venerable standards. Every sound Calvinist will find no difficulty in subscribing the Confession as it stands; and those who do not adopt the Calvinistic system of theology, should never be guilty of the dishonesty of subscribing a creed, which is not a fair exhibition of their own belief. The principles on which this and other articles of religion have frequently been subscribed, are humiliating to think of: such disingenuity is utterly unworthy of ministers of the gospel, who are by profession preachers of the truth, and whose conduct should be characterized by an unwavering and strict regard to truth, in all their declarations and promises. Yet we now frequently have exhibited to us the example of men solemnly adopting this Confession, at their licensure and ordination, and then preaching and writing against some of the doctrines which it contains. The attempts which have been made to reconcile this conduct with common honesty, not to say Christian sincerity, must be pronounced to be jesuitical, and belong to a school of morals very different from that of the New Testament. But what if a man, after having adopted these standards, should, in the progress of investigation, change his mind, is not the obligation to receive and profess the truth, superior to that arising from any subscription to a creed, which he made in the time of his ignorance? Undoubtedly it is; and no man whose moral feelings are right, will be restrained from an impartial investigation and judgment of truth, according to new evidence which may be presented to his mind. The obligation to embrace the truth, when perceived, is paramount to all other obligations. No man has a right to bind himself never to believe otherwise than he now does; and all such obligations, however formally or solemnly made, are null and void; for as soon as any man finds himself to be in error, he is bound to renounce it. These positions are so nearly self-evident, that there seems to be no need of argument to support them. Thus far, it may be presumed, that all will agree. What, then, is the duty of the conscientious lover of truth, when he is constrained to believe that the creed which he has received is erroneous? The path of duty, in this case, is perfectly plain. Let him renounce what he believes to be an error, as publicly as he adopted it, and withdraw from the society which maintains it, if it be a point of real importance. Men are never to be censured for professing what they believe, and acting accordingly, although they may be much to blame for adopting the opinions which they have received. But the conduct which we are now censuring is that of those who, while they disbelieve certain articles in the creed of a church, still continue in her connexion, and make use of the office, power, and influence which he has conferred upon them, in attempting to subvert her system. If, indeed, a theologian should be of opinion that he has discovered some considerable error in the standards of his church, he may propose his new views to the consideration of those who govern the society, that they may have the opportunity of changing their creed, in conformity with the new light which he is able to give them. But as there is seldom any prospect of producing a change of opinion in a whole church by an individual, the path of duty is, commonly, for the person quietly to withdraw; and then he may consistently attempt to refute the errors of the body to which he has recently belonged. We never appeal to these standards as the ultimate authority for our faith. We exhort all to compare these doctrines with the Holy Scriptures, and only to receive what they find confirmed by the "oracles of God." "If they speak not according to these, it is because there is no light in them." Our last appeal is always "to the Law and to the Testimony." But it affords a strong confirmation of these doctrines, that so many pious and learned men, in so many different countries, have embraced them as the doctrines clearly taught in Scripture. It is pleasing to observe the exact agreement in all the creeds of the Reformed churches, all over the world. Their doctrines were so much the same, that any one of them might have adopted the "Confession" of any other as its own, without perceiving the least discrepancy. And how can this uniformity be accounted for? Error has no such evidence as to recommend it to so great a multitude of honest inquirers. The reason is obvious. These doctrines are clearly and prominently exhibited in Scripture. They are so plain that an intelligent mind cannot miss them; unless the intellect is obscured by a mist of prejudice, and the judgment already warped by the reception of error. But let the mind be free from prejudice, and honest in the pursuit of truth, and we are not afraid that there will be found any material deviation from those doctrines, which are so lucidly exhibited in the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechism. While we are desirous of rescuing the character of this venerable Assembly from the unjust aspersions which calumny has heaped upon them, and to exhibit them in their true character, as a convention of eminently learned and godly ministers; many of whom have enriched the Christian church with their own valuable writings; yet our firm adherence to the doctrines which they taught, does not, in any measure, depend upon a knowledge of their abilities or piety. But we receive this system of divinity, because we see it strongly supported by the repeated and unequivocal declarations of the inspired writers. Many, even of those who are teachers in our churches, know little or nothing of the history of this venerable Assembly: and yet their faith in these doctrines is unwavering, because they accord with Scripture, and their own experience. It has been our earnest wish, however, that Presbyterians should become better acquainted with the origin of their own formularies, and with the history of the men who were honoured of God to compose them for the edification of so many millions. And having now completed our work, we commit it to God, and to the favourable notice of his people. |