literally tlse words of Fenelon. 
 In contirnvation of what is said by him, that a considerable pro- 
 portion of the faiditul derived their knowledge of the gospel, 
 not from a perusal of the scriptures themselves, but from the 
 explanation of them by their pastors, 1 beg leave to refer you 
 to what my most learned friend. Dr. Herbert Marsh, the Lady 
 Margaret Professor of Divinity at Cambridge, in his '^ Illustra- 
 tions of his Hypothesis on the Origin and Composition of the 
 three first Canonical Gospels," has observed on the very small 
 number of manuscript copies of the gospels, which were pos- 
 sessed by the early Christians. 
 
 II, 
 
 Fenelon then proceeds to notice the change of the disctpline oj 
 the church, in the point I have mentioned, in conseguence oJ 
 the troubles occasioned by the Waldenses and Jlbigenses. — *' It 
 should seem," he says, " that the Waldenses and Albigenses 
 obliged the church to have recourse to her strict authority, in 
 refusing the perusal of the sacred scripture to all persons, who 
 were not disposed to read it to their advantage. I do not, how- 
 ever, undertake to assert that this prohibition was then issued by 
 the church for the first time. But, certainly, the indociiity and 
 
144 
 
 spirit of revolt, which then appeared among the Jaity, the neg* 
 lect of the pastors to explain the scriptures, and the contempt 
 which the people began then to shew for their instructions, made 
 it manifest, that it had become unsafe to permit the people at 
 large to read the sacred text : and consequently made it neces- 
 sary for the church to w ithhold from the laity the perusal of it 
 without the permission of their pastors." 
 
 The venerable Prelate next proceeds to state the principal coun- 
 cilsjsynods and episcopal ordmances, by which the general peru- 
 sal of the scriptures by the laity was restricted. In a further part of 
 his letter, he enumerates several passages, both of the Old and 
 New Testament, which are likely to be understood in a wrong 
 sense by the ignorant or ill-disposed, and to be wrested by them, 
 as he terms it after St. Paul, to their own perdition. " Hence,' 
 Fenelon concludes, that " the church acted wisely in withholding 
 the sacred text from the rash criticisms of the vulgar." He 
 says, that, " before the people read the gospel, they should be 
 instructed respecting it ; that they should be prepared for it by . 
 degrees, so that, when they come to read it, they should be qua- 
 lified to understand it ; and thus be full of its spirit, before they 
 are entrusted with its letter. The perusal of it should only be 
 permitted to the simple, the docile, and the humble ; to those 
 who wish to nourish themselves with its divine truths in silence- 
 It should never be committed to those, who merely seek to sa- 
 tisfy their curiosity, to dispute, to dogmatize, or to criticise. In 
 a word, it should be given to those only, w ho, receiving it from 
 the hands of the church, seek for nothing in it, but the sense of 
 the church." This is, and ever has been the doctrine of the 
 church. " Her discipline in this article," says Fenelon in an- 
 other part of his letter, " has sometimes varied, her doctrine has 
 ever been the same." 
 
 III. 
 
 1 shall proceed to state the actual dispositions of the Church 
 of Rome on this important point oj' her discipline. 
 
145 
 
 For this purpose, I beg leave to copy wliat Mr. Albun Butler 
 says, in his Sixth Letter on IMr. Archibald Bower's History of 
 tlie Popes : " Tiie people," (these are his words) " ilaily hear 
 the scriptures read and expounded to them, by their pastors, and 
 in good books. Even children have excellent abridgements of 
 the sacred history, adapted, in the most easy and familiar man- 
 ner, to their capacity, put into their hands. 1 he divine books 
 themselves are open to all, who understand Latin, or any otheB, 
 of the learned languages, in every Catholic country ; and 
 every one may read them, in the vulgar languages, if he llrst ask 
 tke atlvice of his Confessor, who will only instruct him in what 
 spirit he is to read them." 
 
 IV. 
 
 From what I have said, it seems evident, that the limitation, 
 w ith which the Roman-catholic chinch allows the general body 
 of the laity to peruse the scriptures in a vulgar tongue, has not 
 a very extensive operation ; and I must observe, that some 
 eminent Protestants so far agree xeith the Roman-catholic 
 church, on this head, as to think that the indiscriminate perusal 
 of the scripture by the laity is attended with bad consequences, 
 and should therefore have some limitation. 
 
 ] . For proof of this, I particularly refer you to the treatise of 
 Dr. Hare, a late bishop of Chichester, " On the Difficulties 
 and Discouragements which attend the study of the Scriptures 
 in the way of private judgment, in order to show, that since 
 such a study of the scriptures is men's indispensable duty, it con- 
 cerns all Christian societies to remove (as much as possible) 
 those Discouragements." 
 
 £. In respect to the Protestant practice of putting the scrip- 
 tures into the hands of children, in their tender years, Mr. 
 Benjamin Martin, in his preface to his " Introduction to the 
 English Tongue," laments and censures the " putting of the 
 sacred book into the hands of every bawling schoolmistress, 
 and of thoughtless children, to be torn, trampled upon, an^ 
 
 Conf, K 
 
146 
 
 ma.de the early object of their aversion, by being their most 
 tedious task and their punishment." He seems inclined to 
 ascribe the growth of irreligion and the contempt of holy things 
 to this source. 
 
 3. Mr. Edmund Burke thus expresses himself, in his 
 " Speech on the Act of Uniformity :" — " The scripture," he 
 says, " is no one summary of Christian doctrine regularly 
 digested, in which a man could not mistake his way ; it is a 
 most venerable, but most multifarious, collection of the records 
 of the divine ceconomy ; a collection of an infinite variety of 
 cosmogony, theology, history, prophecy, psalmody, morality, 
 apologue, allegory, legislation, ethics, carried through different 
 books, by different authors, at different ages, for different ends 
 and purposes. 
 
 " It is necessary to sort out, what is intended for example ; 
 what only as a narrative ; what to be understood literally ; what 
 figuratively ; where one precept is to be controlled or modified 
 by another ; what is used directly, and what only as an argument 
 ad hominem ; what is temporary, and what of perpetual obliga- 
 tion ; what appropriated to one state, and to one set of men, 
 and what the general duty of all Christians. Jf we do not get 
 some security for this, we not only permit, but we actually pay 
 for, all the dangerous fanaticism, which can be produced to 
 corrupt our people, and to derange the public worship of the 
 country. We owe the best we can (not infallibility, but pru- 
 dence) to the subjects ; first sound doctrine, then ability to use 
 it " Speech on the Act of Uniformity : Works of the Right 
 Honorable Edmund Burke, Vol. V. Page 335. 
 
 4. I request the reader's attention, in the last place, to that 
 numerous portion of the Protestant subscribers to the Bible 
 Societies, which contends, that the Bibles distributed should be 
 accompanied with the Common Prayer liook, " as a safeguard," 
 to use the expression of Dr. Herbert Marsh, (whose learning 
 justly places him at the head of these gentlemen,) ** against the 
 misinterpretation of the Bible." Surely the Protestant, who, 
 by a general adoption of safeguards against the misinterpretation 
 of the scriptures, must admit such misinterpretation to be pro- 
 
147 
 
 bable, cannot quarrel with tlie Roman-catholic for his caution- 
 ury preventives of it. 
 
 V. 
 
 This leads me t-o mention a strange opinion, which prevails 
 much among Protestants — that it is contrary to the General 
 Principles of the Catholic religion, to publish the Bible, in a 
 vulgar tungitc, nithout notes. 
 
 To be convinced of the erroneousness of this opinion, it is 
 only necessary to walk into the shops of the French booksellers 
 in London, where several French Roman-catholic versions of 
 the Xew Testament, withont any notes, are constantly on sale. I 
 beg leave, however, to refer the reader to the edition of Le 
 Long's Bibliotheca Sacra, published by Boehmer at Leipsic, 
 in two volumes octavo, 1709. In the second volume of the work, 
 C. v. Sect. 2, p. 36, he will find an article, with the title, " Bib- 
 lia Gallica a Catholicis edita" and will see by it, that, before 
 that work was printed, there had been, in the French language, 
 nine original versions of the whole Bible ; that many editions of 
 these versions are in octavo, or the lesser sizes ; that there had 
 heen twelve original versions of the New Testament ; that 
 there had been several editions of most of these versions ; that 
 almost all these editions are iu octavo or a smaller size ; and 
 that there had not been fewer than two hundred editions of 
 difFewsnt parts of the Old and New Testament, particularly the 
 four Gospels and the Psalms, from one or other of these ver- 
 sions. \\ hich of these editions are or are not accompanied by 
 notes, I cannot say; but, from their size, it is most evident, that 
 by far the greater part of them have none. I must add, that all 
 these editions were anterior to the year 1709- Now, reading 
 of no kind was, before that year, so common as it has since 
 been. There is consequently no reason to suppose, that the 
 versions subsequent to that period have been proportionally 
 fewer than those which preceded it. An equal number of ver- 
 sions and editions had not before that time been printed in 
 England. 
 
 e>" 
 
148 
 
 I must add, that no Si/rinc, no Armenian, no .EfJiiopic, 
 no Arabic i^emion of the Bible, has ariij notes; yet those are 
 the vulgar tongues of large portions of the world. 
 
 [ beg, however, not to be misunderstood : — wiiile I mention 
 tlie multitude of Roman-calhoHc Bibles, and versi(Mis of Bibles, 
 without note:s I admit, most unequivocally, that it is the 
 acknowledged right oi our church and her pastors, to direct, 
 when, where, and what notes should accompany them. But [ 
 must think, that tlie various instances, in which I show, that 
 they have been published without notes, prove incontrovertibly, 
 how unjustly we are charged with admitting it, as a principle 
 of our religion, that the versions of the Bible into a vulgar 
 tongue should not be published without them. 
 
 VI. 
 
 I shall no\v cite ajezo miscellaneous fads, to show how much 
 the Church of Home has, at all times, desired to promote the 
 general circulation a?id perusal of the sacred zcritings, both in 
 the original language, and in translations from it. 
 
 1 . To begin widi the Practice of the Church in the middle 
 ages — I refer you to the second part of Dr. Hody's " Historia 
 Scholastica Textus Versionumque Graecae et Vulgatae." It is 
 impossible to peruse it, without acknowledging it to prove, be- 
 yond controversy, that there never was a time, even in the 
 darkest ages, when the study of the scriptures, and that too in 
 Uieir original languages, was not cultivated and encouraged by 
 the Roman-catholic clergy. In our own country, the works of 
 tlie Venerable Bede, of Holy Robert of Lincoln, and of Roger 
 Bacon, show how much biblical learning was cultivated and 
 encouraged in those days. 
 
 2. Every candid scholar must surely own it to be principally 
 owing to the labors of the Monks of the middle ages, that we 
 are now in possession of the sacred writings. This will appear 
 clear to every one, who peruses the 10th chapter of Mr. Lin- 
 gard's invaluable Antiquities of the Anglo-Saxon church, and 
 
149 
 
 the 4tli clmptor of the 3(i book of Dr. Ihun/s llistoiy of 
 Britain, (jcrhardua Tj/^c?ien, Professor of iMiilosophy uiid 
 Oriental Literature, in the united Universities of Hutzow and 
 Koslock, in his " Teutamen de variis Cudicam JJcbraorum 
 Vcteris Teslamvnti I\1SS. Rostocfiii 1772," expresses liiniself 
 in terms of astonishment at the hibors of tlie Monks in the 
 transeription of the sacred writings, and the singular felicity of 
 their execution. " I am sensible," ho says, " that it is the 
 j^eneral opinion, that the study of the line arts was buried during 
 the middle ages. It is however certain, that, while literature was 
 crnshed every where else, she foiuul a refuge in iVlonasteries." 
 He particularly mentions, how much the inhabitants of those 
 pious abodes studied the Hebrew language : and how many of 
 them were employed in transcribing Hebrew manusciipls. He 
 says, that calligraphy arrived, in them, at its summit of excel- 
 lence : the beauty of their transcriptions, he remarks, is such as 
 could not have been attained, unless they possessed some art of 
 rixing the forms of written letters, to which we are strangers, 
 
 3. The typographic art was no sooner discovered than the 
 Cdtho/ic presses were employed in printing in every size, from 
 die folio to the twenty-fourth, the Old and New Testament, or" 
 particular parts of them, in the Hebrew and Greek originals, 
 and the Latin translations. 
 
 4. I'Acry Roman-catholic acknowledges, with readiness, the 
 transcendent merit of the i.ondou Polijglott ; and every candid 
 Protestant should admit, with equal readiness, diat the London 
 Polvglott was preceded by the Catholic Polyglotts of Com- 
 plutum, Antwerp, and Paris ; and that, without them, the 
 London l^olyglott would not have existed. Tlie Jloman-catho- 
 iics justly applaud the invaluable labors of Dr. Kennicott. 
 The Protestants should equally applaud what Doctor Kennicot 
 aUvavs took a pleasure in menlioning, that the Catholics em- 
 ployed themselves as actively and as disinterestedly, in his ser- 
 vice, as his Protestant auxiliaries. And I think you will permit 
 my mentioning, in this place, that die Doctor always spoke, in 
 particular terms of respect and gratitude, of the exertions of 
 jlr. Alban Butler, the author of the LiTCS of the Saints — a 
 
150 
 
 new and elegant edition of which work, with beautiful engrav- 
 ings, has lately, by the exertions of Mr. Minphy, of Howland 
 Street, made its appearance. 
 
 5. Many examples show, that, when any nation has been con- 
 verted or recalled to tlie Calhoiic religion, the Church of Rome 
 has been careful to supply it with a translation of the scriplnres, 
 in its vernacular language. The numberless translations of the 
 whole scriptures, or of different parts of them, into the Latin, 
 which was once the language of the whole Western Empire, are 
 well known. So early as the fourth century, St. Augustin ob- 
 served, that " the number of those, who had translated the 
 scriptures from the Hebrew, into the Greek, might be com- 
 puted ; but that tht; number of those, who had translated the 
 Greek into the Latin, could not : for that, immediately on the 
 hitroductiou of Christianity, if a person got possession of a 
 Greek manuscript, and thought he had any knowledge of the 
 two languages, he set about translating the scriptures." 
 
 6. Tlie Peshito, or Sincere V^ersioii of the Four Gospels into 
 Si/riar, was certainly made before the fourth, ar.d there are 
 circumstauces which render it probable, that it was made at the 
 end of the 1st, or the beginning ot the 2nd, century. In 1552, 
 the Marouite Christians having, under tiie direction of Ignatius 
 their patriarch, sent Moses of Marden to Pope Julius the Third, 
 to acknowledge the supremacy of the See of Rome, and to be 
 received into his communion, the Emperor Ferdinand caused a 
 new edition of this version to be printed at his own expense, at 
 Vienna, and transmitted to Syria. 
 
 7. In 1548, there appearing to be an opening for the intro- 
 duction of Christianity into iEthiopia, Pope Paul the Third 
 caused an /Eihiopic version of the New Testament to be pub- 
 lished at Rome for the use of the new x^thiopic Christians. 
 
 8. An Arahic version of the whole Bible was published at 
 Rome in 1591; and, in 1()'], the congregation at Rome de 
 Propaganda fide, published, for the use of tl«e Arabic Christians 
 in communion with her, an Arabic version of the whole Bible, 
 in 3 volumes folio, under the direction of Sergius Risius, bisliop 
 ol Damascus. We are informed bv Abbas NozoriaSf in his^ 
 
lol 
 
 Diarium Eniditicn, that it was tlie labor of 46 years. With 
 the same benoliccnt view, an Arabic ver'^ion of the FourGospela 
 was printed in 1591, at the Medita?an press, in Rome. 
 
 9. The extreme ditHculty of acfjuiring even a slight knowledge 
 of the Chinese language, the small mimbcr of those who can 
 but imperfectly read it, and the immense expense attendiri<f the 
 p/intinai; of the smallest ut>rk in it, prevented the Catliolie 
 missionaries from publishing any version of the scriptures in 
 that language. It was, however, their wish to do it, when such 
 a version should be generally useful, and when the means of 
 printing and publishing it should be in their power. With this 
 view, the Jesuits prepared a Harmony of the Four Gospels i» 
 the Chinese language. It is preserved in the British Mus«ura. 
 The British and Foreign Bible Society mentions this circum- 
 stance in the First Report of their proceedings, and commends 
 the elegance of the version. 
 
 It is observable, that at the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, 
 sixty thousand copies of a French translation of the New 
 Testament were disuibuted among the converted Protestants, 
 by the order of Lewis the F"ourtcenth. — I beg leave to add, that 
 J^aving lived long in France, aud been intimately acquainted 
 with the literary and devotional habits of that people, I am per- 
 fectly satisfied, that the Bible was as mucli read, as much ex- 
 plained, and as well understood by the people at large, in 
 France, as it is in England. 1 will, however, admit, that it was 
 not read at so early an age in France, as it is by English Pro- 
 testants. But, {/ib^it XHvidia lerbo), I will presume to say, 
 that taking a protestant boy of the age of ten years, who has 
 read the Bible, in the manner in which it is usually read before 
 that age in England, and a Catholic boy of the same age, who 
 has been taught the French catechism, and particularly Fleury's 
 Historical Catechism, in the manner in which they are usually 
 taught in France, I am quite confident that the latter will be 
 found to have quite as full and a.s clear a knowledge of the 
 history, the morality, and the religion of the Old and New 
 Testament, as the former. 
 
\ 
 
 152 
 
 VII. 
 
 I shall now notice a charge, often brought agaimt the Ca^ 
 thoUcs, — that they were forced, agaimt their icill, to print 
 versions, in vernacular languages, of the sacred Text, inconse- 
 quence of the effects produced by the versions, made in those 
 languages, bt/ the Protestants. 
 
 For this charge there is no foundation. 
 
 1. The earliest printed Protestant version is that in the Ger^ 
 man language, by Martin Luther. The New Testament of that 
 version was printe^ in 1^22; the Old, iri 1530. 
 
 It had been prececled^lst. Ijy l^ust^s' celebrated Bible, printed 
 at Mentz, in 1462; 2ndly. by Bemler's, printed at Augsburgh, 
 in 1467 ; and Srdiy. by the four versions mentioned by Beau- 
 sobre, {Hist de la Reformation, Liv. 4.) 
 
 2. The earliest printed French Protestant version, is that of 
 Olivetan, assisted by Calvin. 
 
 It contains the whole Bible, and was finished in 1537, — the 
 year 1535, (which is the date mentioned in the title page) being 
 the year in which it was first committed to the press. 
 
 This version had been preceded, 1st. by the French version 
 of the New Testament, by Julian, an Augustinian Monk, 
 printed in 1477 ; 2ndly. by the French version of the whole 
 Bible, by Guyards des Moulins, printed in 1490; and 3rdly. 
 by that of Estaples, the New Testament of whose version was 
 printed in 1523, and the Old in 1528. The last of these edi- 
 tions was particularly used by Olivetan. 
 
 3. The earliest printed Italian Piotestant version appeared iu 
 1562. 
 
 It had been preceded, 1st. by Malerrais, printed in 1471 ; 
 and 2ndly. by Brucciohs, in 1532, which last version the Pro- 
 testant translator generally followed. 
 
 4. The first printed Protestant Belgic version was made from 
 Luther's, and appeared in 1527. 
 
 It had been preceded by a version of the Four (/ospels. 
 
153 
 
 ptinled in 1472; and by one of the whole Bible, printed at 
 Cologne, in 1475; at Delft, in 1477; at Gouda, in 1479; and 
 both at Antwerp and Louvain, in 1518. 
 It is needless to extend these enquiries. 
 
 VIIL 
 
 1 proceed to give some account of the English CtUholic rer' 
 sioris of the Bible. 
 
 1 . An English version of the New Testament was printed in 
 1582, in one volume quarto, by the clergy of the English 
 college, first established at Doway, but then removed to Rheims. 
 Their translation of the Old Testament was published at Doway, 
 (to which town the college had then returned), in two volumes 
 quarto, in the years l609 and 16 iO. 
 
 2. The Rheimish version of the New Testament, but with 
 some variation, both in the text and notes, was reprinted at 
 Doway in l600. The version of the New Testament was often 
 reprinted. In 1738, it was beautifully printed in London, iu 
 one volume folio, and, in the title page, is called the Fifth 
 Edition. 
 
 3. An English Roman-catholic translation of the New Testa- 
 ment, with a few (but very few,) notes, was published at Pari* 
 in 1719, in one volume octavo. The translator was Doctor 
 Cornelius Nary; the approbation of Doctor John Farely, pre- 
 sident of the Irish College at Paris, of Mr. Fogarty, Doctor of 
 Sorbonne, of Mr. Moore, Vicar-General of the titular Ro- 
 man-cathoHc Archbishop of Dublin, and of Francis Walsh, a 
 Roman-catholic Priest at Dublin, are prefixed to it. Tlie 
 translation is said to be respectably executed. 
 
 4. In 1730, an English translation of the New Testament, 
 but on the ground-work of the Rheimish and Doway version, 
 was pubhshed at Doway, by Dr. JVitham, the President of the 
 Bnglish College in that town, with many concise and useful 
 notes. 
 
 5. In 1749, 1750, a new edition, both of the Old and New 
 
154 
 
 Testament, with some alteration in tiie text, and much in the 
 notes, was published from this version, by Dr. C/ioIlo?ier, in 5 
 volumes, 8vo. The New Testamtnt of that edition has been 
 often reprinted ; but it is asserted, that the editions subsequent 
 to that of 1 749, ate incorrect, and that the edition of 17 I9 is to 
 be prefejred to any of them. 
 
 It is much to be desired, tlrat we had a good literary history 
 of the English versio?.Js of tl;e l>ible bv the Koman-catholics, 
 avA of the conlrcversies to vvliich they have given rise, 'i'lie 
 account given of llieni by i\Jr. Lewis, in his " History of the 
 'I'lanslatious of the Holy JBible and New Testament into Eng- 
 lish," is very imperfect, and written with an evident i>ic-judive 
 against the Catholic relii-ion. 
 
 6. Two editions of the Catholic version of the whole Bible 
 in folio, and one of Dr. Chailoner's version of the New Testa- 
 ment in octavo, are now in the press. A stereotype edition aisa 
 of the latter, in octavo, has lately been published, by the direc- 
 tion of the Ronian-catliolic Bible Society, under the care of the 
 late Doctor Rigby, a learned and pious Roman- catholic priest. 
 
 It is highly probable, that, with more time for the enouiry, 
 and, (I should certainly add,) with more knowledge of the 
 subject, many other instances of the zeal of tlie CatiiolJc 
 church, to spread the sacred writings, might be collected. But 
 surely those, which I have mentioned, abundantly shew, that in 
 every age it has always been her wish, that tlie sacred volumes 
 should be circulated, in every country, into which the chrfstiiin 
 religion has penetrated ; and that the. charge made against her 
 of withholding the Bible from her flock, has, to say no more, 
 been unmercifully exaggerated. '1 he e.\aggeratif)n has been 
 carried so far, as to have made it nearly the universal belief of 
 Protestants, that withholding the Bible from the general body is 
 The RulCy and the liberty to read it. The Exception ; wheieas it 
 is mucii nearer the truth to say, that the nithholding of it is 
 The Exception, and the liberty, The Rule. 
 
I.JO 
 
 IX. 
 
 An objection is nmde to some Harsh Expressions, which 
 occur in the 'Notes io the Rheimish Version, and in the Notes 
 Co Doctor Challoners edition of that version. 
 
 1. Willi respect to the former, I am far from approving any 
 expression of this nature, which is justly censurable ; but when 
 the harsh expressions of the Rheimish annotators are brought 
 forward, — the dtnigeons too, — the racks, the gibbets, tlie tires, 
 the confiscations, and the various other modes of persecution, 
 in every hideous form, which the Catholics of those days en- 
 dured, should not be forgotten. That these should have pro- 
 duced some expressions of bitterness from the writers in ques- 
 tion, cannot be a matter of surprise ; if something of the kind 
 had not fallen from them, they would have been more than 
 men. But, permit me in ask, whether the language of their 
 Protestant adversaries were more courteous ? To ascertain this, 
 I wish my readers to turn to the first and last pages of Doctoi 
 Fulke's " Texts of the New Testament." In the first page of 
 it, he tells the Rheimish translators, that, *' they had perverted 
 the Bible, by their partial translation, and poisoned it with their, 
 heretical and blasphemous annotations ; — that they craftily beg- 
 ged of their favourers in England larger exhibition, upon colour 
 of printing their translation of the Bible." In the last page he 
 tells them, that " the words of their prayer were good and godly ; 
 hut that they proceeded not from a faithful heart, not only their 
 wilful and obstinate maintaining of errors, against the most 
 clear light of truth, with their intolerable licentiousness of lying 
 
 and slandering the saints of God, did sufikicntly declare." 
 
 That, " though they could speak good words on hypocrisy, yet 
 their heart knew, and their cauterized conscience could not but 
 
156 
 
 bear witness, that they dared not abide the ti'val of God's 
 judgment, howsoever, (as all wicked offenders did comraoiily) 
 they appealed to it." — Are these passage? exceeded by any con- 
 tained in the Rheimish Annotations i If they arc not, permit me 
 to ask, why the Homan-catholics of the present day should be 
 criminated for an alleged intemperance of some of the Rheimish 
 Notes, and the Protestants of the present day not alike liable 
 to crimination for the equal intemperance of the antagonists of 
 the Rheimish Annotatorsr" 
 
 2. With respect to Dr. Ch(dloner''s Notes, some of them 
 bave been pronounced illibend or uaciiaritabie. i doubt wlie- 
 ther any of them, if they were construed in tise sense in which 
 the venerable prelate himself understood them, would be foiuid 
 to merit cither of these epithets. This, however, cannot be 
 settled, without a minute discussion of each note ; but if any 
 passages, really exceptionable on either of these grounds, can be 
 found in them, it must be allowed that these passages are not 
 numerous. And it must also be allowed, that, eveji now, Romau- 
 catholics are occasionally treated by their Protestant opponents, 
 with expressions of, at least equal asperity. The first sentence 
 of the preface to the work entitled, " Roman-catholic Claims," 
 (a very recent publication) politely informs us, that '' Misre- 
 presentation, J AHsion, and Untruth, are the usual weapons of 
 controversial Popery." 
 
 It is full time that this polemic rudeness should cease. The 
 l^oman-catholic Board, by their resolution of the 9th of 
 February, 1813, declared, "That they decidedly disapproved 
 of every publication, cither illiberal in language, or uncharitable 
 in substance ; injurious to the character, or offensive to the just 
 feelings of any of their Chri.'^tian brethren." Tiiat every deno- 
 mination of Christians should adopt and act up to this resoluliouj 
 must be the wish of all who possess real cliarity, or a real 
 love of truth.— It was a golden observation of St. Francis 
 of Sales, that " a good Christian is never outdone in good 
 manners." 
 
 Better rules cannot be laid down for conductins: contraversv. 
 
157 
 
 tluui tliose suirrjcslcd by Doctor Hcy, the late Norisian Pro- 
 ttssor at Gainljii(!ge. From the first volume of hia Lectures, 
 they are thus extracted, but with some addilioiml observatious, 
 by the hite Mr. Riciiard Kirwau, iu his " Logick, or an Essaj/ 
 on the lulemcnts, Principles, and dijjcrcnt Modes of Reason- 
 ing, Pari If. Ch. I. ■Secliuii o. : au original and very m- 
 striiclive work. 
 
 " First," says Doctor Hey, " the terms in which the subject 
 in debate is conceived, should be so clearly explained, as that 
 their precise signilication, shoidd be expressly agreed on by 
 both parties. 
 
 '' Secondly, all expressions of self-sufficiency should be 
 carefully avoided ; he uses such expressions, who calls his own 
 cause, the cause of (jod, and his own interpretation^ the word 
 of God. 
 
 " Thirdly, whoever uses personal reflections should be deem- 
 ed an enemy to truth ; they prevent even just reason from 
 beins: attended to bv common men. 
 
 ** I'oiutljlv, no one should accuse his adversary of indirect 
 motives. 
 
 " Fifthly, the consequences of any doctrine are not to be 
 charged on those, who hold those doctrines, unless they ex- 
 pressly avow them. If, from any proposition, absurd proposi- 
 tions follow, it is rightly concluded, that the original proposition 
 is false ; but it cannot be rightly concluded, that the adversaries 
 maintain tliose absurd propositions ; — that is, barely a matter 
 of fact. 
 
 " Sixthly, it is improper to refer any saying of an adversary 
 to a party; this is done, when it is said, this is downright Popish 
 superstition, Scottish philosophy, Irish blundering, rash Tory 
 principle." 
 
 *' These rules," says Mr. Kirwan, " have been very seldom 
 observed in any controversy; the nearest approach to a perfect 
 conformity to them, may be seen iu the controversial corre- 
 
158 
 
 " spondence of the late excellent Dr. Priestley and Dr. Price, and 
 " also in the amicable conference of the learned Beza and Pro- 
 
 " fessor Jacobi, at Montbeliard." Mr. Kirwan might have 
 
 added, the Arnica Collatio of Limbore and the Jew Orobia. 
 They were not observed in the controversy between Bossuet and 
 Fenelon ; but, in the controversy between Bossuet and Claude, 
 to the perusal of which I invite every reader, there was no de- 
 parture from any one of them. — " In my heart," says Dr. 
 Mihier, in his Strictures on some of the piihlicatiotis oj the 
 harried Lady Margaret Projessor — " [ love a good argu- 
 ment." — Readers of this taste will be abundantly gratified by 
 Bossuet's account of this celebrated conference. 
 
 X. 
 
 In addition to the excellent rules for controversy, laid down by 
 Doctor Hey, I beg leave to suggest the particular observance of 
 the followin<T rule in all religious controversies with Roman- 
 catholics : — " That 110 doctrines should be ascribed to them, as a 
 body, except such as are Articles of their Faith.'' — Of the many 
 misconceptions of their tenets, of which the Roman-catholics 
 complain, they feel none more than those, which proceed from 
 the want of observance of this rule. It is most true, that the 
 Roman-cathoiics believe the doctrines of their church to be 
 unchangeable : and that it is a Tenet of their Creed, that what 
 their faith ever has been, such it was from the beginning, such 
 it; cow is, and such it ever will be. But this they confine to 
 the Articles of their Faith ; and they consider no doctrine to be 
 of faith, unless it have been delivered by divine revelation, and 
 been propounded, as such, by the church. This the Roman- 
 catholics ^vish their adversaries never to forget. 
 
159 
 
 When anv of tliclr mhcr'^aries fine!, in any Catholic writer 
 a position which ho thinks roprehensiblc, he should enquire 
 whether it he ;in :uliclc of C;ithohc l"';iilh, or an opinion of 
 xlie writer. Jn the lalter ca^e, he should retlcct, that the general 
 bodv of the Catholics is not responsible for it, and diouW 
 therofoie abstain from ehargius; it upon the body. 
 
 If he tak.e the higher ground, he should lirst endeavour to 
 ascertain, that it is an article of the Roman-catholic Faith : 
 but hcie, a-^ain, he should carefully examine, whether it be the 
 Principle itself, which he means to impute to the Catholics, 
 or a Consequence which he deduces from it. These are 
 widely different, and should never be confounded. If it be 
 the Principle, he should then enquire, whether it have ever 
 been propounded to them, as an Article of Faith, by the 
 church. A wise method of ascertaining this, would be, to 
 read the " Caiechhm of the Council of Trent." A proper pe- 
 rusal, however, of that work, requires attentive study : if he 
 be unable to give it such a perusal, let liiin read Bossuet's 
 " Exposition of Faith ;' and consult, (if not the work itself,) 
 at least the Abridgement of Mr. Mother's '' Papist Misrepre- 
 S€nt\d and Represented ;" It-t lum also read Doctor Challoner's 
 *' Three Short Sumn/aries of Catholic Faith and Doctrifie," 
 prefixed to his " Garden of the soni," the most popular Prayer- 
 Book of the English Catholics. Having read these, let him 
 ascertain, whether the doctrine, with which he charges the 
 Catholics, be, in terms or substance, stated in any of them, to be 
 «n article of their Faith. If he conceive that it is stated, iu 
 any of them, to be such, let him insert, in his publication, the 
 passage in which he professes to discover it, mentioning ex- 
 plicitly the work, the edition of it, and the page in which it is 
 to be found. Should the passage be found, in terms, or sub- 
 stance, ni any of the works I have mentioned, then it M'ill be 
 incumbent on the Catholic?, either to shew that the writer, in 
 whose work the. passage is found, was mistaken, (which from 
 the acknowledged character of all the works I have mentioned, 
 will not, I think, ever happen) or to admit that it is an Article 
 
160 
 
 of their Faith; and then the Romau-catholics viill be justly 
 chargeable with it. Whatever other opinions can be adduced, 
 though they be ihe opinions of their most respectable writers, 
 though they be the opinions of the Fathers of their church, still 
 they are but matters of opinion, and a Catholic may disbelieve 
 them, w-ithout ceasing to be a Catholic. Would it not be 
 both a fair and a short way of ending the controversy between 
 the Protestants and Catholics, that every person, who chaiges 
 the general body of Catholics with any religious tenet, should 
 be obliged to cite from the Catechism of the Council of Trent, 
 or from one or other of the works I have mentioned, of 
 Bossuet, jSIr. Gother, or Dr. Challoner, the passage in 
 which such tenet is contained und propounded as an Article of 
 Faith? 
 
ESSAY III. 
 
 On the Work entitled " Ko man-Catholic Princi- 
 " pies in reference to God and the King .-" first 
 published in I68O : — to which a correct edition 
 of The Frinciples is added. 
 
 After the greater part of the preceding pages had been print- 
 ed, it occurred to the writer of them, tliat the short document 
 of Roman-cathoHc faith, which is the subject of the present ar- 
 ticles, might, without impropriety, be allowed a place m this 
 compilation. It has no pretensions to the rank of a symbolic 
 book ; but it is a clear and accurate exposition of the Roman- 
 catholic creed, on some of its most important articles, and has all 
 the authority that such a document cau receive from time and 
 universal assent. 
 
 The work was first printed in I68O. 
 
 Six editions of it were printed before l684. Lord Stafford 
 referred to it, on his memorable trial in I68O. In the fol- 
 lowing year appeared " Stafford's Memoires, or a brief and im^ 
 partial Account of the trial, principles, and final end of Wil- 
 Conf. L 
 
162 
 
 liamj late Lord Viscount Stafford." In a folio edition of this 
 work, which the present writer has seen, they are found in the 
 47th page. 
 
 Six editions of them were pubhshed by Mr. Gother in 1684 
 and 1686. Mr. Gother was the most eminent of the Roman- 
 catholic controversial advocates and spiritual writers of his time. 
 Mr. Dodd, in the third volume of his Ecclesiastical History, p. 
 482, mentions seventeen controversial, and twelve spiritual 
 works of his composition. " The style of them," he says, '^ is 
 " natural and unaifected ; and, in the opinion of Mr. Dryden, 
 " the Poet Laureat, a master-piece of the English langilage." 
 His most popular controversial work, is ^'A Papist misrepresented 
 and represented, or a two-fold character of Popery .'^ A reply 
 to it was published with the title, *' The Doctrines and Practices 
 of the Chnrch of Rome truly represented." To this, Mr. Go- 
 ther replied, by " Refections upon the answer to the Papist mis- 
 represented." A reply to it was published with the title, " A 
 Papist not ?nisrepj'esented by Protestants." Mr. Gother oppos- 
 ed to it, " Papists protesting against Protestant Popery." This 
 was met by " An Ansner to a discourse intitled, Papists pro- 
 testing against Protestant Popery." There were other answers 
 and replies ; those, which have been mentioned, were the most 
 celebrated in their time, and are often met with bound together : 
 he who possesses them has a complete attack and defence of the 
 Roman-catholic religion. An Abridgment of the Papist misrepre- 
 sented, was printed by the late Dr. Challoner ; the seventeenth 
 edition of it has been seen by the present wiiter. The most 
 eminent of Mr. Gother's spiritual works, is his Instructions on 
 the Epistles and Gospels of the zchole year, in three volumes, 
 8ro. The reader of them will certainly agree with Mr. Dryden 
 in his opinion of the great beauty of the style, and perhaps 
 think with the present writer, that no composition m the Eng- 
 ish language approaches nearer to the severe and nervous sim- 
 plicity of the best writings of the Dean of St. Patrick's. It is no 
 small commendation of The Principles, that they were adopted 
 by such a writer. 
 
 Not fewer than twenty-four 6ther editions of The Principles 
 
lf)3 
 
 liave been discovered. A partial edition of them was pub- 
 lished in 1749, in his Catechism fur the adult, by the Rev. 
 John Hornyold, a distinguished member of the singularly 
 loved and revered Roman-catholic family of that name, at 
 Blackmore Park, in Worcestershire. That gentleman was af- 
 terwards ordained bishop, and was vicar-apostolic of the Mid- 
 land district of English Roman-catholics. The Principles 
 were published at Dublin, by Mr. O'Connor of Belanagare. 
 On perusing this edition of them, Dr. Leiand, the Historian, is 
 said to have declared, that, if such were the principles of Catho- 
 lics, no government had any right to quarrel with them. Dr. 
 Coppinger, the Roman-catholic bishop in Cloyne, publish- 
 ed them in his Prayer Book intitled. True Piety, or the day 
 Well-spent, now, at least, in its ninth edition. In 1785, the 
 Rev. Mr. Joseph Berrington, to whom the ])ublic is indebted 
 for many elegant and interesting works, brought them into ge- 
 neral notice, by inserting them at the end of his Rijlccfious ad- 
 dressed to the Rev. Jolni llawlcins. 
 
 It has been conlidently asserted, that the committee of the 
 English Roman-catholics published an edition of The Princi- 
 ples. This is a mistake ; but, in 17^8, the committee sent to 
 Mr. Pitt, with whom they were then in intercourse on the sub- 
 ject of the bill, which afterwards passed for the relief of the 
 English Roman-catholics, a copy of The Principles. They 
 accompanied it with a letter, dated the 9th day of May, 1788, 
 in which they mentioned to Mr. Pitt, that *' they took the li- 
 *' berty to inclose a printed summary of their tenets, which they 
 " were persuaded every Catholic would readily sign." The letter 
 was subscribed by Lord Stourton, Lord Petre, Sir Heniy 
 Charles Engleheid, Sir William Jerningliam, Sir John Throck- 
 morton, Mr. William Fcrmor, iSlr. John Towneley, and Mr. 
 Thomas Hornyold. 
 
 To give this copy of The Principles greater authenticity, the 
 Honourable James Talbot, then vicar-apostolic of the London 
 district of the English Roman-catholics, signed the tirst page 
 of it, with his name. 
 
 The late Dr. Walniesley, the vicar-apostolic of the Midland 
 
164 
 
 district of the English Roman-catholics, is known to have men- 
 tioned in a letter to one of his friends, that " The exposition of 
 *' the Catholic Doctrine, published in Mr. Berrington's book, 
 " appeared to him to be composed with great judgment and pre- 
 " cision." 
 
 Of Mr. Walmesley, thus presented to the writer's mind, (to 
 copv a phrase of Doctor Johnson in his life of Smith, the 
 poet), let the writer be permitted to say, that it is a just cause of 
 reproach to the English province of the rehgious order to which 
 he belonged, — (he was a Benedictine Monk), — that they have 
 not favoured the public with an account of that gentleman's 
 profound mathematical researches. He first became known, as 
 a mathematician, by a Defence of Sir Isaac Newton's Doctrine 
 of Fluxions, in one of the foreign journals. It was received 
 with universal applause ; and the academy of Berlin chose him a 
 member of their institute ; but he modestly declined the offer. 
 In 1747, he entered into the discussions, to which the cele- 
 brated problem of the Three Bodies then gave rise ; and his in- 
 vestio-ations of it, though scarcely known in his native country, 
 were thought, on the continent, to be on a level with those of 
 Ciairaut, d'Alembert, and Euler. While he was thus advancing 
 to the height of mathematical fame, he was appointed vicar apos- 
 tolic for the Midland district of English Roman-catholics, and 
 upon, or at least soon after his nomination to that situation, he 
 gave up entirely his mathematical pursuits. This, it has been 
 said, was owing to his having been once so completely subdued, 
 while he was celebrating the sacred mysteries, by a mathemati- 
 cal distraction, as to find himself making diagrams, on the lin- 
 en of the altar, with the patten, a thin plate, used by Catholic 
 bishops and priests, in the ceremonies of the altar. It is also 
 said, that, when his dereliction of mathematics was mentioned to 
 d'Alembert, he expressed great concern at the loss which the 
 mathematics would sustain in consequence of his adieu to them. 
 He hved in an edifying discharge of every pastoral and every 
 pious duty, to a very advanced age : but to the last, if a mathe- 
 matical subject was mentioned, his countenance would lighten, 
 and discover his suppressed aflFection for mathematic lore. He 
 
165 
 
 published some mathematical works, which answer his great re- 
 putation, and probably left behind him valuuble manuscripts. 
 Under the direction of some religious gentlemen of his order, 
 an excellent school has been lately established in Ample- 
 forth, in Yorkshire. There certainly is a call on the superiors 
 of this learned community, for a critical account of the life and 
 writings of a member of their order, who did it so much honour. 
 Very honourable mention is made of him by Muiitucla in his 
 Hhtory of Philosophy. 
 
 The last and best edition of this valuable tract, was published 
 in 1815, by the Rev. John Kirk, die Roman-catholic pastor at 
 Lichfield. He has prefixed to it a laboured and curious en- 
 quiry respecting the editions and author of The Principles. 
 By a variety of arguments and inferences he makes it appear 
 highly probable, that the author of them was the Reverend Fa- 
 ther, James Corker, Abbot of the Benedictine Abbey of Lamb- 
 spring in Germany. The enquiry is ably executed and contains 
 much interesting matter. Mr. Kirk is now engaged in prepar- 
 ing for the press, a new edition, to be greatly enlarged, and 
 continued to the present times, of Mr. DodiTs Church History 
 of Erig/aiid, from 1500 to l688. It is hoped that it will meet 
 with encouragement : the work is important, and a better editor 
 of it cannot be in)agined. 
 
 Considering the variety of editions, through which the tract 
 in question has passed, and the character of the editors, there 
 cannot be a doubt of its containing a just and fair exposition of 
 The Principles of the Roman-catholics, on the points to which 
 it relates. As such, from Mr. Kirk's edition of it, we now 
 present it to the reader. 
 
166 
 
 ROMAN CATHOLIC PRINCIPLES 
 
 IN 
 
 REFERENCE TO GOD AND THE KING, 
 
 SECTION I. 
 
 Of the Catholic Faith, and Church in 
 
 general. 
 
 1. The fruition of God, and the remission of sin are not at- 
 tainable by man, otherwise than in and by the merits of Jesus 
 Christ, who gratuitously purchased them for us. 
 
 2. These merits of Christ, though infinite in themselves, are 
 not applied to us, otherwise than by a right faith in him. 
 
 3. This faith is but one entire, and conformable to its object, 
 which is divine revelation: and to w\iic\i faith gives an un- 
 doubting assent. 
 
 4. This revelation contains many mysteries, transcending the 
 natural reach of human understanding. Wherefore, 
 
 5. It became the divine wisdom and goodness to provide some 
 ZDay or means, whereby man might arrive to the knowledge of 
 these mysteries ; means visible and apparent to all ; means pro- 
 portioned to the capacities of all ; means sure and certain to 
 all. 
 
 6. This way or means, is not the reading of scripture, inter- 
 preted according to the private Judgment of each disjunctive 
 person, or nation in particular; But, 
 
 7. It is an attention and submission to the voice of the 
 
167 
 
 Catholic or Universal Church, established by Christ for the 
 instruction of all ; spread for that end through all tiations, and 
 visibly continued in the succession of pastors, and people throu<;h 
 all ages. — From this church, guided in truth, and secured from 
 error in matters of faith, by the promised assistance of the Holy 
 Ghost, every one may learn the right sense of the scriptures, 
 and such Christian mysteries and duties as are necessary to salva- 
 tion, 
 
 8. This church, thus established, tl)U9 spread, thus continued, 
 thus guided, in one uniform faith, and subordination of govern- 
 ment, is that which is termed the Roman Catholic Church: the. 
 qualities just mentioned, unity, indeficiency, visibility, succes-' 
 sion, and universality, being evidently applicable to her. 
 
 9. From the testimony and authority of this church, it is, 
 that we receive the scriptures, and believe them to be the word 
 of God : and as she can assuredly tell us what particular book 
 is the word of God, so can she with the like asstirance tell us 
 also, the true sense and meaning of it, in controverted points of 
 
 faith ; the same spirit that wrote the scriptures, directing her to 
 understand both them, and all matters necessary to salviition. — 
 From these grounds it follows : 
 
 10. Only truths revealed hy A\m\ghty God, and proposed by 
 the church, to be believed as such, are, and ought to be esteem- 
 ed, articles of Catholic faith. 
 
 11. As an obstinate separation from the unity of the church, 
 in knoTcn matters of faith, is heresy ; so a wilful separation 
 from the visible unity of the same church, in matters of subor- 
 dination and government, is schism. 
 
 12. The Church proposes unto us matters of faith, first and 
 chiefly by the Holy Scripture, in points plain and intelligible in 
 it ; secondly, by definitions of general councils, in points not 
 sufficiently plain in Scripture ; thirdly, by apostolical traditions 
 derived from Christ and his apostles to all succeeding ages ; 
 fourthly, by her practice, worship, and ceremonies coffirming 
 her doctrine. 
 
168 
 
 SECTION IL 
 
 Of spiritual and temporal Authority. 
 
 1. The pastors of the church — who are the body representa' 
 tive — either dispersed or convened in council, have received no 
 commission from Christ to frame new articles of faith — thcvse 
 being solely divine revelations — but only to explain and to defne 
 to the faithful what anciently was, and is received and retained, 
 as oi faith in the church, when debates and controversies arise 
 about them. These definitions in matters of faith only, and 
 proposed as such, oblige all the faithful to a submission of judg- 
 ment. But, 
 
 2. It is no article of faith, that the church cannot err, either 
 in matters of fact or discipline, alterable by circumstances of 
 time and place, or in matters of speculation or civil policy, de- 
 pending on mere human judgment or testimony. These things 
 are no revelations deposited in the Catholic church, in regard of 
 which alone, she has the promised assistance of the Holy Spirit. 
 — Hence it is deduced, 
 
 3. If n general council, much less a. papal consistory, should 
 presume to depose a king, and to abioke his subjects from their 
 allegiance, no Catholic could be bound to submit to such a de- 
 cree. — Hence also it follows, that, 
 
 4. The subjects of the king of England lawfully may, 
 without the least breach of any catholic principle, renounce, 
 upon oath, the teaching or practising the doctrine of deposing 
 kings excommunicated for heresy, by any authority whatsoever, 
 as repugnant to the fundamental laws of the nation, as injurious 
 to sovereign power, as destructive to peace and government, and 
 
169 
 
 ronsequenlly in his majesty's subjects, as impiuus and daiima- 
 
 ble.' 
 
 5. Catholics believe that the Bishop of Rome, successor of 
 St. Peter, is the head of the whole Catholic church ; in which 
 sense, this church may therefore fitly be styled Roman Catholic, 
 being an universal body, united under one visible head. Never- 
 theless, 
 
 6. It is 710 matter of faith to believe that the Pope is in him- 
 self infallible, separated from the church, even in expounding 
 the faith : by consequence, papal definitions or decrees, in 
 whatever form pronounced, taken exclusively from a general 
 council, or universal acceptance of the church, oblige none, 
 under pain of her est/, to an interior assent. 
 
 7. Nor do Catholics, as Catholics, believe that the Pope has 
 any direct or indirect authority over the temporal power and 
 jurisdiction of princes. Hence, if the Pope should pretend to 
 absolve or dispense with his majesty's subjects from their alle- 
 giance, on account of heresi/ or schism, such dispensation 
 would be vain and null: and all Catholic subjects, notwith- 
 standing such dispensation or absolution, would be still bound 
 in conscience to defend their king and country, at the hazard of 
 their lives and fortunes, (as far as Protestants would be bound) 
 even against the Pope himself, in case he should invade the na- 
 tion. 
 
 8. As for the problematical disputes, or errors of particular 
 divines, in this or any other matter whatsoever, we are no 
 wise responsible for them ; nor are Catholics, as Catholics, 
 justly punishable on their account. But, 
 
 9. As for the king-killing doctrine, or nmrder of princes ex- 
 comnuaucated for heresy, it is universally admitted in the Ca- 
 tholic church, and expressly so declared by the council of Con- 
 
 ' Mr. Berringtou in his edition oi'serves in a note at this place, " that 
 he dislikes the word damnabie, as i: lonveys no idea, or, if any, says too 
 much : but lets it stand to shew how desirous our ancestors were, by the 
 most emphatical language, to express their d'rtestation of the papal 
 deposing power. 
 
170 
 
 stance, that such doctrine is impious and execrable, being contra- 
 ry to the known lazes of God and nature. 
 
 10. Personal misdemeanors, of what nature soever, ought not 
 to be imputed to the Catholic church, when not justifiable by 
 the tenets of her faith and doctrine. For which reason, though 
 the stories of the Irish cruelties or powder plot, had been ex- 
 actly true (which yet, for the most part, are notoriously mis- 
 related) nevertlieless Catholics, as such, ought not to suffer for 
 such offences, any more than the eleven apostles ought to have 
 suffered for the treachej-y of Judas. 
 
 11. It is a fundamental truth in our religion, that no power 
 on earth can license men to lie, to forswear, or perjure them- 
 .selves, to massacre their neighbours, or destroy their native 
 country, on pretence oj promoting the Catholic cause or reli- 
 gion: furthermore, all pardotis or dispensations granted, or 
 pretended to be granted, in order to any such ends or designs, 
 could have no other validity or effect, than to add sacrilege and 
 blasphemy to the above-mentioned crimes. 
 
 12. The doctrine oi equivocation or mental reservation, how- 
 ever wrongfully imputed to the church, was never taught, or ap- 
 proved by her, as any part of her belief: On the contrary, sim- 
 plicity and godly sincerity are constantly inculcated by her as 
 truly Christian virtues necessary to the conservation of Jtistjce^ 
 truth, and common security. 
 
 SECTION HI. 
 
 Of other Pomfs of Catholic Faith, 
 
 1 . We believe, that there are seven sacraments, or sacred 
 ceremonies, instituted by our Saviour Christ, whereby the me- 
 rits of his passion are applied to the soul of the worthy re- 
 ceiver. 
 
171 
 
 2. We believe, tliat when a sinner repents of his sins from the 
 hottovi of his heart, and ucknoicledoes his transgressions to 
 God and his minisiers, the dispensers of the mysteries of Christy 
 resolving to turn from his evil ways, and briwr forth fruits 
 worthy of pemiuce ; there is then, and no othencise, an autho- 
 rity left by Christ to absolve such a penitent sinner from his 
 sins : which authority, we believe, Christ gave to his apostles 
 and their successors, the bishops and priests of his church, in 
 those words, when he said. Receive ye the Holy Ghost ; whose 
 sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven unto them, S^c. 
 
 S. Though no creature whatsoever can make condign satis- 
 faction, either for the guilt of sin, or the pain eternal due to it, 
 this satisfaction being proper to Christ our Saviour only ; yet 
 penitent siiiners, redeemed by Christ, may, as members of Christ, 
 in some measure satisfy by prayer, fasting, alms-deeds, and 
 other works of piety, for the temporal pain, which in the order of 
 divine justice sometimes remains due, after the guilt of sin and 
 pains eternal have been remitted. Such jjenitential works are, 
 notwithstanding, no otherwise satisfactory than as joined and ap- 
 plied to that satisfaction, which Jesus made upon the cross, in 
 virtue of which alone all our good works find a grateful accep- 
 tance in the sight of God. 
 
 4. The guilt of sin, or paifi eternal due to it, is never remit- 
 t-ed by what Catholics call indulgences ; but only such temporal 
 punishments as remain due after the guilt is remitted : — these 
 indulgences being nothing else than a mitigation or relaxation, 
 upon just causes, of canonical penances, enjoined by the pastors 
 of the church on penitent sinners, according to their several de- 
 grees of demerit. — And if abuses or mistakes have been some- 
 times committed, in point either of granting or gaining indul- 
 gences, through the remissness or ignorance of particular persons, 
 contrary to the ancient custom and discipline of the church ; 
 such abuses or mistakes cannot rationally be charged on the 
 church, or rendered matters of derision, in prejudice to her 
 faith and discipline. 
 
 5. Catholics hold there is a purgatory ; that is to say, a 
 
  172 
 
 place, or state, where souls departing this life, with remission of 
 their sins, as to the eternal guilt or pain, but yet obnoxious to 
 some temporal punishment, of M'hich we have spoken, still re- 
 maining due, or not perfectly freed from the blemish of some 
 defects or deordinations, are purged before their admittance 
 into heaven, where nothing that is defiled can enter. Further- 
 more, 
 
 6. Catholics also hold, that such souls so detained in purga- 
 tory, being the living members of Christ Jesus, are relieved by 
 the prayers and suffrages of their fellow-nmnbers here on earth : 
 But where this place is ; of what nature or quality the pains 
 are ; how long souls may be there detained ; in what manner 
 the suffrages made in their behalf are applied ; whether by way 
 of satisfaction or intercession, &c. are questions superfluous 
 and impertinent as to faith. 
 
 7. No man, though just, can merit either an increase of sanc- 
 tity in this life^ or eternal glory in the next, independently on the 
 merits and passion of Christ Jesus : But the good zoorks of a 
 just man proceeding from grace and charity, are so far accepta- 
 ble to God through his goodness and sacred promises, as to be 
 truly meritorious of eternal life. 
 
 8. It is an article of Catholic beUef, that in the most holy 
 sacrament of the Eucharist, there is truly and really contained 
 the body of Christ, zohich was delivered for us ; and his blood, 
 which zms shed for the remissioti of sins : the substance of bread 
 and wine being, by the powerful words of Christ, changed into 
 the substance of his blessed body and blood ; the species or ap- 
 pearances of bread and wine, by the will of God, remaining as 
 they were. But, 
 
 9. Christ is not present in this sacrament, according to his 
 natural way of existence, or rather as bodies naturally exist, 
 but in a manner proper to the character of his exalted and glori- 
 fied body : His presence then is real and substantial, but sacra- 
 mental; not exposed to the external senses, or obnoxious to 
 corporal contingencies. 
 
 10. Neither is the body of Christ, in this holy sacrament, se- 
 parated from his blood, or his blood from his body, or either of 
 
173 
 
 them disjoined from his soul and divinity ; but all and whole 
 livins Jesus is entircJu contained under either species : so that 
 whosoever receives under one kind is truly partaker of the zohole 
 sacrament ; he is not deprived either of the body or the blood 
 of Christ. True it is, 
 
 1 1. Our Saviour left unto us his body and blood, under two 
 distinct species, or kinds ; in doing of which he instituted not 
 only a sacrament, but also a sacrijice ; a commemorative sacri- 
 fice, distinctly shewing his death and bloody passion, until he 
 come. For as the sacrijice of the cross was performed by a d\s- 
 tmct efusion of blood ; so is that sacrifice commemorated in 
 that of the altar, by a distinction of the symbols. Jesus there- 
 fore is here given, not only to us, hi\t for us ; and the church 
 thereby is enriched with a true, proper and propitiatory sacri- 
 fice usually termed the mass. 
 
 12. Catholics renounce all divine worship and adoration of 
 images and pictures; God alone we worship and adore; 
 nevertheless we place pictures in our churches, to reduce our 
 wanderino- thoughts and to enliven our memories towards hea- 
 venly things. Further, we shew a respect to the images of 
 Christ and his saints, beyond what is due to every profane figure ; 
 not that we can believe any divinity or virtue to reside in them, 
 for whicii they ought to be honoured, but because the honour 
 given to pictures is referred to the prototype, or thing represent- 
 ed. In like manner, 
 
 13. There is a kind of honour and respect due to the bibky 
 to the cross, to the name of Jesus, to churches, to the sacra- 
 ments, 8cc. as things peculiarly appertaining to God ; and to 
 kings, magistrates, and superiors on earth ; to whom honour is 
 due, honour may be given, without any derogation to the majesty 
 of God, or that divine worship which is appropriate to him. 
 Moreover. 
 
 14. Catholics believe, that the blessed saints in heaven, re- 
 plenished with charity, pray for us their f el low-tnembers here on 
 earth ; that they rejoice at our conversion : that seeing God, 
 they see and know in him all thhigs suitable to their happy state : 
 But God may be inclinable to hear their requests made in our 
 
174 
 
 behalf, and for their sakes may grant iis n-any favours ; therefor^ 
 we believe that it is good and piojitable to desire their interces- 
 sion. Can this manner of invocation be more injurious to 
 Christ our mediator, than it is for one Christian to beg the prayers 
 of another here on earth? However, Catholics are not 
 taught so to rely on the prayers of others, as to neglect their own 
 duty to God; in imploring his divine mercy and goodness; ia 
 mortifying the deeds of the Jiesh ; in despising the world; in 
 loving and serving God and their neighbour; in following the 
 footsteps of Christ our Lord, who is the way, the truth, and 
 the iifo : to whom be honour, and glory for ever and ever= 
 Anjen. 
 
ESSAY IV. 
 
 On the Rennioii of Christians, 
 
 It was the intention of the writer of these pages, to close his 
 account of the symbolic books of the Christian Churches, with 
 a succinct History of the Attempts, which have 
 
 BEEN MADE AT DIFFERENT TIMES, FOR THEIR RE- 
 UNION. The subject has been exhausted by a learned and in- 
 teresting work, published at Paris, " De la Re-wiioti des 
 Communions Chrttiennes ; ou Hist aire des Negotiatio?is, Con- 
 ferences, Correspondances qui out eu lieu, desprojets et des plans 
 qui out eteformees a ce snjet, depuis la naissance du Protesta- 
 nismcjusqiC a present. Par M. Tabaraud, prelre de la ci-de- 
 vant congregation de VOratoire. Paris, 1808, 1 vol. 8t>o." 
 An excellent sketch of these attempts had been previously 
 given by Doctor Mosheim, in his Ecclesiastical History, Cent. 
 Xf I. sect. 1. part 2. c. 1. and Cent. XFII. sect. Q. c. 1. To 
 these publications the reader is referred : — the present Essay may 
 be found to contain, i. A general view of the attempts made 
 after the Reformation, to unite the Lutheran and Calvinist 
 churches : ii. Some account of the attempts made at dift'erent 
 times by the sovereigns of France for the conversion of their 
 protcstant subjects: in. The correspondence of Bossuet and 
 Leibnitz, under the auspices of Lewis the Fourteenth, for the re- 
 union of the Lutheran Churches to the Church of Rome : jv. 
 Some account of an attempt made in the reign of George the 
 First, to reunite the Church of England to the Church of Rome: 
 V. And some general remarks on the reunion of Christians. 
 Under the first of these heads, a short mention will be made of 
 
176 
 
 the members of the Protestant Church of the United Brethren, 
 called vulgarly Moravians. 
 
 I. 
 
 Attempts to unite the Lutheran and Calvinist 
 
 Churches. 
 
 The great division of Protestant Churches is into the Luthe- 
 ran and Calvinist communions. The Abbe Tabaraud relates in 
 the work, which we have just cited, not fewer than fifteen dif- 
 ferent attempts to effect a re-union of their churches. In read- 
 ing his account and the account given by Mosheim of these at- 
 tempts, there appears to the writer, to have been on each side 
 something to commend and something to blame. It seems to 
 him, that the Lutherans deserve credit for the open and explicit 
 manner, in which, on these occasions, they propounded the 
 tenetsof their creed to the Calvinists ; that the conduct of the 
 Calvinists was more liberal and conciliating ; but that, on the 
 other hand, the conduct of the Lutherans towards the Calvinists 
 was generally repulsive and sometimes desei-ving a much harsh- 
 er name ; while the conduct of the Calvinists was sometimes 
 chargeable with ambiguity. " It was deplorable," says Mo- 
 sheim, (Cent. xvii. sect. 2. part 2. art. 3.) " to see two churches, 
 *' which had discovered an equal degree of pious zeal and forti- 
 " tude in throwing off the despotic yoke of Rome, divided among 
 *' themselves, and living in discords, that were highly detrimental 
 " to the interests of religion, and the well-being of society. 
 *' Hence, several eminent divines and leading men bolh among 
 " the Ludierans and Calvinists, sought anxiously after some me- 
 " thod of uniting the two churches, though divided in their opin- 
 " ions, in the bonds of Christian charity and ecclesiastical commu- 
 " nion. A competent knowledge of human nature and human 
 " passions was sufficient to persuade these wise and pacific media- 
 
177 
 
 *' tors, that a perfect uniformity in religious opinions \va§ not 
 " practicable, and that it would be entirely extravagant to imagine 
 *' that any of these communities could ever be brought to embrace 
 " universally, and without limitation, the doctrines of the other. 
 " They made it, therefore, their principal business to persuade 
 ** those, whose spirits were inflamed with the heat of controversy, 
 " that the points in debate between the two churches were not 
 " essential to true relifjion : — that the fundamental doctrines of 
 " Christianity were received and professed in both communions ; 
 " and that the difference of opinion between ihecontending parties, 
 " turned either upon points of an abstruse and incomprehensible 
 " nature, or upon matters of indifference, which neither tended to 
 " make mankind wiser or better, and in which the interests of ge- 
 " nuine pietv were in no wise concerned. Those, who viewed 
 " things in this point of light, were obliged to acknowledge, that 
 " the diversity of opinions between the two churches was by no 
 '■'■ means a sufficient reason for their separation ; and that of con- 
 " sequence they were called, by the dictates oftlmt gospel, which 
 " they l)Oth professed, to live, not only in the mutual exercise of 
 "■ Christian charity, but also to enter into the fraternal bonds of 
 *' church communion. The greatest part of the reformed doctors 
 " seemed disposed to acknowledge, that the errors of the Luther- 
 " ans were not of a luomentous nature, nor of a pernicious ten- 
 " dency ; and that the fundamental doctrines of Christianity had 
 " not undergone any remarkable alteration in that communion ; 
 " and thus, on their side, an important step was made towards 
 " peace and union between the two churches. But the greatest 
 *' part of the Lutheran doctors declared, that they could not form 
 "a like judgment with respect to the doctrine of the Reformed 
 " churches ; they maintained tenaciously the importance of the 
 " {)oints which divided the two communions, and affirmed, that 
 *' a considerable part of the controversy turned upon the funda- 
 *' mental principles of all religion and virtue. It is not at all sur- 
 " prising, that this steadiness and constancy of the Lutherans was 
 " branded by the opposite party with the epithets of morose ob- 
 " stinacy, supercilious arrogance, and such like odious denomina- 
 *' tions. The Lutherans were not behind hand with their advcr- 
 
17B 
 
 " saries, in acrimony of st\le;they recriminated with vehemence, 
 "and charged their accusers with instances of misconduct, diffe- 
 " rent in kind, but equally condemnable. They reproached them 
 " with having dealt disingenuously, by disguising, under ambiguous 
 " expressions, the real doctrine of the reformed churches ; they 
 *' observed further, that their adversaries, notwithstanding their 
 " consummate prudence and circumspection, gave plain proofs, on 
 *' many occasions, that their propensity to a reconciliation between 
 " the two churches arose from views of private interest, rather 
 " than from a zeal for the public good." It is observable that 
 Mosheim applies these observations to a late stage of the re- 
 formation, when much of its first violence had subsided. 
 
 The nearest approach to a re-union between any protestant 
 churches seems to be that, which took place at Sendomer, in 
 the year 1570. In a former part of this work, mention was 
 made of this convention, of its dissolution, and of the subsequent 
 union of the Helvetian and Bohemian protestant congregations 
 in the Synods, held at Astrog, in the years 1620, and l627. 
 The original settlement of these churches was in Bohemia and 
 Moravia. Persecution scattered the members of them : a con- 
 siderable number of the fugitives settled at Herrenhut, a village 
 in Lusatia. There, under the protection and guidance of Count 
 Zinzendorf, they formed themselves into a new community, 
 which was designed to comprehend their actual and future con- 
 gregations, under the title of " The Protesta7tt Church of the 
 Unifas Fratrum, or United Brethren of the CotfessionofAugs- 
 bur<rh." That Confession is their only symbolic book; but 
 they profess great esteem for the eighteen first chapters of the 
 Synodical document of the church of Berne in 1532, as a de- 
 claration of true Christian Doctrine. They also respect the 
 writings of Count Zinzendorf, but do not consider themselves 
 bound by any opinion, sentiment, or expression which these 
 contain. It is acknowledged, that, towards the middle of the 
 last century, they used in their devotional exercises, particularly 
 in their hymns, many expressions justly censurable: but these 
 have been corrected. Tliey consider Lutherans and Calvinists, 
 
179 
 
 to be their brethren in faith, as according with tlietn in the 
 essential articles of religion; and therefore, when any of their 
 members reside at a distance from a congregation of the united 
 brethren, they not only attend a Lutheran, or Calvinist church, 
 but receive the Sacrament from its nunisters, without scruple. 
 In this, they profess to act in conformity to the convention at 
 Sendomer. The union, which prevails both among the con- 
 gregations, and the individuals which compose them, their mo- 
 dest and humble carriage, their moderation in lucrative pursuits, 
 the simplicity of their manners, their laborious industry, their 
 frugal habits, their ardent but mdd piety, and their regular dis- 
 charge of all their spiritual observances, are universally acknow- 
 ledged and admired. Their charities are boundless, their kind- 
 ness to their poor brethren is most edifying; there is not among 
 them a beggar. The care which they bestow oil the education 
 of their children, in forming their minds, chastening their hearts 
 and curbing their imaginations, — j)articularly in those years, 
 
 " When youth, ehite and gay, 
 
 Steps into life and follows, unrestrained. 
 
 Where passion leads, or reason points the way." Lozcth. 
 
 are universally acknowledged, universally admired, and deserve 
 universal imitation. 
 
 But, it is principally by the extent and success of their mis- 
 sionary labours that they now engage the attention of the public. 
 These began in 1732. In 1812, they had thirty-three settle- 
 ments in heathen nations. (3ne hundred and thirty-seven mis- 
 sionaries were employed in them : they had baptised twentv- 
 seveii thousand four hundred converts: and such had been their 
 care in admittiuLj them to that sacred vite, and such their assi- 
 duity in cultivating a spirit of religion among them, that scarcely 
 an individual had been known to relapse into paganism. All 
 havellers who have visited their settlements speak with wonder 
 and praise, of the humility, the patient endurance of privation 
 and hardshij), the affectionate zeal, the mild and persevering ex- 
 ertions of the missionaries; and the innocence, industry and 
 piety of the converts :— the European, the American^ the African, 
 
180 
 
 and the Asiatic traveller speaks of them in the same terms : and^ 
 that they speak without exaggeration, the conduct both of the pas- 
 tor and the flock in the different settlements of the united brethren 
 in England, incontestibly proves. Whatever he may think of 
 .their religious tenets, Talis cum sis, utinam nosier esses, must be 
 the exclamation of every christian, who considers their lives. 
 Those, who desire further knowledge of this amiable and worthy 
 denomination of Christians, will find it in David Cranzs aniicnt 
 aiid modern History of the Brethren, printed at Barhy, 1771, 
 and the tzco continuations of it, Barby, 1791, and 1804. The 
 History has been translated into English ; and is become ex- 
 ceedingly scarce: the continuations have not been translated. 
 Mr. La Trobe, the Pastor of the united brethren in London, 
 has published a Concise Historical Account of the Protestant 
 Church of the United Brethren adhering tp the Confession of 
 Augsburgh. 
 
 II. 
 
 Attemptiyfor a reunion of the Calvinist churches 
 to the see of Rome. 
 
 Having thus summarily noticed the unsuccessful attempts to 
 effect an union between the Lutheran and Calvinist churches, 
 we proceed to a similar summary mention of the attempts, 
 equally unsuccessful, to effect the reunion of the Calviniststo the 
 church of Rome, which were made, 1st during the reign of 
 Henry the Fourth : 2dly, during the reign of Lewis the Thir- 
 teenth : and 3dly, during the reign of Lewis the Fourteenth : 
 4thly, we shall afteiwards notice the Revocation of the edict of 
 Nantes, and the complete restoration of the protestants of 
 F'ranceto their civil rights in the reign of Lewis the Eighteenth. 
 
 IL 1. An attempt to reunite the Calvinists to the church of 
 Rome was made at the celebrated conference held at Poissi in 
 166 1. In the work which we have cited, the Abb6 Tabaraud 
 gives a short and clear account of this conference. It failed of 
 
181 
 
 success, and a long civil war of religion ensued. It was closed 
 by the conversion ot Henry the Fourth to the Roman-catholic 
 religion. He was no sooner quietly seated on the throne, than 
 he conceived the arduous, but certainly the noble project of 
 pacifying the religious contests ot the world, it appears that 
 he was induced to entertain hopes of the success ol this measure, 
 by the assurances given him by the Calvinist mj^isiers, when his 
 change of religion was in agitation, that stjlvation might be 
 obtained in the church of Rome ; and from his expectation of 
 finding a spirit of conciliation and concession in the see of Rome. 
 " 1 have heard from persons of distinction," saysGrotius, Epist. 
 1706, p. 736, " that Henry the Fourth declared that he had great 
 hopes of procuring for the King of England, and the other pro- 
 testant princes, who were his allies, conditions, which they could 
 not honorably refuse, if they had any real wish of returning to 
 the unity of the church ; and that he had once an intention of 
 employing l)ishops of his own kingdom on this project ; but that 
 this project failed by his death." 
 
 It is said, that with these views he had sent for Isaac Casau- 
 bon, a protectant divine of equal learning and moderation, and 
 appointed him his librarian ; and that he intended coniidentiaily 
 employing him in preparing means for the success of the mea-. 
 sure, and smoothuig the obstacles which might inipede its 
 progress. Grotius, (epi^. ()13), mentions, as a saying of Ca- 
 saubon, that " the catholics of France had a juster way of tknik- 
 ingthan the ministers of Charenton :" these Were the most risfiil 
 of the French HuL';onot ministers. It is observable that the 
 French government always considered the Hugonots of a much 
 more refractory disposition than the Lutherans. 
 
 II. 2. The pacific views of Henry the Fourth were terminated 
 by his decease. The capture of la Kochelle by the armsof Lewis 
 the i3th was a fatal blow to the political consequence of the 
 protestant party in France. Cardinal Richelieu immediately 
 set on foot a project for the general conversion of the body : 
 two persons of very different characters were en)ployed by hinx 
 in this measure ; Father Joseph, a capuchin fiiar, the coniident of 
 all the cardin-al's political and piivaii; st h< im-^, and Father 
 
183 
 
 P. Dulaurens, an oratorian, who lived in retirement, wholly ab- 
 sorbed in the exercises of religion. They began the work of 
 re-union by holding frequent conferences, on an amicable foot- 
 ing, with several of the prolestant ministers ; and it was resolved, 
 that, with the permission of the pope, and the authority of 
 the king, an assembly should be convened of ecclesiastics of 
 each communifwi. Father Dulaurens recommended that the 
 intended communications with the ministers should not take 
 place, till they reached the capital : but the cardmal thought it 
 more advisable that the ministers should be separately informed 
 of the project before they left the provinces. It was accordingly 
 communicated to them, and favourably received by the ministers 
 of Languedoc and Normandy, but met with an unfavourable 
 reception from the ministers of Sedan. It was resolved that 
 the assembly should meet and begin their deliberations with the 
 differences in the opinions of the two churches, respecting the 
 Sacraments. Father Dulaurens recommended, that for some 
 time, at least, the Bible, even in the Calvinist version of Olive- 
 tan, should be the only book appealed to on either side, as 
 authority : but the Cardinal insisted on a resort to tradition. 
 Grotius mentions that in several articles, (as con)mnnion under 
 both kinds, and the invocation of saints), the Cardmal was 
 willing that concessions should be made to the Protestants ; and 
 suggested, that, as a mediiun, to reconcile them to the Pope, a 
 patriarchate sliould be established in France, and he himself be 
 the first patriarch. {Epist. Parti. Epi st. 4S'l. Part ii. Episf. 
 53.) Notwithstanding the general hifliness and overbearing 
 nature of his manners, it appears, particidarly from M. de 
 lluUhieres, { Eclair cissemens siir I' edit de Na>des, Part i. c. 
 6.) that the Cardinal acted on this occasion with great modera- 
 tion, and recommended to his royal master a similar line of 
 moderation, in all his conduct towards his Protestant subjects. 
 
 II. 3. The Cardinal's project was suspended by his de- 
 cease; and resumed under Lczois the Fourtcciit/i. In \66'2, a 
 plan, drawn up by M. le Blanc de Beaulieu, a Pfofessor of 
 Divinity at Seelan, singularly esteemed both by the Roman- 
 
183 
 
 catholics and Proteslants, by which the essential articles in (hs- 
 pute were reduced to a small number, was adopted by the 
 Court, to serve as the basis ol' discussion. It was resolved, 
 that different synods of Protestant Ministers should be con- 
 vened ; that these should be composed of Ministers of known 
 moderation and pacitic views, and the articles, drawn up by M. 
 le Blanc de Beauheu, presented to them. Three years were 
 employed in negotiations for effecting this project : several 
 ministers in the lower Languedoc, and the Isle of France, ex- 
 pressed tliemselves in terms favourable to the measure, but the 
 Synod of Charenton took the alarm, and the project was aban- 
 doned. 
 
 The Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, a measure equally 
 unwise and unjust, too soon followed. It is more to be attri- 
 buted to his ministers and advisers, than to Lewis the Fourteenth 
 himself. From the Eclaircissemots Hisloriques of M. de 
 RuUhier^s, and the Life of Bossuet, by M. Baussfet, (1. 2. p. 
 38 — 148.), it seems evident, that Lewis the Fourteenth had been 
 induced to believe, that the number of Protestants was much 
 smaller ; that the conversions of them \vfould be much more 
 rapid, general, and sincere ; and that the measures for hastening 
 their conversion would be much less violent than they really 
 Avere. It is also due to the monarch to add, that from the 
 authors, whom we have cited, it is evident, that when he be- 
 gan to perceive the true state of the transaction, though 
 from false principles of honour and policy, he would not 
 revoke the edict, he wished it not to be put into great activity, 
 and checked the forwardness of the intendents in its execution. 
 
 It is whimsical, (if on so serious a subject such a word may 
 be used), that the dragonade, or employment of the dragoon 
 troops in forcing the conversion of the Hugoiiots, was owing to 
 the wish of Louvois, the minister of Lewis the Fourteenth, to 
 become himself a missionary. Observing how much the ap- 
 parent success of the missionaries reconmiended them to 
 Lewis the Fourteenth, he began to consider them as dangerous 
 rivals for the favour of his royal uiaster, and determined, there- 
 
184 
 
 fore, to become himself a principal performer. With this 
 view, he instituted the dragoon missions, and thus brought a 
 material part of the work of conversion into the war depart- 
 ment. 
 
 II. 4. The death of Lewis, and the known disposition of 
 the Regent, appeared to the Protestant party in France to aftbrd 
 a proper opportunity of recovering their rights. Duclos, in 
 his Me?noires secrets sur les regnes de Louis XIF. et de Louis 
 XV., says, that the Regent himself v^ished to restore the Pro- 
 testants to their civil rights, but was dissuaded bv his council. 
 Still, he seldom permitted the edicts against them to be exci- 
 cuted ; and speaking generally, the Protestants seem to have 
 suffered no active persecution in any part of the reign of Lewis 
 the XV th. One intolerable grievance, however, they unques- 
 tionably suffered in every part of it. Their religious principles 
 did not permit them to be married by a Roman-catholic priest, 
 in the manner prescribed by the law of the slate, and that law 
 did not recognize the legal validity of a marriage, celebrated in 
 any other form. The consequence was, that in the eye of the 
 law, the marriage of Protestants was a mere concubinage, and 
 the offspring of it illegitimate. To his immortal honour, Lewis 
 the XV 1th., by his edict of the 17th of November, 17B7, ac- 
 corded to all his non-catholic subjects the full and complete 
 enjoyment of all the rights of his Roman-catholic subjects. On 
 a division in the Parliament, this edict was registered by a ma- 
 jority of 96 votes against l6. 
 
 The persecution of the Hugonots in consequence of the re- 
 vocation of the edict of Nantes, was condemned by the greatest 
 men in France. M. d'Aguesseau, the father of the celebrated 
 chancellor, resigned his office of Intendant of Languedoc rather 
 than remain a witness of it : his son repeatedly mentions it with 
 abhorrence. Fenelon, Flechier, and Bossuet, confessedly the 
 ornaments of the Galilean church, lamented it. To the utmost 
 of their power, they prevented the execution of the edict, and 
 lessened its severities, when they could not prevent them. 
 Most sincerely lamenting and condemning the outrages commit- 
 ted by the Roman-catholics against the Protestants at Nismes^ 
 
185 
 
 as violations of the law of God and man, but doubting of the 
 nature and extent, which some have attributed to them, the 
 uriter of these pages begs leave to refer to the sermon j)reached 
 on them by the Reverend James Archer, a Konian-catholic 
 priest, and printed for Booker, in Bond-street, by the desire of 
 two Konian-raliiolic congregations, as expressing the doctrine 
 of the Roman-catholic church, and of all real Christians on 
 heretics and the persecution of heretics. 
 
 III. 
 
 The Correspondence ofBossuet and Leibniz ^under 
 the auspices of Lewis the XlVth., for the 
 ReunioJi of the Lutheran Protestants to the 
 Homan-CathoUc Church. 
 
 This correspondence forms one of the most interesting events 
 in the life of Bossuet ; and the letters, of which it consists, and 
 the other written documents, which relate to it, are highly in- 
 teresting. The writer will attempt to present the reader with a 
 short account — 1st. Of the circumstances winch led to this 
 correspondence; 2ndly. Of the Project of Reunion, delivered 
 by Molanus, a Lutheran Divine, and Bossuet's sentiments on 
 that Project; 3dly. Of the Intervention of Leibniz in the nego- 
 tiation ; and 4thly. Of the Project suggested by Bossuet, and 
 the principal reasons, by which he contended for its reception. 
 
 111. 1. It appears that, towards the 17th century, the 
 Emperor Leopold, and several sovereign princes in Germany, 
 conceived a project of reuniting the Roman-catliolics and Lu- 
 theran churches. The Duke of Brunswick, who had recently 
 embraced the Roman-catholic religion, and published his Fifty 
 Reasons for his conversion, (once a popjilar work of controversy), 
 and the Duke of Hanover, the father of the first prince of the 
 illustrious house, which now tills the throne of England, were 
 the original promoters of the attempt. It was gejierally ap- 
 proved ; and the mention of it at the Diet of the Empire was 
 favourably received. Some communications upon it took place 
 
186 
 
 between the emperor and the ducal princes : and with all their 
 knowledge, several conferences were held upon the subject, 
 between certain distinguished Roman-catholic and Protestant 
 Divines. In these, the Bishop of Neustadt and Molanus, the 
 Abbot of Lokkum, took the lead. The first had been con- 
 secrated Bishop of Tina in Bosnia, then under the dominion of 
 the Turks, with Ordinary jurisdiction over some parts of the 
 Turkish Territories. His conduct had recommended him to 
 Innocent the Xlth, and that pope had directed him to visit the 
 Protestant states in Germany, and inform him of their actual 
 dispositions in respect to the Church of Rome. In conse- 
 quence of this mission, he became known to the Emperor, who 
 appointed him to the See of Neustadt, in the neighbourhood of 
 Vienna. Molanus was Director of the Protestant Churches 
 and Consistories of Hanover. Both of them were admirably 
 calculated for the office intended them on this occasion. 
 Each possessed the confidence of his own party, and was 
 esteemed by the other: each was profoundly versed in the 
 matters in dispute : each possessed good sense, moderation, 
 and conciliating manners ; and each had the success of the busi- 
 ness at heart, and a fixed purpose, that nothing, but a real 
 diflference on some essential article of doctrine, should frustrate 
 the project. 
 
 The effect of the first conferences was so promising, that the 
 Emperor and the two Princes resolved, that they should be con- 
 ducted in a manner more regular, and more likely to bring the 
 object of them to a conclusion. With this view, the business 
 ■was formally entrusted by both the princes to M planus alone, 
 and the emperor published a rescript, dated the 20lh March, 
 1691, by which he gave the Bishop of Neustadt full authority 
 to treat, on all matters of religion, with the states, communities, 
 and individuals of the empire, reserving to the ecclesiastical and 
 imperial powers, their right to confirm the acts of the Bishop, 
 as they should judge adviseable. Under these auspicious cir- 
 cumstances, the conference between the Bishop of Neustadt 
 and Molanus began. 
 
187 
 
 But, before the events which we have mentioned took place, 
 a correspondence on the subject of a general reunion between 
 Catholics and Protestants had been carried on for some time, 
 between Pelisson and Leibniz. The former held a considerable 
 rank among the French writers, who adorned the reign of 
 Lewis the Fourleenih ; the latter was eminently distinguished in 
 the literary world. In the exact sciences, he was inferior to 
 Newton alone J in metaj)hysics, he hud no superior ; in general 
 learning, he had scarcely a rival. He had recommended him- 
 self to the Brunswick family, by three volumes, which he had 
 recently published, on the antiquities of that illustrious house ; 
 and was then engaged in the investigation of its Italian descent, 
 and early German shoots. '1 he result of it, under the title of 
 Origiues Guelphic(e, was published, after his decease, by Schei- 
 dius, and is considered lo be a perfect model of genealogical 
 history. He was also thoroughly conversant in the theological 
 disputes of the times ; and in all the questions of dogma or 
 history which enter nito them. 
 
 His correspondeiice with Pelisson came to the knowledge of 
 Louisa, Princess Palatine and Abbess of Maubrusson. She 
 was a daughter of Frederick, the Elector and Count Palatine of 
 the Rhine, and a sister of the Duchess of Hanover. Li early 
 life, she had been converted to tlie Roman-catholic religion, and 
 had the conversion of her sister very much at heart. With this 
 view, she sent to her the correspondence between Leibniz and 
 Pelisson, and received from her an account of what was passing 
 between the Bishop of Neustadt and Molanus. Both the ladies 
 were anxious to promote the measure, and that Bossuet should 
 take in it the leading part, on the side of the Catholics. This 
 was mentioned to Lewis the F^ourteenth, and had his approba- 
 tion. The Emperor and both the Prhices, by all of whom 
 Bossuet was personally esteemed, equally approved of it, and 
 it was finally stttlod that Bossuet and Leibniz should be jomed 
 to the Bishops of Neustadt and Molanus, and that the corre- 
 spondence with Bossuet should pass through the hands of 
 Madame de Biinon, who acted as secretary to the Abbess of 
 
188 
 
 Maubrusson, and is celebrated, by the writers of the times, for 
 her wit and dexterity in business. Thus the matter assumed a 
 still more regular form, and much was expected from the acknow- 
 ledged talents, learning, and moderation of the actors in it, and 
 their patrons. 
 
 HI. 2. The conferences between the Bishop of Neustadt 
 and Molanus continued for 7 months, and ended in their agree- 
 ing on ] 2 articles, to serve for the basis of the discussion, on 
 the terms of the reunion. 
 
 The Bishop of Neustadt communicated these articles to 
 Bossuet. He seems to have approved of them generally, but 
 to have thought, that some alteration in them M'as adviseable. 
 This being mentioned to Molanus, he published his Cogitationes 
 Privatce, a profound and conciliating dissertation. Without 
 entering into any discussion on the points in dispute between 
 the churches, he suggested in it a kind of truce, during which, 
 there should be ecclesiastical communion between them : the 
 Lutherans were to acknowledge the Pope as the first of Bishops 
 in order and dignity : the Church of Rome was to receive the 
 Lutherans as her children, without exacting from them any re" 
 tractation of their alledged errors, or any renunciation of the 
 articles in their creed, conden^ned by the Council of Trent. 
 The anathemas of that council were to be suspended, and a 
 general council was to be convened, in which the Protestants 
 were to have a deliberative voice : the sentence of that council 
 was to be definitive, and, in the mean time, the members of 
 each party were to treat the members of the other as brethren, 
 whose errors, however great they might appeal-, were to be 
 tolerated from motives of peace, and in consideration of their 
 engagements to abandon them, if the council should pronounce 
 figainst them. To show the probability of a final accommoda- 
 tion, Molanus notices, in his Dissertation, several points, in 
 which one party imputed to the other eriors not justly charge- 
 able on them ; several, on which they disputed merely for want 
 of rightly understanding each other ; and several, iji \\ hich Xho. 
 dispute was of words only. 
 
189 
 
 It appears that the Bishop of Neustadt communicated this 
 dissertation to Kossuet, and that Bossuet was deUght^d witli the 
 good sense, candour, and true spirit of conciHation, which it 
 displayed. He frequently mentions, and always in terms of 
 the highest praise, its author, in his letters. His own language 
 was equally moderate and conciliating. " The Council of 
 Trent.' he says in one of his letters, "is our stay: but we 
 shall not use it to prejudice the cause. This would be to take 
 for granted what is in dispute between us. We shall deal more 
 fairly with our opponents. We shall make the council serve 
 for a statement and explanation of our doctrines. Thus, we 
 shall come to an explanation on those points, in which either of 
 us imputes to the other, what he does not believe, and in which 
 we dispute, only because we misconceive each other. This may 
 lea<i us far; for the Abbot of Lokkuni has aciually conciliated 
 the points so e^^seutial of J ustijication and the Eucharist : no- 
 thing is wanting in him, on that side, but that he should be 
 avorced. fVhi/ shan/d zee not hope to conclude in the same 
 manner, disputes less difficult and of less importance '^ Ccla se 
 pent pousser si avant, que M. V Abbe dc Lokkum a concilie 
 actuellement les points si esscntieJs de la justification et dii sa- 
 crifice de r Eucharistie, et il ne lui manque de ce cote la, que 
 de se /aire avouer. Pourquoi ne pas esperer de finir par les 
 memes moycns des disputes moins dijficiles et moins impor- 
 tantesV 
 
 With these rational and conciliatory dispositions, Bossuet and 
 Molanns proceeded. But, after this stage of the business, 
 Molanus disappears, and Leibniz comes on the scene. 
 
 HI. 3. A Letter, written by Bossuet to M. de Brinon, 
 havijig been communicated by her to Leibniz, opened the cor- 
 respondence between him and Bossuet. In that letter, Bossuet 
 declared explicitly, that the Church of Rome was ready to make 
 concessions on points of discipline, and to explain doctrines, 
 but would make no concession in respect to defined articles of 
 faith ; and, in particular, would make no such concession, in 
 respect to any which had been defined by the Council of Trent. 
 
190 
 
 Leibniz's Letter to M. de Brinon, in answer (o this comniuni- 
 cation is very important. He expresses himself in these terms : 
 " The Bishop of Meaux says, 1st. That the Project delivered 
 to the Bishop of Neustadt, does not appear to him quite suffi- 
 cient ; 2ndly. That it is, nevertheless, very useful, as every thing 
 must have its beginning; 3dly. That Rome will never relax 
 from ahy point of doctrine, defined by the church, and cannot 
 capitulate, in respect to any such article ; 4thly. That the doc- 
 trine, defined in the Council of Trent, is received in and out of 
 France by all Roman-catholics ; 5thly. That satisfaction may be 
 given to Protestants, in respect to certain points of discipline, 
 or in the Avay of explanation, and that this had been already 
 done in an useful manner, in some points, mentioned in the 
 Project of the Bishop of Neustadt. These are the material 
 propositions in the letter of the Bishop of Meaux, and 1 believe 
 all these propositions true. Neither the Bishop of Neustadt, 
 nor those who negotiated with iheni, make any opposition to 
 them. There is nothing in them, \\hich is not conformable to 
 the sentiments of those persons. The third of them in particular,^ 
 which might be thought an obstacle to these Projects of Ac- 
 commodation, could not be unknown to them ; one may even 
 say, that they built on it." 
 
 It seems difficult to deny, that, in this stage of the business, 
 much had been gained to the cause of reunion. The parties 
 were come to a complete understanding on the important articles 
 of Justification, and the Eucharist ; and it was admitted, both 
 by Leibniz and Molanus, that, in their view of the concern, an 
 accommodation might be effected between the Roman-catholic 
 and Lutheran churches, though the former retained all her de- 
 fined doctrines, and, in particular, all her doctrines defined by 
 the Council of Trent. The question then was, what should be 
 done in respect to the remaining articles in difference between 
 the churches .'' It is to be wished, that it had been left to 
 Bossuet and Molanus to settle them, in the way of amicable 
 explanation, in which they had settled the two important arti- 
 cles, which we have mentioned. It is evident, from the pas- 
 
191 
 
 &n2;("s, which Wf have cited from Bossuet, that it was his wish, 
 that the business shouUl proceed on that plan, and that he had 
 hopes of its success. Unfortunately, the business took another 
 direction : Leibniz proclaimed, that after every possible expla- 
 nation should be given, the Lutheran church would still retain 
 some articles, contrary to the defined doctrines of the Church of 
 Rome, and anathematized by the Council of Trent. To remove 
 the final effect of this objection, Leibniz held out Molanus's 
 first project, that the Lutherans should express a general ac- 
 quiescence in the authority of the church, and promise obedi- 
 ence to the decisions of a General Council, to be called for the 
 purpose of pronouncing on these points ; and that, in conse- 
 quence of these advances on their part, the anathemas of the 
 Council of Trent should be suspended, and the Lutherans re- 
 ceived, provisionally, within tlie pale of the Catholic Church. 
 To bring over Bossuet to this plan, he exerted great eloquence, 
 and displayed no common learning. 
 
 1 IL 4. But llie eloquence and learning of Leibniz were with- 
 out effect, in language, equally temperate and firm, Bossuet 
 adhered to his text, that in matters of discipline, or any other 
 ujatter, distinct from faiih, the Church of Home would show the 
 utmost indulgence to the Lutherans, but that, on articles of faith, 
 and specifically, on those propounded by the Council of Trent, 
 there could be no compronjise. This, however, he confined to 
 articles of faith alone : and even on articles of faith, he wished to 
 consult the feelings of Protestants, as much as possible. He Mffer- 
 ed them every fuir explanation of the tenets of the council ; he 
 required from them no retractation of their own tenets : " Mola- 
 nus," he says, " will not allow retractation to be mentioned. 
 It may be dispensed with ; it will be siiihcient that the parties 
 acknowledge the truth, by way of declaration or explanation. 
 To this, the symbolical books give a clear opening, as appears by 
 tiie passages, which have been produced from them, and will 
 appear, by other passages, which may be produced from them." 
 
 If Bossuet was thus considerate in what regarded faith, it 
 will easily be supposed, how indulgent his sentiments were^ in 
 
192 
 
 respect to all, that merely regarded discipline. A complete 
 confession of faith being once obtained from the Lutherans, he 
 was willing to allow them, if they required it, communion under 
 both kinds ; that their Bishops should retain their Sees ; and 
 that where there was no Bishop, and the whole body of the 
 people was Protestant, under the care of a superintendant, 
 that superintendant should be consecrated their Bishop ; that, 
 where there was a Catholic Bishop and a considerable part 
 of the diocese was Lutheran, the superintendant should be con- 
 secrated priest, and invested with rank and office ; that the 
 Lutheran Ministers should be consecrated priests ; that provi- 
 sion should be made for their support ; that such of their bishops 
 and ministers as were married, might retain their wives, and 
 that the consciences of those, who held possessions of the 
 church, should be quieted, except in respect to hospitals, 
 whose possessions he thought could not conscientiously be with- 
 held from the poor objects of their foundations ; and that every 
 other arrangement should be made by the church and state 
 which would be agreeable to the feelings and prejudices of their 
 new brethren. 
 
 Such were the advances made by Bossuet; and much discus- 
 sion on them took place between iiim and Leibniz. They con- 
 tinued ten years. They are very learned, and a scholar will 
 read them with delight ; but, unfortunately, they rather retarded 
 than promoted their object. Th'e real business ended, when 
 Molanus quitted the scene. We shall close this article, with 
 the following extract from the last letter but one, written by 
 Bossuet, on the subject. It is addressed to Leibniz, and bears 
 date the 12th August, 1701, ten years after his first letter on it 
 Vfas written. 
 
 " Among the divines of the Confession of Augsbourgh, I al- 
 ways placed M. Molanus in the first rank, as a man, whose 
 learning, candour and moderation made him one of the persons, 
 the most capable I have known, of advancing the noble 
 PROJECT OF REUNION. In a letter, which I wrote to him 
 some years ago, by the Count Balati, 1 assured him, that, if 
 
193 
 
 iie could obtain the general consent of his party, to what he 
 calls his Private Thoughts, Cogitationes Privatcc, I promised 
 myself, that, by joniiiig to them the remarks which I sent to 
 him, on" the Confession of Augsburg, and the other S}mbolic 
 writings of the Protestants, the work of the reunion would be 
 perfected, in all its most difficult and most essential points ; so 
 that well disposed persons might, in a short time, bring it to a 
 conclusion." The passage is so important, that it is proper to 
 present it to the reader in Bossuet's own words. " Parmi les 
 Theologians de la Confession d'Ausbourg, j'ai toujours mis an 
 premier rang, M. I'Abbe de Lokkum, comme un homme, dont 
 le sgavoir, la candenr, et la moderation le rendoient un des plus 
 capables, que je connusse, pour tivancer CE beau dessein'. 
 Cela est si veritable, que j'ai cru devoir assurer ce docte Abb^, 
 dans la reponse que je lui fis, il y a dejA plusieurs annees, par 
 M.le Comte Balali, que s'il pouvoit faire passer ce qu'il appelle 
 ses Pensees Particulieres, Cogitationes Privntcc, d un con- 
 sentement suffisant, je me promeltois qu'en y joignant les re- 
 marques que je lui envoyois sur la Confession d'Ausbourg, et 
 les autres ecrits symboliques des Protestans, I'ouvrage de la 
 Reunion seroit acheve dans ses parties les plus difficiles et les 
 plus essentielles; en sorte qu'il ne faudroit d des pcrsonnes 
 bien disposees, que tr^s pen de tenis pour la conclure." 
 
 This article is extracted from (Euvres Posthumes de Bossuet^ 
 1 Vol. Nouvelle edition des CEuvrei de Bossuet, 1 1 Vol. 
 heibnizii Opera, studio Lud. Dutens. i Sx 5 Fol. : and the 
 Pensees de Leibniz. 2 Fo/. Svo. 
 
 Dom de Foris, the Benedictine Editor of the new edition of 
 the works of Bossuet, and the Abbe Racine, Abrtge de rilis^ 
 toire Ecclesiastique, Tom. 13, are very severe in their censures 
 of the conduct of Leibniz in the negociations for the reunion, 
 and attribute its failure to his presumption and duplicity. To 
 the writer of these pages, it appears clear, that Leibniz was 
 sincere in his wishes for the reunion ; and tliat, if he occasioned 
 its failure, it was unintentionally. While the business was in 
 the hands of Bossuet and Molanus, it was a treaty, not for the 
 leunion of the Roman-Catholic church, and all Protestant 
 
 Conf. N 
 
194 
 
 clmrches, but for the reunion of the Roman-Catholic church ami 
 the Lutheran church; and to this, Molanus's endeavours to re- 
 concile differences, were directed. Leibniz, whose principles 
 in religion were much wider than those of MoLinus, seems to 
 liave wished that the negociation should be placed on a broader 
 basis, and extended to a reunion of tlie church of Rome, with 
 every denomination of Christians. This gave the negociation a 
 different direction, and in a great measure undid what had been 
 so happily begun. We have seen that, to the very last, Bossuet 
 called out for Molanus, and enterUiined great hopes, that, if 
 the matter were left to Molanus and him, the noble Project of 
 Remiion would be crowned with success. There is no part of 
 Bossucl's literary or active life, in which he appears to greater 
 advantage, or in a more amiable light, than on this occasion. 
 
 IV. 
 
 Attempts in the reign of Leeds the XV. to effect 
 an union betzceen the Church of Rome, and 
 the Church of Engiand. 
 
 Of all Protestant churches, the national church of England 
 most nearly resembles the church of Rome. It has retained 
 much of the dogma, and much of the discipline of Rom;in-catho- 
 lics. Down to the subdeacon it has retained the whole of their 
 hierarchy ; and, like them, has its deans, rural deans, chapters, 
 prebends, archdeacons, rectors, and vicars ; a liturgy, taken in a 
 great measure, from the Roman-catholic liturgy ; and composed 
 like that, of Psalms, Canticles, the three creeds, litanies, epis- 
 tles, gosi)els, prayers, and responses. Both churches have the 
 sacraments of baptism and the eucharist, the absolution of the 
 sick, the burial service, ihe sign of the cross in baptism, the 
 reservation of confirmation and order to bishops, the difference 
 
195 
 
 of episcopal auH sacerdotal dress, feasts, and i'a>ts. Without 
 adopting all the general councils of the church of Rome, the 
 church of England has adopted the first four of them ; and, 
 without acknowledging the authority of the other councils, or 
 the authority of the early fathers, the English divines of the estab- 
 lished church allow thein to be entitled to a high degree of re- 
 spect. On the important article of the eucharist, the language 
 of the thirty-nine articles sounds very like tlie doctrine of the 
 church of Rome. 
 
 At the time, of v\hich we are speaking, the doctrines of the 
 high church, which are generally considered to incline to those 
 of the Roman-catholics more than the doctrines of the low 
 church, were in their zenith ; and in France, where the ul- 
 tramontane principles on the power of the Pope had ahvays 
 been discountenanced, the disputes of Jansenism were supposed 
 to reduce it very low. On each side, therefore, the time was 
 thought favourable to the project of the reunion. 
 
 It was also favourable to it, that, a few years before this time, 
 an event had taken place, which naturally tended to put both 
 sides into good humour. 
 
 On the occasion of the marriage of the Princess Christina of 
 Wolfenbuttell, a Lutheran, with the archduke of Austria, her court 
 consulted the faculty of iheology of the Lniversity of Helmstadt, 
 on the question, " Whether a Protestant Princess, destined to 
 ** niarry a catholic prince, could, without wounding her conscience, 
 "embrace the Roman-catholic religion i" The faculty replied, 
 that, "it could not answer the proposed question, in a solid 
 manner, without having previously decided, whether the catho- 
 lics were or were not engaged in errors, that were fundamental, 
 and opposed to salvation; or, (which was the satne tjjing), whe- 
 ther the state of the catholic church was such, thai persons 
 might practice in it the true worship of God, and arrive at sal- 
 vation." This question the divines of Helmstatit discussed at 
 length; and concluded in these terms: ''After having shown, 
 " that the foundation of religion subsists in the Roman-catholic 
 *' religion, so that a person may be orthodox in it, live well in it. 
 
195 
 
 " die Mell in it, and obtain salvation in it, the discussion of the 
 " proposed question is easy. We are, therefore, of opinion, that 
 " the most Serene Princess of Wolfenbuttell may, in favour of her 
 " marriage, embrace the catholic religion." This opinion is dated 
 the 28th of April, 1707, and was printed in the same year at 
 Cologne. Thejournalistsof Trevoux inserted both the original 
 and a French translation of it in their journal of May, 1708. 
 
 Under these circumstances the correspondence in question 
 took place. It began in 17 18, through Doctor Beauvoir, chaplain 
 10 Lord Stair, his Britannic mnjesty's ambassador at Paris. 
 Some conversation on the reunion of the two churches having 
 taken place between Doctor Dupin and him, he acquainted the 
 archbishop of Canterbury with the subject of them. This com- 
 munication produced some compliments from the archbishop to 
 Dr. Dupin, and these led the latter to address to his grace a letter, 
 ill which he mentioned generally, that, on some points in dispute, 
 the supposed difference between the two communions was recon- 
 cileable. The correspondence getting wind, Doctor Piers pro- 
 liomiced a discourse in the Sorbonne, in which he earnestly ex- 
 horted his colleagues to promote the reunion, by revising those 
 articles of doctrine and discipline, which protestants branded 
 with the name of papal tyranny ; and contended, that, by pro- 
 scribing the ultramontane doctrines, the first step to the reunion 
 would be made. The discourse was communicated to Dr. 
 Wake : in his answer he pressed Dr. Dupin for a more explicit 
 declaration on the leading points in controversy. 
 
 In compliance with this requisition, Doctor Dupin drew up 
 Ins Commoinlor'mm, and communicated it to several persons of 
 distinction, both in the state and church of France. He dis- 
 cussed in it the thirty-nine articles, as they regarded doctrine, 
 morality, and discipline. He insisted on the necessity of tra- 
 dition, to interpret the scriptures, and to establish the canonicity 
 of tiie books of the Old and JS'ew Testament. He insisted on 
 the infallibility of the church in faith and morals; he contended 
 that the sacrifice of the mass was not a simple sacrament, bu^ 
 a routmuation of the sacrifice of the cross. 
 
 The word trausubstantialion, he seemed willing to give up, if 
 
197 
 
 llie Roman-catholic doctrine, intended to be expressed by it, 
 ^vere retained. He proposed that communion under both kinds, 
 or under bread alone, should be left to the discretion of ihe dif- 
 ferent churches, and consented that persons in holy orders 
 should retain their state, with such provisions as would place the 
 validity of their ordination beyond exception. The marriage of 
 priests in the countries, in which such marriages were allowed, 
 and the recitation of the divine service in the vulgar tongue, he 
 allowed ; and intimated that no difHculty would be found in the 
 ultimate seillement of the doctrine respecting purgatory, indul- 
 gences, the veneration of saints, relics or images. He seems to 
 have thought that the Pope can exercise no immediate jurisdic- 
 tion within the dioceses of bishops, and that his primacy invested 
 him with no moie than a general conservation of the deposit of 
 the faith, a right to enforce the observance of the sacred canons, 
 and the general maintenance of discipUne. He allowed, in 
 general terms, that there was little substantially wrong in the 
 discipline of the Church of England ; he deprecated all dis- 
 cussion on the original merit of reformation, and he professed 
 to see no use in the Pope's intervention, till the basis of the 
 -juegociation should be settled. 
 
 The answer of the archbishop was not very explicit. It is 
 evident from it, that they thought the quarrels on Jansenism 
 had alienated the Jansenists and their adherents from the Pop*, 
 much more than they had done in reality. He was willing to 
 concede to the Pope a primacy of rank and honour, but would 
 by no means allow him a primacy of jurisdiction, oi any primacy 
 by divine right. On the other points, he seemed to have thought 
 that they might come to an agreement on ^hat they should de- 
 clare to be the fundamental doctrine of ihe churches, and adopt 
 on every other point of doctrine, a general system of christian 
 toleration. 
 
 I'he correspondence, which is very interesting, may be seai 
 in the last volume of the English translation of ])octor 
 Mosheim's Ecclesiastical History. To facilitate the accomplish- 
 ment of the object of it. Dr. Courayer published his celebrated 
 treatise on the i' alididj of English Ordinations. 
 
198 
 
 Both Dr. Wake and Dr. Diipin were censured by the mem- 
 bers of their respective communions^ for the parts which they had 
 taken in this business. Several rigid members of the English 
 Church, and even some foreign protestants blamed Dr. Wake 
 for what they termed his too great concessions. In France, the 
 worst of motives were imputed to Dr. Dupin and his associates ; 
 they were accused of making unjustifiable sacrifices in order to 
 form an union betveen the Janstnists and the members of the 
 English Church. Even the regent took the alarm : he ordered 
 Dr. Dupin to discontinue the correspondence, and to leave all 
 the papers respecting it with the minister. This was done, 
 but the most important of them have been printed in the interest- 
 ing and extensively circulated publication, which has been 
 mentioned. 
 
 V. 
 
 Miscellancotfs Ker/iarks on the Reunion 
 of Christians. 
 
 It does not appear that, subsequently to the communications 
 betvv'een Archbishop Wake and Dr. Dupin, any attempts for a 
 general or partial reunion of christians were made in the last 
 century : but, early in the present, Buonaparte conceived the 
 project of effecting such a reunion. He is said to have par- 
 ticularly had in view the catholicizing, as it was termed, the 
 northern part of Germany. To forward his design, many works 
 were published : one of them, the Essay sur I' Ujiiti des Cu/tes 
 of M. Bonald, is written with great ingenuity. That Essay, and 
 several others by the same author, were inserted in the Ambigu 
 of Peltier, and deserve the attention of every reader. Though 
 they contain some things, to which a Roman Catholic writer 
 
199 
 
 would object, they are evidently written by a Roman Catliolic 
 pen. 
 
 The first point to be considered by those who meditate the 
 project of reunion is its practicability — those, who are disposed 
 to contend for the aftirniative, will observe the number of im- 
 portant articles of Chiistian Faith, in which all Christians are 
 agreed, and the proportionally small number of those in which 
 any Christians disagree. 
 
 Ail Christians believe, 1st. That there is one God ; Cd. That 
 he is a being of infinite perfection ; 3d. That he directs all things 
 by his providence ; 4th. 'J'hat it is our duty to love him with all 
 our hearts, and our neighbour as ourselves ; jth. That it is our 
 duty to repent of the sins we commit; Gth. That God pardons 
 the truly penitent; 7l!i. That there is a futine state of rewards 
 and punishments, when all mankind shall be judged according to 
 their works ; 8th. That God sent his Son into the world to be 
 its saviour, the author of eternal salvation to all that obey him ; 
 9th. That he is the true Messiah ; 10th. That he taught, worked 
 miracles, siiflcred, died, and ro.^e again, as is related in the four 
 gospels ; 1 Uh. That he will hereafter make a second appearance 
 on the earth, raise all mankind from the dead, judge the world in 
 righteousness, bestow eternal life on the virtuous, and punish the 
 workers of iniquity. 
 
 In the belief of these articles, all Christians, Roman Catholics, 
 Lutherans, Calvinists, Socinians, and Lnitarians, are agreed. 
 In addition to these, each division and subdivision of Christians 
 has its own tenets. Now, let each settle among its own mem- 
 bers, what are the articles of belief peculiar to them, which, in 
 their cool deliberate judgment, they consider as absolutely neces- 
 sary that a person should believe, to be a member of the church 
 of Christ ; let these articles be divested of all foreign matter, 
 and expressed in perspicuous, exact, and unequivocal terms ; 
 and, above all, let each distinction of Cliristians earnestly wish 
 to iind an agreement between themselves and their fellow-chris- 
 tians : — the result of a discussion conducted on this plan, 
 would most assuredly be to convince all Christians that the 
 essential articles of religious credence, in which there is a real 
 
.-< 
 
 200 
 
 difference among Christians, are not so numerous as the verbal 
 disputes and extraneous matter in which controversy is too often 
 involved make them generally th'>ught. 
 
 Still, — some articles will remain, the belief of which one de- 
 nomination of Christians will consider to be the obligation of 
 every Christian, and which other christian denominations will 
 condemn. On some of those, a speeds/ reunion of Christians is 
 not to be expected : but, to use the language of Mr. Vansittart, 
 in his excellent letter to the reverend Dr. Marsh and John 
 Coker, Esq., " There is an inferior degree of reunion, more 
 " within our prospect, and yet, perhaps, as perfect as human 
 " infirmity allows us to hope for ; wherein, though all differences 
 " of opinion should not be extinguished, yet they may be refined 
 " from all party prejudices and interested views, so softened by 
 " the spirit of charity and mutual concession, and so controuled 
 " by agreement on the leading principles and zeal for the general 
 " interests of Christianity, that no sect or persuasion should be 
 "■ tempted to make religion subservient to secular views, or to 
 '' employ political power to the prejudice of others. — The es- 
 " istence of Dissent will, perhaps, be inseparable from religious 
 " freedom, so long as the mind of man is liable to error : but it 
 *' is not unreasonable to hope, that hostility may cease though 
 " perfect agreement cannot be established. If we cannot 
 
 " RECONCILE ALL OPINIONS, LET US RECONCILE ALL 
 " HEARTS." 
 
 These pages cannot be closed better than by these goldci* 
 words. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 ERRATA. 
 
 Page 9, line 7, for catholic, read non-catholic, 
 -^ 17, 1,1, — palriurch, patriarchate. 
 
 69, 23,— 165S, 1562. 
 
 96, 2, — anabaptists, anabaptist. 
 
 — <— 132, 17, -- Dominica, Dommicans-. 
 
 
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