God; we should be sure that they are; this testing greatly tends to confirm our faith, to establish us in the truth. Having so many assurances, so many easy methods of acquiring knowledge by the exertions of others, we spare ourselves the trouble of exerting ourselves at all; but the truth attained by our own experience, by allowed proofs, is tenfold more convincing than all the ear or head learning in the world.

Thus we should search the Scriptures to prove our faith, and that not with a determination to wrest this or that passage to suit any particular view, but to search in such a way as, using all concurrent testimonies, all contemporary evidence, all other knowledge, to elucidate the passages, and to unfold their true meaning. This is to search the Scriptures; this is to use our reason to God's glory; this is to put our learning to a useful and good purpose, even to obtain wisdom from above in the knowledge of the Most High and of ourselves.

Art. 19.-Of the Church. The Visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments be duly administered according to Christ's ordinance in all these things, that of necessity are requisite to the same.

As the Church of Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch, have erred, so also the Church of Rome hath erred, not only in their living and manner of ceremonies, but also in matters of faith.

66

Since it is religion that makes the Church, and not the Church that makes religion, the Church is to be tried and discerned by religion, and not religion by the Church. And the Visible

Church is that which maintains the religion of Christ, and professes its belief in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, by baptizing its members in their names, and celebrates the Holy Supper as Christ hath appointed. These things are essential to a church; and, as long as these are preserved, a church does not cease to be, though in some other things it may err. For every error does not subvert the foundation of a church. But particular churches may not only err, but also fall off entirely from Christ."--Articles published by Vincent, Oxford.

Such is the humility of our Church: it pretends to no infallibility-it acknowledges its liability to error; but, as every establishment is subject to degenerate, when the establishment is excellent in origin we should rather endeavour to uphold its excellence than cast it off because there are some things we cannot approve. Perfection is not to be found in any human system-nor can it be expected, seeing the members are not perfect; but it is no argument of superior merit to secede from an established system, because we think we can make a better; for secession introduces schism, and schism is, at the present time, putting the whole fabric of religion in danger, which can only be averted by the protecting hand of God. Let not pride then lead us astray, but let us use our zeal to adorn and improve our own beloved Church. This, too, upon the principle of spiritual freedom. The Protestant Church clergy aspire to no dominion over the mind or body; Roman priests are satisfied with nothing less than complete authority over the actions of each of its members, and the direction of every spiritual desire.

the

OBJECTS OF THE CHURCH.

THE Church had, in early times, two objects in view: the separation of themselves from the rest of the world, and the binding up of themselves in the faith of Christ. These were their objects, and these should be ours. Heathens of old confessed that there is but one Supreme God, although they misunderstood his nature and divided his attributes, which their minds, unassisted by Revelation, were too weak to reconcile or admit as the properties of One. Yet they did worship a Supreme God; and they united in the worship of that God, only they knew Him not, because they sought not after Him. Let us fear lest this be our case, and lest He give us up to believe fables. God created man to bless him and make him happy-man found out the means to make himself miserable. Man doomed himself to death-but still God determined to give him life. Four thousand years elapsed, and God worked his plan in opposition to man. That plan was the salvation of man; and so, while the heathen gave himself up to work all manner of wickedness with greediness, and the Jews, God's chosen people, determinately rebelled against Him, infinite mercy was pursuing, amid the changes of empire, one beneficent object, the happiness of all the race of ruined man; until, at length, in the fullness of time, Christ came, who alone can restore him to a state of blessedness.

That only refuge from misery and death, That only way to happiness and life, gave His doctrines to a few men whom He commissioned to preach to all the world; these were the Apostles, and upon this foundation the Prophets and the Apostles, with Jesus Christ the chief corner stone, is the Church established; and whosoever denies this cannot be a Christian, nor can he be a member of Christ's body, the Church.

It is a thing clearly to be seen, that none can prophecy without the spirit of God dwelling in him. It is possible for a learned man to write a history of past events; it is possible for a statesman to calculate the effect of certain laws, of certain political appearances of the times and seasons; it is possible for the philosopher to compute the effects of certain natural causes which may not appear till long afterwards: but it is not possible for uninspired men to foresee unnatural, improbable, or only possible circumstances, so as to assert they certainly will come to pass, and that assertion to be verified. We think, I fear, too little of the inspiration of the Prophets and the Apostles, which is indeed the very foundation on which the Church is built. Therefore one important object of a Christian should be to search the Prophets, and see the verification of their prophecies by the aid of profane history. I know no work so adapted to assist us in this search as Dr. Vale's "Commentary."

It was to confirm themselves by the acquisition of such knowledge, the early Christians formed themselves into a Church.

Art. 6.-Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation, so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to

be required of any man that it should be believed as an article of the faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. In the name of the Holy Scripture we do understand those canonical books of the Old and New Testament of whose authority there was never any doubt in the Church.

"By a canonical book of Scripture, is meant a book which, being written by divine inspiration, is to be received by us as part of the canon or rule of Christian faith and practice."— Vincent.

Thus by the law of the Church we cannot be deceived by cunningly devised fables, intended to exalt the power of priesthood, for in our excellent Church we have the privilege of listening to inspiration alone; surely this is better than men's devices dressed up in pomp, which are the shadow, not the substance, of truth.

FIRST PERIOD OF THE HISTORY OF THE
CHURCH.

Ir was no easy thing in a human sense to establish a universal faith, altogether opposed to the views, prejudices, and feelings of mankind; yet it has been established, and that apparently by very inefficient means.

Take a short survey of the foundation and superstructure of our faith.

To begin with Christ, the chief corner stone, and the Prophets so intimately connected with his appearance. Christ then was evidently a supernatural being, else why was it that he was put to