What would be thought of a similar principle, if generally adopted and avowed, with respect to the administration of oaths in civil courts? Suppose both jurors and witnesses, feeling it a grievance to be bound by their oaths to speak the truth, were to agree among themselves, and openly to give out, that they did not mean, when they swore, to take on themselves any such obligation; that they did not so understand the import of their oaths, and did not intend to recognise any such meaning? And suppose the judges were freely to admit them to their oaths with a similar understanding? Would a witness or a juror, in such a case, be exempt from the charge of PERJURY, or the judge from the guilt of SUBORNATION OF PERJURY? I presume not, in the estimation of any sober-minded man. If it were otherwise, then bad men, who form a majority of every community, might, by combining, violate all the principles of virtue and order, not only with impunity, but also WITHOUT SIN.”*

This is speaking out. I object not to Dr. M's logic. Give him his premises and his conclusion follows. If creeds be by divine warrant, or if church courts have a right thus to entangle the simple, control the credulous, fetter the timid, and overreach the young, assuredly those who have SUBSCRIBED,—if they have not committed the dreadful crime already, which Dr. M. seems to think multitudes have done, are really called upon to consider where they stand. Those who have not SUBSCRIBED, are morally required, as honourable and honest men, to look, think, and ponder before they act. If an opponent of creeds had so plainly exposed the nature and consequences of SUB

* Lec. pp. 69, 70.

SCRIPTION, our ecclesiastical politicians would have decried him as a traducer. But Dr. M. has declared these things, and they must needs be true. Presbyterian ministers, and those of other sects, should look to their situation, and listen to their conscientious brother, who has so courageously described the real character of subscription, and the official relations of ecclesiastical creeds. For my own part, I feel constrained to ask Dr. M. for his divine warrant to involve the church in such difficulties, and her ministers in the danger of guilt so deep? And furthermore, whether he considers that the ministry and commentaries, whose services he supposes an argument against ecclesiastical creeds to disclaim and nullify, may charge such crimes against those who do not yield to them? -Perhaps he may Now be able to see the difference between an ecclesiastical creed, and those which have been conceded as natural, necessary, and scriptural ; and I may, therefore, consider myself as released from the necessity of again pointing it out.

It is worthy of observation that these ecclesiastical instruments are intended to be transmitted from generation to generation. Voluntary associations, like all other political communities, include parents and their children. It is natural that the project should have this hereditary action; and accordingly as long as the excitement, in which one of these voluntary associations originated, or to which one of these "accredited documents" is to be referred, can be kept up, the sect or denomination, to which it has given birth, lives. But when that excitement runs down, the body, which it had sustained, is paralysed, and death ensues. It is well for ecclesiastical rulers that such things can

be transmitted to posterity; for every age does not furnish men who are competent to frame an exhibition of scriptural doctrines, and put them into regular order. For example—who even dreams, that there are such men, as composed the Westminster assembly, now to be found in our ecclesiastical associations? The experiment is in progress, by which will be shown, whether they are able even to defend the creeds they have, either as to their political authority, or their theological elements. Peradventure it is a happy thing for the church that these men have passed away; for if they were here, they might undertake to form another document, better suited to the present times, and thus roll back the subject of human liberty for another generation. Peradventure they would be on the side of liberty. It is extremely problematical what they would do. Circumstances make men, and every cause must create its own agents. The Angel of the Lord addressed himself to a company of shepherds-the Messiah called a few fishermen to sustain his enterprise. These were "the worthy" men whom he found. The wise, the mighty, and the noble were all preoccupied with their own speculations and institutions.

But though these CREEDS descend from generation to generation, and though there seems to be a necessity that the master spirits of one age should control the habits and destinies of succeeding ages, yet it is singular that the PEOPLE, with a few exceptions, and in small sects, or at the commencement of a voluntary association, are not called to SUBSCRIBE these formularies. Subscription was resisted in the Westminster assembly as an unwarrantable imposition: a circum

stance which, in that case, so far checked the whole thing, that "till forty years after, a subscription or assent to its confession of faith was not required of any LAYMAN, or MINISTER, as a term of christian communion." And now, though MINISTERS are required to subscribe, yet the PEOPLE escape the imposition, and in some places it is very difficult to obtain men, who will go into the ELDERSHIP on the principle of subscription. Latterly indeed there are some of the people, who talk very confidently about the value of creeds, and affect not to see how the harmony of a church can be preserved without them, though it may be they have scarcely read that particular one which gives law to their own denomination, or though, perhaps, as Dr. M. supposes, a copy of it is not likely to be found in the neighbourhood. This, however, is only an evanescent ebullition of party spirit—"the esprit du corps," of which there is less among presbyterians, Dr. M. says, "than in any other ecclesiastical body among us;" and who, judging from the letters he has addressed to them, are not likely very soon to recover it.

With the reason of this fact I am not particularly concerned, though there is no very great difficulty in ascertaining what it is. As a body increases in size, or multiplies in numbers, subscription becomes exceedingly cruel, or entirely impracticable, because very many human beings are introduced into the church, who never trouble themselves about metaphysical subtleties, or theological refinements. Or there is always a stronger feeling of liberty among the people, than among their rulers, and they may probably learn resistance, when they feel themselves oppressed.

"Men," it is said, "never turn against creeds, until creeds turn against them." Or, after all, ecclesiastical politicians are obliged to rely upon the moral influence of the ministry of reconciliation, as a divine institution. Be these things as they may, it is the fact which I wished to notice, because it shows the direction in which we must look for the deleterious action of these ecclesiastical instruments; and because it explains why so many of the people so little understand, or take so little interest in, or hastily condemn, the controversies of the present day.

As an example of the operation of creeds, look at the oath administered to the professors of a theological seminary."Every person elected to a professorship, in this seminary, shall, on being inaugurated, solemnly SUBSCRIBE the confession of faith, catechisms, and form of government of the presbyterian church, agreeably to the following formula, viz: In the presence of God and the directors of this seminary, I do solemnly, and ex animo adopt, receive, and subscribe the confession of faith, and catechisms of the presbyterian church in the United States of America, as the confession of my faith; or as a summary and just exhibition of that system of doctrine and religious belief which is contained in holy scripture, and therein revealed by God to man for his salvation; and I do solemnly, ex animo, profess to receive the form of government of said church, as agreeable to the inspired oracles. And I do solemnly promise and engage, not to inculcate, teach, or insinuate any thing which shall appear to me to contradict or contravene, either directly or impliedly, any thing taught in the said confession of faith or catechisms; nor to oppose any of