of such a formulary. Nothing it seems can prevent it. The fact that a pastor inculcates the doctrinal system for example of a rigid Calvinist, cannot tend at all to hinder the intrusion into his church of those who entirely reject those sentiments, and hold the opposing doctrines of Arminianism or Unitarianism;-nor on the other hand, can the fact that he teaches one of these latter systems, and impugns and condemns Calvinism as erroneous and absurd, operate to prevent persons of that belief from placing themselves under his pastoral charge. Nor can any such influence be exerted by the discipline of a church, nor by the doctrinal ⚫ views entertained and advocated by its members, and exemplified in their practice. On the contrary-we are to believe-precisely the opposite effect is produced. The more pure the doctrines of a minister are, the more irresistible will be the inclination of all those who reject them to connect themselves with his church, in order to hear what they execrate. The church being "a city set on a hill," unless surrounded by those "fences against error," attracts to itself all sorts of spiritual outcasts and heretics, much as gay and wealthy capitals allure from the neighbouring regions every species of vagabonds and villains. Heretics rush headlong into the light which it diffuses around itself, like the insects of evening into our candles.

The admirable evidences exhibited in these views of a thorough acquaintance with human nature, and the character and condition of the churches of our country, need no illustration or praise.

VII. To complete the climax of his eulogy of creeds, and confessions, he represents that the compilation and publication of them is the only method by which a church can render itself of any "value."

"OF WHAT VALUE, let me ask, had the Waldenses and Albigenses been, as WITNESSES OF THE TRUTH,—as LIGHTS IN THE WORLD, amidst the darkness of surrounding corruption; especially of WHAT VALUE had they been to the church in succeeding times, and to us at the present day, if they had not formed and transmitted to posterity those celebrated CONFESSIONS OF FAITH, as precious as they are memorable, which we read in their history, and which stand as so many monumental testimo nies to the true "gospel of the grace of God?" Without THESE how should we ever have known in what manner they interpreted the Bible; or WHEREIN THEY DIFFERED FROM THE GROSSEST HERETICS who lived at the same time and professed to receive the same Bible?" p. 18.

A more extraordinary sentiment it is imagined never fell from the pen of a theological disputant. That these churches then, were eminent above all others of that and perhaps subsequent ages for their piety, is a matter of no significance whatever. Their purity simplicity and rectitude of life, their benevolence toward each other and those around them, their fear of God and ardent esteem and veneration for the institutions of the gospel, that they held the scriptures in such high respect above the writings of men and dictates of aspiring ecclesiastics, that they educated their offspring with so much care in the knowledge and practice of christianity, and publicly inculcated its doctrines in their churches and wherever they were driven by their enemies with such simplicity and boldness, that they

exposed and denounced with such fidelity the corruptions of the apostate churches in the midst of which it was their lot to exist, encountered from them the most cruel persecutions for the gospel's sake, and in immense multitudes suffered martyrdom with a meekness and fortitude that were never surpassed, and were thus the means of perpetuating an eminently pure and numerous church from one generation to another through a period of several centuries when religion was nearly extinguished in every other section of christendom, and finally of planting the seeds of the reformation;-all these eminent excellencies of their lives,this sacred fidelity to the cause of Christ amid the storms of persecution, this illustrious instrumentality in turning "many to righteousness" and causing them to "shine as the stars for ever and ever," subserved no useful purpose whatever !—did not render them of any "VALUE" to their or subsequent generations!—constituted nothing "wherein they differed from the grossest heretics who lived at the same time!" The whole sum of their usefulness was comprised in the single act of compiling and publishing their creeds!

Sentiments like these may very probably have been entertained by the monsters of cruelty who calumniated plundered and murdered them for their obedience to the gospel, but it strikes one with astonishment that a Doctor of the Presbyterian Church should have been found at the present day who could have even inadvertently thrown out such views, and imagined them to be adapted to subserve his

cause.

Yet all this follows undoubtedly very naturally from the other parts of Dr. M.'s system. If as he represents, without creeds men can neither acquire a consistent system of truth; nor preserve it after having acquired it; nor communicate a knowledge of it to others; nor even ascertain whether others possess a knowledge of it, or not; nor finally hinder the church from becoming a most heretical unholy and unhappy society; then it is unquestionable that the formation and publication of such an instrument which shall prevent all this guilt and misery is a more important work of usefulness than any other.

Such are the extravagant pretensions Dr. M. has thought proper to advance in favour of creeds and confessions. Not content with a temperate vindication of them from unjust aspersions, he has chosen to arrogate for them all possible excellence. They are the grand key of knowledge,-the only safe interpreters of revelation and directories of faith; -the only means of purity and peace in the Redeemer's kingdom;-in short the sole instrument by which the church can be of any "VALUE." Were they to be blotted from existence, the last hope of man would be extinguished;-earth would feel

-"the wound, and Nature from her seat Sighing through all her works," give "signs of wo That all was lost."

But these absurd pretences have been sufficiently refuted. It deserves to be added as a more general and very important objection to his claims for the usefulness of these for

mularies, that all his arguments in their favour contemplate them abstractly from any consideration of the nature of the doctrines which they contain. Their representation is, that creeds generally have that adaptation to accomplish the ends for which he recommends them, with respect to their doctrinal systems, without any consideration what those systems are. They are therefore as applicable to one creed as another, and present equally good reasons to all denominations of the religious and irreligious throughout the world, to adopt the use of such formularies to promote the knowledge and belief of their several systems of faith. If from its nature a Calvinistic creed will produce the effects which he represents, respecting the system which it inculcates; for the same reason an Arminian or Unitarian creed will also produce corresponding effects in respect to its doctrinal system; and so of the creed of a Catholic, or Mussulman; an Idolater or Atheist.

But if creeds actually possess such an adaptation to produce the effects respecting the systems of belief which they inculcate, as he imputes to them; then, as the faith of by far the greater portion of men,-as he himself undoubtedly believes is egregiously and fatally erroneous, it is mani→ festly, in place of being an excellence, a formidable objection to them;-inasmuch as it fits them to be the instruments of vastly greater evil than good, and renders it inevitable that their general adoption by the various sects of the religious and irreligious, instead of producing benefits, would prove a source of immeasurable mischief. It