ment, let us ftop,-and from this height. view the venerable fabric, and obferve in what juft proportion every part of it rises upon the attentive eye.

Her doctrine, how pure and uncorrupted! claiming a higher origin than the systems of a Calvin or a Luther, even the authority of the word of God. For no church has maintained, with greater steadiness, these two great Reformation-principles, the right of private judgement, and fcripture being the fupreme judge of controverfy. Nor does the act contrary to thefe, in admitting human ftandards and tests of conformity.

That which first gave birth to creeds and confeffions, was the calumnies of those who oppofed the truth. Thus, when the first Chriftians were pointed out as men of the moft abandoned character, and Chriftianity itself as an enemy to all order and government, it became a matter of undisputable duty to wipe off thefe reproaches, by giving to the world an impartial account of their doctrines and practice; which gave rife to the ancient creeds and apologies.

At the Reformation, the Papists acted just as the Heathen had done; the fame irreconcileable enmity to the truth infpiring both with rage and falfehood; which made not only particular perfons, but the Reformed churches, in their respective bodies, give an authentic account of the doctrines they maintained, the fprings whence the Reformation flowed, and VOL. I.

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the purposes it aimed at; to convince the world, that when they difclaimed the authority of the church of Rome, defpifed her cenfures, and ftood unawed by the thunders of the Vatican, they were not moved by an averfion to discipline, a spirit of sedition, nor a love of unrestrained pleasures; but by a juft regard to the honour of God, and the interefts of true religion.

These purposes we find exprefsly declared in almost all the confeflions of the Proteftant churches abroad; and the fame reafons influenced that venerable affembly which compofed our Confeflion of Faith:-A work which will do honour to the compilers fo long as any tafte for good fenfe and fcripture-truths remains for there all the great and important doctrines of religion are brought together in a fhort, plain, and connected view nor does it, on the one hand, enter into the fubtilties of perverse difputation and metaphyfical refinement; nor, on the other, reject the pecu, liar doctrines of the gofpel, out of compliment. to those who are too wise to submit to a revelation from God, and will lean to nothing but their own understanding.

I am well aware how different this account of our Confeflion is from the reprefentation which hath been given of it by its open enemies, or from what the fignificant shrugs and infinuations of fome who have not yet chofen openly to attack it, would make us believe.

Have not the principles therein maintained, concerning

concerning faith, justification, and grace, been reprefented as weakening the authority of the divine law, and leading people into the opinion, that holinefs of life is of no great importance? But had thofe who bring this heavy charge, been poffeffed of half that candor and freedom of thought which they pretend to glory in, whatever their own fentiments as to these doctrines were, they would have acknowledged, that the view given of them in our Confeffion feemed to have some foundation in fcripture; and had been the general opinion of all the Proteftant churches for fome time after the Reformation; and that particularly, in Britain, the times when thefe doctrines were moft generally received, were fo far from being remarkable for diffolutenefs of manners, that they are still diftinguished in our annals as the age of religion and fobriety; whereas profaneness and debauchery certainly mark that period when thefe doctrines firft became the general fubject of cenfure and ridicule. At any rate, it must be acknowledged, that our Confeffion is fo far from countenancing fuch an abufe of the doctrines of grace, that it afferts, in the ftrongest terms, the perpetual obligation of the moral law, the abfolute neceffity of holinefs in order to falvation, and the inefficacy of that faith which doth not purify the heart.

The fame obfervations may be applied to what has been objected on the head of election, the fovereignty of grace, and the operation

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ration of the Spirit. allow me to infift upon thefe, let me only take notice, as it directly falls in with the service of this day,

That, from our Confeffion, it may be feen how unjustly the Prefbyterians have been charged as holding principles inconfiftent with civil order and government. For there our church gives the nobleft, the most awful original to the magiftrate's power, the authority of God himself. It reprefents this inftitution as defigned to promote the moft glorious ends, the good of the fociety; and thus it connects the authority of him that commands with the happiness of those who obey; which is a firmer, as well as a nobler foundation, than the doctrine of thofe who diveft government of every sweet and amiable character, while, at the fame time, they arm it with a power which renders it formidable and hateful. In a word, our Confeffion allows every thing to a monarch, that is confiftent with the honour and fupremacy of that God by whom he reigns, that can confer true honour upon himself, or enable him to anfwer the important ends of his inftitution; and fhows, that the principles of Prefbytery are inconfiftent with nothing but the domination of an arbitrary tyrant, and the inglorious paffive obedience of a flave.

There is only one thing further to be obferved ere I leave this view of the doctrine of our church; and truly it is fo trifling, that it would merit no regard, did not our adverfa

ries, with a great deal of confidence, boaft of it; namely, the flat contradiction which they alledge there is betwixt our conduct fince the Revolution, and the doctrine maintained in the 23d chapter of our Confeffion of Faith, at § 4. where it is faid, "Infidelity, or difference "in religion, doth not make void the magi-"ftrate's just and legal authority, nor free "the people from their obedience to him."

This we certainly admit to be our principle; nor could we maintain the contrary, without impeaching our Lord and his apoftles for that fubmiffion and obedience which they paid to the Roman emperors. But this can never, in the smallest degree, be inconfiftent with our having difclaimed all allegiance to the abdicated, or, in the ftyle of our acts of parliament, to the forfeited King James VII. ; and fince his death, to him who pretends to the British crown; unless it can be proved, that we acknowledge him ftill to have a just and legal title, which, only becaufe of his dif-ference in religion, we make void. This were indeed to contradict the above article in our Confeffion; but the very contrary is the cafe with us. We do not refufe him allegiance because he is a Papift; but we refufe him allegiance, because he hath no right nor title to allegiance: for as the general voice of the people, in their fupreme court, fet him afide, he is no longer a magistrate, and his kingfhip is› merely imaginary.

But though we do not refufe our allegiance