General state of religion, page 1.
Its causes, 3.
-Necessity of
examination, 4.
-Religion, its unity, 6.
-Means to discover the true
religion , 8.
-Systems of the Protestants, 9.
-Human reason, its
character, and fruits, 10.
-Feelings, their nature and effects, 17.
-Inspiration, 19.
-The Scriptures, 22.
-Authority, its necessity,
29.
-Owned by Luther, and the Reformers, 41.
-Inconsistencies of
the Protestants, in relation to the authority of councils, 43.
-The
Bible alone the alleged religion of Protestants, 50.
-Protestant
restrictions, 53.
-Late act of conciliation, 55.
-Fundamentals, 57.
-Socinians, &c. 69.
-State of Protestantism, 73.
-Incredulity,
the natural effect of Protestant principles, 75.
-Repugnance of the
Protestants to study the character of the Catholic religion, 82.
-
Features of the Catholic and Protestant religions, 96.
THE DIFFICULTIES
OF
PROTESTANTISM. '
"All the religions, and all the sects, in the world, are built upon the dispute betwixt these two, whether men are to govern themselves by
their own private judgment, in their faith, and religion ; or to be deter- mined by the authority of others . "-Bishop Leslie, on Private Judgment.
I. WHOEVER, with serious attention, contemplates the
scenes, which in this country, present themselves, every
where, to his observation, cannot but be forcibly struck with the singularity of the spectacle. It is a spectacle, which is,
almost alike, interesting to the curiosity of the philosopher,
as it is important to the feelings of the Christian. He beholds a nation, which is distinguished for its supposed illumination, and good sense, divided, and torn in pieces, by the
countless multitude of its sects . He sees an immense host
ofmotley preachers, inculcating ardently almost every possible
form of doctrine ;-the higher orders of society, the thoughtless
victims of indifference, and incredulity ;-the vulgar, the
dupes of ignorance, and contemptible fanaticism ; whilst the little portion, which, alone, cultivates the truth with pious
care, is almost imperceptible. In short, he sees, every where
around him, a scene of error, and confusion ; of infidelity,
and neglect. There is not a truth, but what is denied ; not a
mystery, but what is contradicted ; not a principle, but what
: is contested ; not a duty, but what is violated, and called in
question.
Neither are these evils confined solely to religion. They
extend to the civil order of things. Men now dispute about
every thing, -about governments, laws, customs, and institutions of every kind. A spirit of revolution is actively working
in the public mind ; and scattering, every where around, the
seeds of licentiousness, and mischief. A cloud, a dark,
gloomy cloud, which is daily thickening, hangs over the
country ;--and indeed, over half the states of Europe. There
exist, in nearly all of them, associations, whose chief aim is
the subversion of the Christian church, and the destruction
of the present order of civil governments ;-associations, which are less formidable for their insolence, than they are for
their secrecy ; and which are more terrific for their mysterious
darkness, than if they were daringly arrayed in the field of
battle. I say nothing concerning the state of public morals.
For these, it is unhappily too manifest, are awfully corrupted,
and profane.
To account for these calamities, is a subject, which, to the
philosophic mind, requires little or no investigation. It is
easy to account for them, at once, by the leading principle
alone of the reformation. For, if men are taught to acknowledge no other arbiter of their belief, but their own private
judgment ;-if it be the imprescriptible right,-as by the rule
of Protestantism it is, of every individual to judge and decide, as his own reason bids him,--considering these circumstances, and the infinite varieties of the human character,-
there are no opinions, however false ; no errors, however
pernicious, but what are the obvious consequences of so
wide, and so singular a privilege. Under its sanction, every
thing becomes personal, and individual. Every thing becomes
right, which the judgment of each reasoner deems right.
Thus, faith, opinion, feelings, assume as many different forms
as there are differences of feature in the human mind, that
is, as there are differences of prejudices, passions, interests,
talents, and dispositions. It is hence, therefore, that reason
in labor has produced, and is daily producing, so many
monsters ;-so many errors in religion ; so much confusion in
governments ; such corruption in society :-hence, that sects,
and irreligion, and incredulity, go on, advancing with rapid
strides ; that the bands of social order become, every where
more feeble ; that the tide of iniquity overflows the nation ;
and that the spirit of Christian piety is almost extinct amongst us. " At least nine- tenths of the people, " says Dr. Daubeny, "
are indifferent about the truth ; and of the remaining tenth, the
much greater part are unqualified to examine." [See Illustration, A.]
Where such is, confessedly, the state of things, it ought, of
course, to every thoughtful mind, to appear a matter of
serious moment to pause over the awful circumstance ; and
to weigh well the causes, which have given birth to so great
an evil. In reality, there is no possible subject, which can
deserve better the attention, both of the Christian, and of the
philosopher.
It is upon its wise solution, that depend the order of our
duties ; the proper regulation of our lives ; the foundation of
our hopes, and the prospects of future happiness. These are
the objects, which ought to awaken the solicitude, and animate all the industry, of Christian piety. The time, each
thoughtful mind must feel it,-the time is not far distant,
when we must all appear before the divine tribunal, there
to render an account " of that faith which is in us. " And
what then will be the confusion of those imprudent individuals, who, interrogated respecting the momentous obligation,
will be reduced to the necessity of replying, that " they had
never studied the important subject,-never given it, perhaps,
so much as one serious thought." Far, then, very far,-
from every Christian mind this culpable neglect. Let each
one study, what he ought to believe, in order that he may
thus know, what he ought to practise. Let him build his
faith, and therefore also his hopes, upon a strong, and
secure, foundation. This is, indeed, the real science of immortal beings, compared with which, all other sciences are
but the objects of idle curiosity, or the amusements of luxurious indolence. [See Illustration, B ]
II. That there exists such an institution as Religion,-
this is a fact, which it would be needless to undertake to
prove. The existence of this divine order of things is,
amongst all the variety of undeniable truths, the most palpable, and manifest. It is, alike, the instinct of nature ; the
dictate of reason; and the strongest impulse of the human
heart. It is the necessary effect, and expression, of those
various relations, which arise from the attributes of God,
and from the character and state of man. It is the link,
which unites the creature to his Creator.
And as it is manifest, that there exists such an institution
as religion, so also it is just equally evident, that the sacred
object is necessarily but One. It is One, because the Divinity
is One ;-insomuch that, as no being can be God, which is
not One, so neither can any religion be the true religion, if it
be not, like the Godhead, characterised by its unity. Whence,
also, as the unity of God distinguishes him from all false
divinities , so in like manner does the unity of religion distinguish it from all false religions. Religion is One, because
all truth is One. Whence again, even in the eye of reason
itself, no religion can be deemed divine, which does not
possess this important characteristic. Accordingly, it is by
this feature, that the true religion, or the true church of
Jesus Christ, has always been, and will for ever be, distinguished : " ONE God ; ONE FAITH ; ONE Baptism. " It is
unity, that forms the proof, and the heavenly stamp, of the
true religion. " Indeed," says St. Austin, " unity is the form of every thing that is beautiful ; and, of course, it is, in particular,
the form of truth ; for truth is beauty by excellence. "
III. The true religion is One. Therefore, the immediate
inference, as I have just stated, is, that, save this One,-all
other religions are false ; and being such, are, of course, displeasing to the God of truth, and injurious to man's salvation .
Being false, they are the institutions of human pride; or the
creatures of human weakness. Being false, they are, of
course, opposed both to the attributes of God, and to the
nature, and state, of man. They are, above all, repugnant
to the divine veracity. And exactly as crime separates man
from the source of purity, so also does the profession of
falsehood separate him from the source of truth. Hence,
therefore, it is, that we may remark those strong expressions
of reprobation, with which our great Legislator condemns the sin of error. Hence, those awful anathemas, which he pronounces upon all those, who resist, or reject, the authority
ofhis church :-" He, that will not hear the church, let him be
as the heathen, or the publican.”
Wherefore, I will again remark, that, since all religions,
save One, are false ; and as such, unavailing to future happiness ;-since there is but One Church, established by the
wisdom of God for the worship, and salvation, of his creatures, and which, also, he commands them, under the pain
of reprobation, to reverence, and obey ;-so, consequently,
it should manifestly seem to follow, that, whosoever values
his own soul, and reveres the mandate of his Redeemer,
ought, of course,-if he be not already a member of the
divine institution ; or if he have not the wise conviction, that
he enjoys this blessing,-to labour, with all his industry, to
find it out. Here, his obligation is evident. Here, ignorance, at least all wilful ignorance,-is fatal.¹
IV. The same evidences, which evince the unity, and
necessity, of the true religion, evince likewise, and just
equally, this other important fact, that there must, consequently, exist some medium or other, by which the public
may find it out,-some clear criterion, by which, amidst the
multitude of institutions, which crowd society, men may, with
real certitude, ascertain, where stands the immortal sanctuary.
Indeed, no notion could possibly be, I will not say, more
unjust, but even more preposterous, than to suppose, that the
wisdom of God has established a religion, and commanded
men, under the pain of reprobation, to profess it, and that yet,
he has not given them the means to trace it out. The great
glory of a Being, who is infinitely good, is to manifest his goodness. Whence, to imagine, that he has imposed laws,
and obligations, whose infraction is everlasting death, and
yet covered them with a dark, and almost impenetrable veil,
this would be insulting, or rather, it would be blaspheming, this darling attribute. In short,-to conceive, that he
has placed millions of his creatures between truth and falsehood, commanding them at the same time, with all the
severity of his justice, to profess, and obey the truth, to
conceive this, and still suppose, that he has left them without
the means of discerning it, this is an idea, or proposition,
which is far worse than folly. Therefore, is the consequence
manifest, that there do exist certain mediums, by which the
sacred object may be discovered ; and not only this, but
mediums clear, and accessible to every one,-mediums,
analogous and proportioned, to the minds, and capacities, of all, of the simple, as well as of the enlightened ; of the
ignorant, as well as of the learned. The reason too of all
this is plain : It is, because the true religion is designed to be
the rule, and conductor, of the former, just equally as it is the
guide, and director, of the latter. Whence, again, Rousseau,
whom I have just cited in the preceding note, observes,—
following only the suggestions of his reason : " S'il étoit une
religion sur la terre, hors de laquelle il n'y eut que peine
éternelle, et qu'en quelque lieu du monde un seul mortel de
bonne foi n'eut pas été frappé de son évidence, le Dieu
de cette religion seroit le plus inique, et le plus cruel, de
tyrans."
V. Accordingly, this again, like the other propositions ,
which I have thus far stated, is generally admitted : and in
conformity with such admission, there have been suggested,
and adopted, a variety of ingenious measures, by which men
have undertaken to seek the truth ; and pretended that they
had discovered the real seat of the Christian sanctuary. I
will just cite, and rapidly discuss, those, which were adopted by the early Protestants ; and which, also, are still followed,
and made use of, by the different sects of the present day.
The following are the principal ones, to which, also, every
other may immediately be referred :-First, the dictates of
reason, and private judgment ; Secondly, the suggestions of
sentiment, or feeling ; Thirdly, the voice and insinuations of
inspiration. These, assisted, at the same time, by the guidance
of the sacred Scriptures, are the mediums, by which, it is
contended by the Protestants, the truths of religion, and the
seat of the true church, should be investigated ; and by which,
they still farther maintain, the happy discovery may be made,
not only with certitude, but even with very little difficulty.
Wherefore, having thus stated the alleged expedients, I will
proceed to examine, how far they are adapted to their important, and pretended purposes .
VI. When Luther, and his fellow reformers, detached
themselves from the communion of the parent church, they
were, of course, compelled, as the only justification of their rebellion, to deny the lawfulness of her authority. " The
principles, they went upon," says Archdeacon Blackburn, "were such as these :-Jesus Christ by his gospel has called
all men unto liberty-the glorious liberty of the sons of
God; and restored them to the privilege of working out their
salvation by their own understandings. " Accordingly, consonant to this " glorious " privilege, the language, which they
addressed to their followers, was this : " The authority,
which the Church of Rome has usurped over the minds of the
faithful, is a violation of the laws of Christian liberty. Its
pastors are just equally fallible, as you are. Therefore, it is
your right, and your duty too, to judge for yourselves. It is,
indeed, for this, that your reason has been given to you.
Therefore, read, examine, and decide, as your own judgments
prompt you. "-Such was the language of the first reformers
-as it is still also the language of every consistent Protestant. For, it is only thus, only by the adoption of the
above " glorious liberty," that it is possible, with any thing
like consistency, to pretend to vindicate the Protestant revolution.
It is, therefore, by the dictates of their reason, it is thus
contended, that men are to judge of the doctrines, or divinity,
of religion.
It is true, indeed, that such opinion, to those
who have not considered attentively the character of the human mind, may appear specious, if not satisfactory. For,
reason, there is no doubt, is the noblest attribute of human
nature, that grand, and sublime faculty, which approximates us, in some degree, to the Divinity itself,-rendering us,
more or less, the sharers, as it were, of his Being ; the partakers of his wisdom; the participators in his truth. It is by
it, that we are exalted, not only above those millions of
worlds, which roll in the immensity of space, but above all
those created beings, which, possessed of life and feeling,
are not gifted with the talent of understanding. So that it is,
indeed, with justice, that we entertain a very high opinion of
the dignity, and exalted importance, of human reason.
However, all this admitted, is it, after all, the fact, that
reason, with all its magnificent prerogatives, does really
possess all those attributes, and rights, which the reformers,
and the reformed churches, have been pleased to give it ?
The reader, if he will reflect with candor, and attention, will, I
am convinced, think, Not. Thus, for example, let him only
consult, for a moment, the annals of experience. Let him, for
instance, in the first place, look at the state of the pagan
world, during the brightest periods of its learning, and supposed illumination. He sees at once the most monstrous
errors; the most corrupted maxims, and the most unsocial
opinions, combined, and blended, with the few truths, which
nature, and the necessity ofthings, compelledthem to retain.
Let him remark the disputes, the contradictions, the absurdities, of the schools of the philosophers. There is hardly a
truth, which these men, though guided by their reason, did
not deny, a duty, which they did not disregard, an obliga- tion, which they did not despise. It was reason, they
solemnly proclaimed, that induced them to believe in the
divinity of a Jupiter, a Venus, a Bacchus, &c. It even
sanctified vice, and deified corruption. In short, the whole
history ofhuman reason, during the most distinguished eras
of pagan wisdom, is little else than the history of contradictions, absurdities, and vice. Whence, that well-known saying
of Cicero, " Nihil tam absurdum, quod non dicatur ab aliquo
philosophorum. " Such are the effects of reason, when it
presumes to judge, and determine, for itself.
In the next place, let us consider the character, and fruits,
of human reason, as we see it exercised, even at present,
under the beams, and influences, of Christian knowledge.
Alas, we find it, even here, a very imperfect guide to truth,
and a very feeble barrier against incertitude. We find it,
on the contrary, made use of, every where, as the very
principle of error, and the basis of incredulity. We find it a
torrent, which is furiously breaking down all the mounds,
both of piety, and Christian wisdom . For, what is the truth,
which reason does not deny ? or what the falsehood, which it
does not defend ? It is incessantly employed in combating every good, and in supporting every bad cause. There is not
a nation, nor a place, in which men have affected, or affect,
to take reason for their guide, but present to us the spectacle, not only of different, but of the most conflicting,
and contradictory opinions. What one individual deems
true, another, we remark, finds false. What this man looks
upon as wise, his neighbour ridicules as nonsense. Indeed,
such, I conceive, is the character of human reason, that, let
any two, and even well-instructed persons start from any
one given point,-going on, reasoning, and aiming at the selfsame conclusion, the consequence will be, that they will
not have advanced three steps, before they separate, and
divide. In fact, I say too much,-for, let only the same
person, taking his reason for his guide, attempt, under its
direction, to pry into the nature, or secret, of any difficult,
and important subject, it will be found, that he will soon,
and incessantly, differ from himself,-alternately, and perhaps
in the space of a few days, adopting, and rejecting ; believing,
and disbelieving, the very same opinion ; and this, too, with
the very same degree of confidence, and conviction. The
case is, that reason, with all its magnificent endowments, is
a very feeble, fluctuating thing ; the easy dupe of passion,
of prejudices, of interest, &c. It is dependent upon a thousand contingencies, accidents, and circumstances, upon the
nature of organisation ; upon health, climate, affections, love,
hatred, education, and so on. For, all, and each of these,
give a bias to our judgments, and a colouring to our opinions.
They are the sources of those endless, countless, contradictions, differences, and fluctuations, which we find so common,
not only in the walks of society, but in the mind even of
the self- same reasoning individual.
Trace, next, the effects, which reason has produced in the
minds, and on the conduct, of the men, who adopted its
judgment, as the rule of their belief. No sooner had the
reformers proclaimed what they called the " glorious charter
of Christian liberty," than, straight every form of error sprang
up under its captivating influence ; and multitudes,-even
many of the reformers themselves, became infected with the
poison of infidelity ;-insomuch that Melancthon, contemplating the awful scene, and considering the bearings of the
licentious principle, exclaimed emphatically, " Great God !
what a tragedy have we not been preparing for posterity ! "2
He tells us, that he traced its effects with horror, and trepidation ; foretelling, at the same time, that no mounds, or barriers,
would ever arrest the torrent of its devastations. (Ep. xiv.
L. 4.) Ere long, appeared Socinus ; when the virus of deism
was found to circulate through every vein of the reformation.
It is true, many rigid theologians expressed very feelingly
their reprobation of the distressing evil. They deplored it
sincerely. But, then, the misfortune was, there existed no
remedy for its correction. The tree bore its fruits ; and
though bad, and bitter, yet there were no means in Protestantism to hinder them from ripening. Thus, Germany, and
Holland, became crowded with hosts of freethinkers. In
France, Jurieu informs us, the Protestant ministers had long
aimed at the destruction of Christianity itself: " Ils formoient,"
he says, " dans les églises reformées de France ce malheureux
parti, qui conjuroit contre le Christianisme." In this country,
the case was perhaps equally deplorable. Indeed, it is a
fact, that Voltaire, and the general body of our modern
philosophists , very frequently acknowledge, that they have
borrowed their chief doctrines of infidelity from the schools of
Protestant England."
But, let us, too, once again, cast our eyes upon the general
state of the Protestant churches, at the present period,—
regulated, as they profess to be, by the genuine rule of the
Reformation, the pure dictates, and suggestions, of enlightened reason. Why, what a spectacle do they not, all of
them, every where, exhibit, what a scene of confusion,
anarchy, and disbelief! In this wise nation, for example, we possess above a hundred organised religions ; whilst, perhaps,
in each religion, no two individuals exactly believe alike.-
In Germany, Baron Starke, Muller, and a multitude of other
writers, inform us, there is not so much as one single Christian
dogma, but what is publicly, and systematically, denied by
the pastors of the Protestant churches. In Geneva, it is
positively forbidden to speak in the pulpit, or in the schools,
of the Divinity of Christ, or of the Trinity, and original sin : -
which, in other words, is forbidding the defence of Christianity
itself. In France, the case is similar. There, with perhaps
hardly an exception, the reformed pastors are acknowledgedly
Socinians . But, in short, no where,-in no one Protestant
church, is there so much as the slenderest shadow of Christian unity. No where,-in no part of Europe,-does there
remain little more than a mere remnant of the original tenets
of the first apostles of the Reformation. There is no where a minister, so unenlightened, or so bold, as now confidently to
come forward, and preach the antiquated doctrines of a
Luther, a Zuinglius, a Muncer, &c. It is their general boast,
that better instructed now, and more liberal than formerly,
they have cast away the absurd prejudices, and ignorances,
of their early predecessors. Not, however, that'these men are
not equally real Protestants as were their predecessors. They
are precisely as much so ; be their belief, or even their unbelief, what they may: because Protestantism, according to
that accurate definition of Dr. Burgess with which I have
ushered in this treatise, consists simply in the abjuration of
Popery. [See Illustration, D.]
Wherefore, contemplating the effects, which the alleged
rights of reason every where produce ; -beholding the errors,
the confusion, and infidelity, which it generates, it becomes
difficult to imagine, how such a principle can really have
been instituted by the divine wisdom, to be the foundation
of the Christian's faith. If, indeed, such is the fact, then
also it is just equally certain, that the principle of religion is,
at the same time, the very principle of anarchy, and falsehood ; of doubt, and incredulity ;---a proposition, surely, which
is just as palpably absurd, as it is evidently false.
VII. The next principle that is cited, as another means
of ascertaining the truth ; and as the foundation of security,
is sentiment, that is, the feelings, and convictions, of a mind,
satisfied with the supposed certitude of its own belief; and
of the divinity of the sect, it follows. This too, is an argument,
which, amongst multitudes of well-disposed individuals,-
the ardent, above all, the simple, and illiterate,-is used
incessantly ; and used always with an expression of peculiar
satisfaction, both as the proof, and confirmation, of their
respective tenets, or religions, whatsoever these chance to be.
However, the pretension is at least equally feeble as that
which I have been discussing. For which reason, I shall
devote very few observations to it .
And what, then, are sentiments, or feelings, in reality ?
Why, they are any thing, or every thing, that you please.
They are all the follies, and infirmities ; all the dreams, and
visions, of the human mind. They are assurances, devoid of
any foundation ;-fears, the effect of melancholy ; and melancholy, the effect of bile. They are likings, the fruit of partiality ; and dislikings, the creatures of prejudice. They are, in
short, every possible shape of illusion, extravagance, and error .
Insomuch that if feelings were to be admitted as the criterions
of certitude, and right, there would, at once, be an end, both
of truth and piety ; of order, morality, and virtue. For, it is
a fact, which no one will controvert, that there is not a form
of falsehood, and fanaticism ; not a practice of superstition,
or of vice itself, but has been sanctioned, and even sanctified,
under the plea, and pretext, of feeling.
The circumstance, however, which, alone, suffices to prove,
that feelings are not the medium, instituted by the divine
wisdom, as the real criterions of what is true, and right, is
the simple fact of that confusion of religions ; that variety,
and contradiction, of opinions, which they have, every where,
generated. A Being, such as our holy Legislator, and who
is wisdom itself, cannot possibly have been the author of a
rule, which produces effects like these. And yet we find,
that, however opposite any doctrines, or contradictory any
religions, may chance to be, still do their respective advocates
believe them, each, with the same stern conviction, and defend them with the same share of confidence. The case is,
that the feelings of true, and false ; of right, and wrong, vary,
every where, with the varieties of the human character ; and
are dependent upon a thousand adventitious circumstances,-
upon education, habits, constitution, times, seasons, fashions,
&c. There is hardly a question, or opinion, but what strikes
different men in different ways ; nay, sometimes, even the
very same man, upon different occasions, and at different
seasons : insomuch that what seems true, to-day, will seem
false, and absurd, to-morrow. Whence, also, it is a common, if not general case, that, whenever men go on consulting but
the suggestions of their feelings, they are sure to proceed
from error to error, and from illusion to illusion ; until, by
a very natural progress, they advance from error, and illusion, to incertitude, and doubt ;-and thence, by an easy
descent, to incredulity, or indifference. Indeed, whether it
so chance, that men follow the impulse of their feelings, or
the suggestions of their reason, they arrive, ere long, at one
or other of these awful terms, the most fatal boundaries of
the human intellect. Or if, indeed, certain minds do not
reach the dreadful gulf, the happy circumstance is owing, not
so much to their strength, and talents, as to the fortunate
influences of their weakness, and timidity.
VIII. Besides the two mediums, thus briefly stated, I have
cited a third, which its advocates are pleased, to consider as,
of all others, the best, and surest criterion of the true religion. This is the spirit of inspiration. But this, again, is
a subject, upon which I shall not dwell. For, to undertake to convince the sober-minded, and the enlightened, of the
emptiness of such pretext, would be superfluous; and to
attempt to undeceive the fanatic, and the enthusiast, who are
the dupes of its delusions, would be unavailing. To correct the errors of the understanding is, in general, a very difficult
task ; but to reform, or remove, the errors of sentiment,
when once they are exalted to fanaticism, is next to an impossibility. In this state, they form a mental fever, which
no remedy can reach, nor any restorative subdue. For, in
this state, men consider their feelings, not only as the dictates of wisdom ; but as the voice , and impulse, of the Holy
Ghost, which, ofcourse, they deem it an act of irreverence
to disobey. '
The convictions of inspiration have been, at every period,
common amongst the various sects, and members, of the reformation. They animated vast multitudes of its first adherents . They, once, inflamed, and fired, half the population
of this country; as it is unfortunately too true, that they still
continue to cheat an immense portion of its community. At
the early part of the Reformation, the claim to inspiration was
the great lever, by which the artful were wont to excite
the passions of the violent, and to deceive the credulity of
the simple. At present, and above all, in this nation,-it is
the argument, by which multitudes defend doctrines the most
preposterous, and profane. The idea is flattering to selflove, and to the imagination. For which reason, it is easily
impressed. And hence, in the history of Protestantism, that
long series of excesses, extravagances, and follies, which are
the disgrace, both of reason, and religion. We see even, -
and this, too, very frequently,-vice itself inculcated as a virtue ; the grossest falsehoods boldly taught, and confidently believed, as essential truths ; and the most profane
disorders committed, as acts of exalted piety.
These effects are at once the evidence of the emptiness of
the alleged pretension ;-which, in fact, is an insult to the
wisdom, and perfections, of the Almighty. But, without
appealing to any such disorders, the circumstance alone of
the incoherencies of the men, who have affected to be
guided by it, is sufficient to point out its fallacy. The suggestions of the Holy Ghost are, of course, always uniform ,
and consistent ;-as such also is the character of truth itself.
Whereas, among the men that have laid claim to the
heavenly favour, we find that every thing is replete with contradiction, and incongruity. Precisely as their fancies, or
feelings, chanced to vary, just so, in like manner, do their
doctrines . They had, each of them, their own sentiment, and conviction ;-each asserting with confidence, what the others,
with equal confidence, denied. So that referring to the
pretendedly inspired religions of these men, we discover, that
not so much as any two of them do any where agree together.
Thus, for example, we have recently seen our Wesley, and
Whitfield, each arrogating to himself the sacred gift of inspiration, and each delivering doctrines diametrically opposite
to one another. Whence, it follows, that the alleged claims
to inspiration, are, at best, but mere illusions ; and that the
strong convictions, under which the sacred privilege has been,
and is still, so often asserted, evince nothing more nor less
than the enthusiasm, the folly, or the weak credulity, of the
men, who have pretended to it . Conviction, even the most
powerful and invincible conviction, has often animated the
very worst, and most desperate, fanatics.
IX. To the aid of reason, and to the sanctions of sentiment and inspiration, the Protestant, it is true, calls in
the aid of the sacred Scriptures ;-appealing constantly, and
confidently, to their testimony; and reposing his convictions upon their presumed authority. This is, indeed,
one of the chief,-if not the best,-stronghold of his
defence. And it is because the Catholic does not exactly
approve of this mode of deciding the truth, or the falsehood,
of any doctrine, that he is so severely condemned, as the
enemy of the word of God. This is even a subject, which
forms the great theme of those countless publications, which
are unceasingly issuing from the press, against Popery ; and
above all, it is that which fires the zeal and animates the eloquence of our modern hosts of Bibliomaniacs. Wherefore,
since both the imputation, and the question itself, are so important, I will, hence, pause, at some length, upon them .
And first, I will state the opinion, which the Catholic entertains respecting the sacred volume ; evincing, how groundless is the accusation of our supposed hostility, either to the
divine Book, or to its circulation.
The fact, then, is, that the church of Rome, so far from
being an enemy to the Bible, considers its possession as
the most valuable of its treasures ; and so far from being
averse to its circulation, she, on the contrary, wishes to see it dispersed through every corner, and cottage, of the Chris- tian universe,-provided only that its translations be correct ;
and that men read it, in the dispositions of humble, and prudent piety. We deem it a peculiarly fortunate and happy
circumstance, that the Christian religion, although, indeed,
it was established without the aid of any written word,-
should have its annals, and its written code of doctrines.
It is well, that the faithful should possess the authentic registers of their faith, and the titles of their future expectations ;
well, that, amidst the trophies of error, and the monuments
of incertitude, and incredulity,-truth should equally, and
still more, have its trophies, and its monuments too. It is
well, that, whilst books without end, and number, attest the
thoughts of man, there should at least be one to attest the
thoughts of God.
But, the utility, and advantages, ofthe Scriptures are, still
farther, rendered evident from the consideration of the following circumstances,-that, precisely as tradition serves to
explain, and determine, the sense of the sacred pages, so also
do these same pages, in return, serve to prove the antiquity
of tradition ; and to confirm, and strengthen, its authority.
They show, that religion, its dogmas, and its duties, are, at
all times, binding, and irrevocable. They fix, or contribute
to fix, the language, and consequently, too, the stability,-
of the public faith. Whilst moreover, it is true, that, without
their aid, and testimony, a variety of facts, instructions, &c. ,
which help powerfully to move the heart, and to enlighten the
understanding, would either, by this time, be unknown, or at
all events, known but to few; they present to us truths, the
most sublime; and injunctions, the most important,-designed, for the regulation of the church; the order of society ;
and the conduct, and sanctification, of individuals. Whence,
St. Paul says : "All scripture is given by inspiration of
God; and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness ; in order that the man of
God may be made perfect, and thoroughly furnished unto
all good works." Such are the Scriptures ; and such as
these, the notions, which the Catholic entertains of their
sanctity, their utility, and their benefits;-revering them, as the most precious and important gift, that the wisdom and
goodness of the Almighty has bestowed upon his creatures.
With all these advantages, then, and seeing, that the
sacred volumes have been lent to us for the above- cited
purposes,-seeing this, is it not, for these reasons, but a piece
of consistency to suppose, that the understandings of men,
assisted, at the same time, by the instincts, and impulse, of
their feelings, are competent, with these aids, to judge, and
determine, what, in religion, it is wise, and proper, to believe ;
and what it is right, and prudent, to reject ? Such as this, no
doubt, is the doctrine,-the necessary doctrine, of every
Protestant church, and of every consistent Protestant. All
these, in the language of the " immortal " Chillingworth, as he is
called, exultingly proclaim, " The Bible, the Bible, and only
the Bible, is the religion of Protestants. " And hence it is,
that we hear the clergy, and the preachers, of each Protestant
sect, so earnestly exhorting their respective followers to read,
and study, the divine Book unceasingly. " Read it," they
call out; " examine it : for it is the Book of Life . Learn
from it ; for it will teach you, what it is proper for you to
believe, and what it is right to practise." As I have just
remarked, all this is but a piece of consistency.2
Since, then, it is thus contended, that it is the privilege,
and duty, of men to interpret the sacred pages, ought not the
direct consequence to be, and is it not the dictate of common
sense to suppose it, that they should, therefore, be competent to understand them ? Such consequence is, no doubt,
palpable :-else, the reading, and examination, become nugatory, and unavailing. Well ; and do they, then, understand,
-or are they competent to explain, the mysterious volumes ?
This is indeed a question, which requires no discussion
whatever. They do not understand them. Even the learned
themselves, left to their own talents, do not understand them.
The truth is, and it is the concession of the most enlightened
scholars, that, amongst all the variety of books in the
whole order of literature, there is not one single work, that is
more obscure, more perplexing, and difficult to be understood, than the sacred Scriptures , roof, this alone, that
they never were designed by the eternal wisdom to be subjected to the interpretation of each private individual.
" Open," says Dr. Balgui, “ Open your Bibles, take the first
page that occurs in either Testament ; and tell me, without
disguise, is there nothing in it too hard for your understanding ? If you find all before you clear, and easy, you
may thank God for giving you a privilege, which he has denied
to many thousands of sincere believers." Accordingly, referring to the opinions of even the most learned Protestants,
we constantly find, that, whenever they pretend, or attempt,
to interpret the holy pages by the light of their own private
reason, and the dictates of their own feelings, they not only,
all, differ amongst themselves, just equally as do the ignorant,
and the simple, but they plunge, many of them, into errors,
which are, sometimes, as pernicions as they are absurd.
Their opinions are as various as their respective characters ;
and as numerous almost, as their persons. Yes, and not
only this, but even the creeds, and symbols, of the reformed
churches, although composed by the wisdom, and policy, of
the learned ; and reposing professedly upon the plainest
texts of Scripture ;-and designed to create a something like
unity amongst the public ;-even these are, all, at variance
with each other. So that, no where, amongst all the in numerable sects of Protestantism, do any two of these
important, but singular instruments agree together. [See
Illustration, E.]
From these few reflections, therefore, or rather, from the
consideration of these facts,-it ought, I conceive, to appear
but reasonable to the candid mind to conclude, that, divine,
and useful, as are the Scriptures, yet, being also obscure, and
difficult to be understood, they are not, for this reason, designed by the eternal wisdom to be subjected to the interpre- tations of men's private judgment. For, every where, and on
every occasion, does experience attest this fact, that, let
the talents, the learning, the industry, and even the dispositions, of men be what they may, yet whensoever they have
attempted to interpret the sacred volume by the light of their
own reason, and to form their own opinions, respecting the
doctrines of religion, by the suggestions of their own feelings,
they have uniformly and constantly, not only differed widely
amongst themselves, but fallen, many of them, into the
grossest errors and contradictions. But then, too, to contend,
-as the consistent Protestant must contend,-that all men,-
even the most illiterate, and simple ; men of every character,
-the immoral, and the vain, just equally as the virtuous,
and the humble ;-to contend, that all these should read, and
explain, the awful volume, this, surely, is a piece of absurdity, which no wisdom,-save the wisdom of such men as
Dr. Ryder, and our modern bibliomaniacs, can pretend to
explain away. Good God! to thrust the divine Book, as these sages do, into the hands of the poor, and wild, and
ignorant Irish, or into those of the just equally ignorant
English, and bid all these learn from it the genuine doctrines
of religion, this is one ofthose acts of folly, for which it is
only possible to account, either by the extravagancies of fanaticism, or the horror, and dread, of Popery. But, in
short, I have no hesitation in saying this-that, if the reason
of each private individual be the interpreter of the Bible,-
as by the essential rule of Protestantism it is ;-if it be thus, that men must find out the truth, and grope their way to the
real sanctuary of religion, then also do I think it true, that
the sacred Book (seeing, that it is so difficult, and obscure)
is a very unhappy, and a very fatal present. For, in this
case, men will for ever dispute; for ever doubt ; for ever
remain uncertain ; and unable to ascertain its genuine signification. So that God will thus have spoken to us to very
little purpose. [See Illustration, F.]
Since, therefore, it is thus manifest, both from the dictates
of common sense, and from the attestations of experience,
that neither individual reason, nor feelings, nor the pretext of
inspiration, nor the light and language of the Bible, as interpreted by the suggestions of private judgment, are competent, or sufficient, to conduct mankind to the sure knowledge of the real doctrines of religion, it should, of course,
appear to follow, that, as the belief and profession of these
divine truths are strictly enjoined by their sacred Author,
as the necessary conditions of future happiness,-so, consequently, there ought to exist, and therefore does exist,-
some other principle, besides the above, by which this blessing may be attained ; and a principle, moreover, by means
of which, the possession of the true religion may be ascertained, with such a degree of certitude, and security, as to
leave no room for rational doubt upon the mind of the sincere inquirer. In reality, there is no kind of certitude, and
conviction, that should be so strong, and so completely
devoid of doubt, as the certitude, and conviction, of Christian
faith. In religion, all doubt is not only wrong, but criminal .
The want of a solid basis to sustain belief must, of course,
produce error, scepticism, and indifference. It is only a
fixed, and sure criterion, that can create wise stability, or
inspire rational conviction.
X. And what, therefore (I come now to ask the important question), is that happy principle, by means of which
these invaluable blessings may be obtained ? Why, if the
various mediums, which I have thus far discussed, be inadequate to this purpose, then is the reply at once obvious, and incontestable. For, in this case, there remains but one
medium more, by whose aid the attainment of the above
benefits can be reasonably accounted for. This medium is
Authority ; but, an authority, of course, unerring, and infallible ; an authority, instituted by the wisdom of our
supreme Legislator ;-designed by his mercy to be the guide,
and instructor, of his subjects ; and so established, as to
preserve inviolate, till the end of time, the sacred depositum
of his revelations. In religion, the means ought manifestly
to correspond to the end. So that if the unity, and perpetuity, of the true faith be the necessary appendages of the
sacred institute, then must there also coexist some means
or other, corresponding to these benefits, by which they may
be effectually attained, and secured. This means, as I have
just said, is no other than Authority.
XI. That our great Legislator promulgated, and established, the doctrines, and the law, oftruth, this is a point,
which, just equally with the Catholic, every Christian sect
very readily admits. He did this, in the effusions of his
mercy towards his creatures. However, merely to have done
this was by no means enough. It was still requisite, that
he should also provide for the preservation of those benefits ;
because they are designed to be, not temporary, but perpetual, and immortal institutions. It was necessary even,
beyond this, to secure their preservation against all the
profane mixtures of error, and the impure alloys of human
corruption :-because they are intended to remain always,
such precisely as they were originally,-as pure, holy, and
uncontaminated, as when they came forth from the bosom of
the Divinity. This, too, is obvious : and such as this, accordingly, is the order of things instituted by our great Legislator. He has even done this, in a way, which strikingly
attests his own eternal wisdom ; points out that knowledge
ofthe human character, which can only belong to an infinite
Being ; and expresses, at the same time, that property of
unity, which is the distinctive attribute of the works of the
Almighty.
But how, then, and by what means, has he effected this ?
Has he done it, by committing his divine doctrines to the
pages of a book ;-affixing to it proofs, so peculiarly manifest,
and arguments, so palpable, that the human mind cannot
easily either reject, or misunderstand them ? Such as this,
no doubt, in the formation of a code of laws, would be the
plan, and endeavour, of the political legislator, orofthe human
philosopher. However, who but must feel at once, that, considering the pride, and passions, the self-love, and the weaknesses, of the minds of men, to have acted thus, would
have been opening a field,-a vast, boundless field,-to endless difficulties, to strife, contention, and disunity ? Who
but must be sensible that, by thus flattering, and addressing,
the reason of the public,-authorising them to believe only
what they clearly understood,-would have been, in reality,
to have erected an insurmountable barrier, between man, and
an incomprehensible Being ? It is, consequently, hence,
that the great Legislator, disdaining all the feeble and vain supports of human opinions, descends at once, and penetrates,
into the very foundations of our nature, and constitution :
and it is there, that he lays, and fixes, the grounds of the
unity, and perpetuity, of his law. He maintains and preserves
his divine truths in the thoughts of men, precisely as he
maintains and preserves thought itself,-by the transmission
of his sacred word,-preparing, at the same time, for the
security of this transmission, by the institution of a medium,
which is inviolable, and holy. That is, in other words, he
has formed, and established, on earth, a regular society,
under the control of a regular government, of which himself is
the corner- stone. He has united together by certain exterior,
and indissoluble links, that happy portion of mankind, who
constitute its members; again uniting them, moreover, interiorly, by the principles of the same belief. Such as this
is the character of the real church of Jesus Christ,
XII. The principle, as the reader knows, upon which our
divine Legislator himself undertook the office of teaching, and
conducting mankind, was the deputation, which he had
received, for these purposes, from the sanction of his eternal
Father: for, as St. Paul remarks, " Christ glorified not himself to be made a high-priest." It was solely in virtue of
this charter, as himself declared, that he inculcated his sacred
doctrines, and imposed his precepts.-Wherefore, being thus
deputed, and commissioned, this divine Being, in his turn,
deputes, in like manner, and commissions, a new order of
pastors , to whom, also, he transfers that self-same charter,
which himself had received from the hands of his heavenly
Father. " As the Father," he said, addressing his apostles, and
through them, their successors to the end of time,-" As the
Father hath sent me, even so do I send you. " " Go, therefore,
and teach all nations ; and behold I am with you, all days, to the
end of the world." Hence, exactly as Christ Jesus has said,
speaking of himself,-" He, who hath sent me, is true ; and I
say again to the world those things which I have heard from
him," so also, speaking of themselves, do these pastors,
thus authorised, for ever, and at present, say,-" He, who
hath sent us, is true ; and we say again to the world those
things, which we have heard from him." Mere witnesses of the divine word, these men but simply testify what they have
heard from their Master ; so that their testimony is no other
than that of Jesus Christ himself,-precisely as the testimony
of this sacred Being is but that of his eternal Father, who had
sent him, and said of him, " This is my beloved Son ; hear
you him." It was accordingly for these reasons, that this
divine Personage, addressing his apostles, says to them,
" He that heareth you, heareth me ; and he that despiseth
you, despiseth me ; and he that despiseth me, despiseth him
that sent me. " Wherefore, this consequence ought to appear
undeniable,-that, in order to enter into society with God,-
or as the Scripture expresses it, " in order to become the
children of God," the necessary medium is, to receive
his doctrines from his church, as his church had received them
from Christ, and as Christ himself had received them from
the hands of his heavenly Father ;-and to receive them, at
the same time, with the convictions of a firm, and unhesitating faith ; not only because such is the sole means of
possessing the truth, but because all doubt, even the slenderest doubt, is an insult to the supreme authority, which has
revealed it. If, indeed, these principles be once set aside,
and the mere aid of reason called in to determine what are
the real dogmas of revelation, what it is necessary to believe,
or proper to reject,-in such case, there must soon be an end
of truth, and of all prudent, and fixed convictions . Transposed, and placed upon so weak and contemptible a basis ,
the sacred fabric of religion sinks, ere long, an awful and
distressing ruin ;-overwhelming in its fall, and under the
weight of its fragments, that presumptuous principle, human
reason, which flattered, and deceived, by the suggestions of
its own pride, had vainly considered itself as strong enough
to sustain the whole pressure of the immortal sanctuary.
XIII. It is , therefore, owing to the nature of divine faith ;
to the character in particular of its unity ; and to the obligation of believing, and professing it, such precisely as it comes
from the bosom ofthe Divinity, that, at every period of time,
-under all the dispensations of God's mercy to his creatures,
-there has always existed on earth a visible and speaking
guide, a guide, not only commissioned to instruct the public how to believe, and to act; but invested, moreover, with
the authority, both to command, and to enforce obedience.
In reality, if faith be essentially one, and at the same
time unchangeable, as well as necessary, then is such medium manifestly requisite. Because it is only thus, that
it can be conceived, I do not say, easy, but even possible, to prevent, or suppress, contentions ; to remove
doubts ; to inspire confidence; and to maintain security, and
wise conviction. Faith, without the principle of authority,
leans only upon a reed. For this reason, therefore, it was,
that even our divine Legislator, before he took upon himself,
either to teach, or to command, established first, and rendered incontestable, the reality of his own authority to do so. He
did this, by the attestation, and splendor, of his miracles.
He performed miracles ; thus proving his right to conduct the public ;-and then only, he said to them, " Believe."
It was so, too, with his apostles. They, too, in like manner,
-ere they came forward to guide, and instruct mankind, -
demonstrated, in the first place, their power to do so, by the
blaze of miracles ; and then it was, that, like their great
Master, they, too, called out, " Believe. " In fact, authority
is the sole foundation of Christian faith, precisely as it is also
the basis of social order. The obedience of the understanding
forms the character of Christianfaith, just as the obedience
of the will forms the character of Christian virtue.
For example, just to appeal to the dictates of common
sense, let the reader imagine (if he can imagine such an
absurdity), let him imagine such things in the order of society, as a state, or community, without a legislator ;-duties
to be discovered, and performed, by the dictates of each one's
private understanding ; -laws, whose sanctions, and obligations, are to be determined in the breast, and by the feelings,
of individuals, and so on. Why, at the mere proposal of
such a system, there is no one but feels at once the grossness
of its absurdity; and that it is alike repugnant to common
sense, as it is inconsistent with every notion of social order.
Each individual his own legislator ! And yet such as this,-
if not even greater than this, is the absurdity, which is involved in the leading maxim of the reformation, rendering
each one, as it does, the supreme arbiter of his own belief ;
and the judge of objects, which, of all others, are the most
important and incomprehensible.
Laws presuppose two things,--a legislator, whose will
renders them obligatory ; and a visible authority to proclaim
and promulgate them. Thus, should it chance, that any
conflict, or seeming contradiction, takes place between
various statutes ;-or should any doubt arise, respecting their
import, or application ;-any dispute, concerning what, or
which, is the real law itself;-the obvious method in all such
cases, and that which alone is adapted, both to the situation, and capacity of the public, is, not philosophically to
examine the nature of the laws in themselves, a point which very few are competent to determine, or which, perhaps, none
can determine, with absolute certitude,-but simply to investigate, and ascertain, which, and what, is that law, that has
been proclaimed by the voice, and sanctioned by the seal, of
lawful authority, or at least, by the voice, and sanction, of
the highest authority.
If the foregoing principles are denied, the consequence
must, then, manifestly be that, which I have so often stated,
-namely, that there exists no other established basis of
belief, save the judgment, which is exercised by the reason
of each private individual. In this case, religion becomes
just equally fluctuating, and uncertain, as is the reason of the person, who presumes, or undertakes, to judge. It becomes
no longer a law, but a mere opinion ; no longer a prudent
conviction, but a rash persuasion, reposing, either upon
pride, and partiality ; or upon ignorance, simplicity, or fanaticism . And as, too, the judgment of one individual is by no
means, according to the alleged privilege, obliged, or so
much as supposed, to submit to the judgment of another,
who is only his equal,-so, of course, is each one, as Bishop
Watson remarks, authorised, not only to believe, but to profess, what, to his own understanding, appears the most rational , or true, according to that classic definition, which the
learned prelate has thought proper to adopt, as the most
accurately descriptive of the religion of the Protestant, " Et
sentire quæ velit, et quæ sentiat dicere." With these
maxims it is, certainly, quite impossible to reconcile that
first, and essential attribute of the Christian religion, its
unity. They are, in fact, destructive, not only of all unity ;
but they are manifestly calculated to render, as, wheresoever they are consistently followed up, they do render,-the
state of every Protestant community a scene of confusion
and incredulity. Their never- failing effect is to produce,
in time, either irremediable doubt, or irrecoverable indiffer
ence.
Thus, both by the dictates of good sense, and the attestations of experience, I have conducted the reader to this
conclusion,-that, in order wisely to ascertain the genuine
doctrines, and the real sanctuary, of the true religion, the
sole method is, to find out that society, which reposes upon
the greatest visible authority. And this, too, I have likewise
observed, is , at the same time, an object, so plain and manifest, that even the most simple,-did they look around them,
-might discover it, without any difficulty. To discover it,
little else is required than to have eyes. For, whilst the
Catholic church,-venerable for its antiquity, boundless in
its diffusion, resplendent in the sanctity of its members,
unvarying, and invariable, in its tenets, whilst such is the
Catholic church, the Protestant societies, meanwhile, the
creatures, all of them, of yesterday ; insignificant (when considered separately) in their extent ; inglorious in their
founders, are every where in a state of anarchy, and contradiction, their followers without any fixed system of belief,
-their very ministers, all, at variance amongst themselves ; -
under these circumstances, to ascertain, which is the best
guide to truth, or which the real sanctuary of religion, should
not, cannot, to the sincere inquirer,-appear a task of any
great perplexity. At all events, the considerations which I
have thus presented,-simple, as they are striking, should
suffice, if not to satisfy, at least to awaken, the attention of the thoughtful, and the prudent. But, unhappily, so it
is : we live in an age of prejudice, and incredulity ; at a
period of sophistry, and disputation. It costs men a great
deal, such is the effect of human self-love,-to own, or
renounce, their errors . Once educated, and involved in
error, they struggle even against their own convictions, and
shut their eyes to the plainest truths. But, as this part of
my subject is so interesting, I will again resume it.
XIV. At the epoch when Luther commenced his revolutionary career, there had existed, during the long course of fifteen hundred years, a religious society, -the Catholic
church,-conducted, under the guidance of one supreme
head, by a body of pastors, who, in conformity with the assurances of Christ, considered themselves, -and were
equally so considered by the public, as invested with the
authority to judge infallibly, and to decide irrevocably, all
those questions in religion, which related to the doctrines of
Christian faith. The method, in which they did this, was,
not by creating new dogmas ; not by citing the ancient dogmas
before the tribunal of human reason, in order to examine
them in themselves (for this would have been subjecting the
wisdom of God to the puny wisdom ofman) ; but merely by
the way of testimony, ascertaining, and verifying, the tradition, or universal faith, by the tradition, or faith, of each
particular church. So, for example, when Luther, and the reformers, first began to preach, the Catholics at once called
out, " These doctrines of yours were never heard of, until now. Yesterday, we had never so much as heard them
spoken of. And how, therefore, can they possibly be, or
how can we think them, true? Truth is not the creature
of yesterday, or to-day: it is the object of all times, and
ages : it existed from the beginning, and will continue to
exist for ever; whereas, error possesses no surer characteristic than the feature of novelty. Either, then, you do not
teach what Christ has taught, and in this case we ought
not to listen to you, or else your doctrines are conformable
to his. Now, in this supposition, you ought, of course, to
show, that they are conformable also to those of his church.y
For, since he had promised to remain, all days, to the end
of the world, with this divine institution ; so it could not, even
for one single day, teach any doctrines, save those which it
had received from its sacred Founder." Such as this was
the language, which the Catholics addressed to Luther, and
to the first authors of the reformation. It was, in fact, upon
these principles,-upon these fundamental, and immoveable
principles, -that, without any process of argumentation ;
without any dangerous discussion of the internal nature of
the Christian dogmas ; without the labour of endless disputes
with the authors, or advocates, of heresy,-the ancient councils pronounced their irrevocable decrees ; and that the whole
body of the church said anathema to Arius, to Nestorius,
to Eutyches, &c., and to all those daring innovators, who,
like the above heresiarchs, substituted the visions of their
own fancies in room of the ancient faith.
Before the pretended reformation, never did one single
sect, or even sectarist, presume to deny directly the authority
of the Catholic church. Never did they so much as contest
the reality, and justice, of her right to act, as the judge of
faith :-nor did they ever call in question the infallibility of
her decisions. They cavilled, it is true, not unfrequently,
against the forms, and order, of her judgments. They contended, that the councils, which had condemned them, were
not proper and lawful councils ; and that they had not
observed the indispensable rules of a wise and just determination. All this kind of remonstrance, and complaint, was,
indeed, the very common language of the early heresiarchs.
But still , never did any one of these men so much as whisper
out the insolent, and fatal term, " Independence. " Never
did any of them pretend, that the sole judge of Christian faith is the tribunal of human reason. So forcibly, at those
periods, were impressed upon their minds, and upon the
minds of the whole body of the Christian public, those thundering words of our Redeemer,-" He that will not hear the
church, let him be as the heathen and the publican . "
Even Luther himself, when first he entered upon his bold
career, still owned, and protested with sincerity, or at least
with apparent sincerity, his humble submission to the judgment of the church. He loudly, and earnestly solicited the
convocation of a council : and although his soul seemed but
an assemblage of violent passions, all fed by the force of
pride,-yet did he, for some time, show himself disposed
to bend down his haughty head before the tribunal of the chief pastor, and rulers, of the sacred fold. The constant
practice, and opinion, of all preceding ages, confirmed and
founded, as they are, upon the plainest texts of the divine
word, did not, as yet, allow him so much as even to conceive the daring idea, that men may destroy that awful
barrier, which the wisdom of our immortal Legislator has
erected against the inroads of innovation, and the intrusions
of heresy. However, the continuance of these dispositions
was not of any long duration. For, when, ere long, his errors
were condemned in Rome ; and soon as the rapid increase
of his followers had roused his courage to bolder darings ; -
then, giving ear only to the suggestions of his anger, and ambition, he altered at once his language ; and unawed by
any feelings of moderation, unrestrained by any sense of
decency, he insolently, in the fury of his indignation, uttered
anathema against anathema, and unfurled the standard of
rebellion. Then it was, at this awful period, that began,
in Europe, the race of error, and the war, and conflict of
opinion : insomuch, that, within the short space of very few
years, the public beheld a hundred new systems of religion,
where, until now, they had never witnessed any more than
one.
However, notwithstanding these disorders, and spite of all
this licentiousness of opinion, it is still true, so deeply were
the maxims of the ancient faith ingrafted in the public mind,
-it is still true, that the leading principle of the Reformation
did not, at once, nor yet very generally, develope itself in
all its plenitude, and deformity. At first, there was only a
certain number of bold, and penetrating individuals, men,
possessed of that kind of character, which hardly any consequences could dismay, that, early, descried its bearings,
and at once rushed forward, and pushed on to its utmost
limits . Still, the number of these was, for some time,
comparatively speaking, only small. The multitude, as yet,
still followed their steps with languor, and regret. They
still continued to cherish some of the principal, and most
prominent truths of their parent church. And what is
striking, or what should, at least, seem striking to the
Protestant, is this : that, in proportion as each new sect
thought proper to preserve a greater portion of the ancient
truths, so also did it labour the more industriously to preserve amongst its adherents the principle of authority. In
fact,-let the Protestant deny it as he will, it is still true,
that this sacred principle must subsist, wheresoever there
subsists any order, or any respect for truth ; or wheresoever
men admit, either any codes of morals, or any forms of
worship. Essential even in the order of social life, it is
doubly so in the economy, and order, of religion. For this reason,-inconsistent as the thing is with the maxims of the Reformation, it subsists, more or less, in every one of the
sects of Protestantism. It subsists in them all : but it is,
in them all, a usurped authority. Thus, as Montesquieu
remarks, the first, and fundamental organisation of the church
ofEngland was created, and established, by the influences of
despotic power,-" the will, and caprice, of a single individual, " as he adds, " there ordaining, and arranging, every
thing."
XV. The Reformation, properly speaking, according to its
fundamental charter, that law, which gave it birth, and
which still sustains it, is a religious republic (I might say
rather, a religious anarchy), in which power, under the guidance
ofno fixed rule, and without the assurance of any stability,
becomes the property, either of any audacious demagogue,
who has the means, and boldness, to subdue the public mind;
or of the canting hypocrite, who has the art to impose upon
its credulity. Still, however, notwithstanding that the maxims of this charter do thus positively exclude the interferences
of authority, still it is the fact, that the respect for authority
is so deeply imprinted upon the feelings of mankind, that
nothing can ever efface it. It will, and must, continue to
subsist, so long as men continue to believe any thing. It
will perish, only when perishes the last of truths. [See
Illustration, G.]
XVI. The Protestant theologians, many ofthem, did not
refuse, for some time, to admit the authority of the first
ecumenical councils ; insomuch that they opposed their decisions to the tenets of the Arians and Socinians. They even
spoke, a few of them, now and then, with a certain degree
of respect, of the ancient Fathers;-citing these, on some
occasions, with honour ; supporting their own opinions by
the sanctions of their testimony ; and attributing to them a considerable share of authority in the determination of controverted doctrines. The fact is, no doubt, manifest, that,
wheresoever religion is not an empty name, it is wise, and
prudent, to trace its doctrines, and reasonable to expect
to find them, such precisely as Christ Jesus had delivered
them, in the writings of those learned, and holy men, who
lived so close to the age of the first apostles. If this be not
the case, then it must necessarily be contended, that the doctrines of salvation,-those sacred truths which the Divine
Wisdom came down from heaven to announce to men,-began
simply to be understood, fifteen hundred years after their
publication ; and that Luther, after the apostles, was in reality
the first of Christians. But, surely, common sense revolts
at the absurdity of such ideas. However, be this as it may,
-the circumstance is still true, that such as these are the
propositions, which the Protestant is under the necessity of
maintaining, on all those occasions, when, overwhelmed by
the testimonies of the Fathers, he finds himself compelled to
own, that the faith and doctrines of those illustrious defenders
of the Christian church were, in no respect, different from the
faith and doctrines of the Catholic, at the present day ; -
that they believed, and taught, precisely what the pastors of
the Catholic church believe, and teach, in the nineteenth century ;-and that it is impossible to read their immortal works,
without tracing, in almost every page, the express condemnation of the tenets of the Reformation.
In relation, in the next place, to the posterior councils,-
the perplexity, and embarrassment, of the reformers, or
of the Protestant divines in general, were not much less awkward, than they were in the preceding cases . " Either,"
said the Catholics, and we say so still to every Protestant,
-" either you consider the ancient councils as infallible, or
not. In the former supposition, their infallibility, you should
conceive, must have been founded,-for, there is no other
basis, upon the power, and promises, of Jesus Christ,-
upon a power, and promises, unlimited, and unconfined ;
and whose effects it depends not upon you to restrict to any
age, or to restrain to any period. If the church were infallible,
during the course of six centuries, -she, then, is just equally
such, at the present day ; and she will also continue to be
such, for ever. Wherefore, in opposing her decisions, you
oppose, in reality, the authority of Christ himself. For,
amongst all the various arguments, and objections, which
you allege against the posterior councils ; and above all,
against that which has censured you, there is not one,
which might not equally, with the same consistency and
truth,-be applied to those ancient assemblies, which you
profess to admit. To reject any one of them, is to overturn
them all . For, they, all , either stand, or else fall, together.
Concerning the council of Chalcedon, the disciples of Eutyches, and Dioscorus, spoke, precisely as you do, of the
council of Trent. Like you, those men contended, that their
enemies domineered it over them ; and that the purity of
truth had been sacrificed to the influences of intrigue, and to
the artifices of cabal. However, their reproaches, and declamations, were unavailing, and disregarded : and it is, even
in your opinion, right, that they were so. In reality, would
not disputes be endless, if, before any judgment should be
looked upon as decisive, it were necessary to have the sanction of all the parties, that are interested in it ? Again, if faith be incompatible with incertitude, or even with the
slenderest doubt,-then, either there must exist no tribunal
to judge, and determine, the contests concerning the doctrines of religion ; or else, this tribunal must be infallible.
The consequence, therefore, must be, that you cannot, with
any thing like consistency, affect to admit the authority even
of one single ecumenical council, without equally admitting
the infallibility ofthem all ; and by another necessary consequence, also, without declaring yourselves rebels, both to
God and to his church. "
"But if, in order to avoid these perplexing inferences, you
should refuse to admit the infallibility of the ancient councils,
-what benefit, "-we then ask you,-" in the case of such refusal, could you derive, or what advantage would you thus possess, over the Arians, or the Socinians ? Would you, in this
case, compel these men to submit, as a necessary obligation,
to the dictate, and authority, of mere human determinations ?
But if so, would they not, in their turn, oppose to you your
own principles, and your own example ?" For, " Where," they
ask,-" where can there possibly be any obligation, or how
can there exist any substantial motive, for subjecting our
understandings, in matters of faith, to the understandings,
andjudgment, of a set of men, who, just like ourselves, are
liable to error ? Would not such submission imply manifestly the abandonment of our salvation to the risk of hazard ?
Andwould it not be believing, if not by the dictate of caprice,
at all events without rule, certitude, or secure conviction ? "-
But, here you again reply, " that the first councils-although
liable, indeed, to error-did not err. By the merciful effect
of his divine power and wisdom, God permitted them to
preserve in its original purity that sacred depositum of his
doctrines, which he had communicated to mankind."
At this observation, the Socinian, the Arian, &c. again in- terfere ; and taking up the question, remark : "The first
councils, " you say, " although liable to error, did not err.
Now, this is precisely the very point which we contest.
You presuppose, as a certain fact, the very circumstance
which we deny. As consistent Protestants, it is your place
to prove clearly to us, to convince us, by the authority of reason, and by the sanctions of the Scripture, that the doctrines, which we reject, are true. Then there will be no need of citing to us, or of alleging against us, the authority and
decrees of councils . Or, if you cannot do this,-if you cannot
establish the truth, and certainty, of your tenets, by the
sanctions of the above attestations, then it is, surely, still
more unavailing to cite to us, by the way of convincing us,
or else of shutting our mouths,-a set of councils, which, you
allow, were liable to error." Such as this, and it is but the
dictate of common sense,-is the remonstrance, which the
Socinian, the Arian, &c. present to those Protestant establishments, which, admitting the early, reject the posterior councils. Neither can any rational reply, the leading maxims
of the Reformation once admitted, be made to refute it.
For, supposing the early councils to have been fallible, then,
according to these maxims, it ought to appear necessary,
precisely as in the case of all other doctrines, to discuss
the tenets, which they have either defined, or handed down to us. In fact, not only this, but,-setting aside the sanctions of an infallible guide,-it should seem, and indeed is,-
necessary to follow up, and examine, through all the dark
labyrinths of reasoning and argumentation, and at the risk,
therefore, of being lost at every step,-to follow up, and examine, one after another, all the divine truths, and doctrines
of Christianity. For, in matters offaith, all fallible authority
is essentially null, and groundless .
Accordingly, it is not the Socinians alone, but also many
other sects of the Reformation, that, founding their reasonings upon the maxims of Protestant theology,-complain very
loudly of that intolerance, and inconsistency, which would
compel them to admit doctrines which their judgment disapproves ; and which even ties them by oaths, and tests, to
profess tenets, which yet, they acknowledge, may not be true.
All this, they very properly remark, is overturning the very
foundation of the Reformation, and affording a triumph to
the Catholic. For they too, like the Catholic, say,-" Either
the ancient church was infallible, or it was not. If it was
infallible, during certain centuries, why, then, should we
not deem it infallible still ;-since there are exactly the same réasons for the continuation of the important prerogative, as there were for its alleged and supposed duration ?
In this case, it is in the decisions only, and in the sanctions,
of the Catholic church, that men ought to seek for the true,
and genuine doctrines of salvation. But, if the church, at
the present day, is not infallible, then, also, it is true, that she never was so. And in this case, men always might,-
and indeed, always ought,-ere they admitted, or believed
her doctrines, to have first discussed, and examined them
with care . It is, surely, too gross an illusion, too insolent a
stretch of power, to pretend to oblige us to give up our judgment, in calm submission, to a certain number of her decrees,
whilst you assume the liberty of rejecting a multitude of
others ; and of rejecting some, which are just equally clear,
and as well established, as those which you would compel us to
receive . What ! have you, then, forsaken the Catholic church,
only to intrude yourselves into her place ? Have you accused
her of tyranny, only to establish upon her ruins a tyranny,
that is still more revolting, and far worse than hers ? For,
at all events, the Catholic church possesses in her own favour
a long, uninterrupted, and undisturbed possession. She, in
exercising that authority, which you arrogate to yourselves,
does not, like you, contradict and violate her own maxims.
You admit certain councils, and reject others. Now, whence
this preference ? Whence such difference, and distinction ?
By what means do you know, by what criterion do you
ascertain, that, since many of the councils have, according
to you, taught false doctrines, so those, also, which you
admit, may not equally have done the same ?-or, that these
alone have preserved faithfully the sacred truths of revelation ?
Have you any wise assurance of all this ?-any other certitude of it, save the suggestions of your own feelings, or the
dictates of your own judgment ? Most certainly not. Therefore, the consequence is, that it is to your own weak, and falli- ble authority, that you wish, and seek, to subject us. However, do not deceive yourselves. After having taught us to
deny, and reject, the authority, and alleged infallibility, of the
pastors of every age, and of the whole body of the universal
church itself,-after having done this, you, surely, cannot reasonably expect us to acknowledge, without some share of
difficulty, the singular claim, or attribute, of your own inerrancy. " Such as these are the reasonings, both of the
Socinians, and many of the dissenting sects of the Reformation. They are such, that no Protestant defender of councils,
or of oaths, and tests, and subscriptions, can make any consistent answer to them. '
XVII. Seldom indeed, or perhaps, never, do the torrents of error, or the tide of opinions, flow back to their
ancient sources. Thus, it was in vain, that some of the
reformers, and a certain portion of the reformed theologians,
attempted to stay the violence ofthe tempest ; and to check
that conflict, and confusion of beliefs, which the Reformation
had every where produced, amongst its own victims, and
disciples. Its abettors, with very general consent, had early
been reduced to proclaim this grand, and important principle,-" That the Bible alone, independent and exclusive of
any visible authority, is the sole rule and depositum of
the Christian's faith. " " To know," says Chillingworth, " the
religion of Protestants, you must neither consult the doctrine of Luther, nor that of Calvin, or Melancthon ; nor the
Confession of Augsburg, nor Geneva; nor the Catechism of
Heidelberg ; nor the Articles of the Church of England ; nor
yet, the Harmony of all the Protestant churches ;-but that,
which they all subscribe to, as the perfect rule of their faith
and actions, that is to say, the Bible. Yes, the Bible, and
the Bible only, is the religion of Protestants . "
Such was the Reformation ; and such the general state of
Protestantism, at no great length ofinterval after the epoch of
its introduction. Its members, that is, the chief portion of its
more reasoning partisans,-ashamed of its everlasting variations, and tired out with wandering perpetually from creed to creed, thought proper now, with improved courage and
consistency, to disavow at once both the authority of the first
reformers, and the wisdom of their confessions. " It is not,"
they now said, " by reading our countless creeds and professions of faith, not by confiding in the opinions of our
Luthers, Calvins, and Melancthons, that you will learn our
belief. We care little or nothing about creeds, and confessions ; and we now laugh at the errors of our first apostles .
The Bible, the Bible only, is the religion of the Protestant."
However, as I have before remarked, -there presents itself
here a very serious difficulty. The Bible is always silent ;
and often, extremely obscure. It does not explain itself. The
question, therefore, is-Who shall explain it ? This, too, is
a question, which I have answered repeatedly. Why,-
according to the above maxims,-all, without exception, should
explain it. For, as all, without exception, are called to the
knowledge ofthe truth,-and truth, it is contended, is no where
to be found but in the Bible,-so, of course, it must be the
bounden duty of all to seek, and to find, the sacred treasure
there. This, indeed, is so plain a consequence, that no consistent Protestant will pretend even to contest it. Well, and yet
it is true, that it is this, this very concession,-that involves
the Protestant in perplexities so inextricable, and in contradictions so preposterous, that one blushes almost for the honour of human reason. It was, I have shown, in order to
account for the method, by which men might, all of them,
explain the Bible, and discover, in its divine pages, the true
doctrines of salvation, that the reformers, and the reformed
theologians, invented so many strange and extravagant devices, in the first place, that of private inspiration ; next, that
ofsentiment, and taste, &c.-contending, that, just as by the
feelings, and taste, men distinguish heat and cold, sweet and
bitter ; just so, and by a similar kind of mental impulse, do
they discover in the sacred volume the true doctrines of salvation. However, ashamed again, ere long, of these and such
like sensitive systems, they now, as their best resource, concluded, that the real arbiter of Christian faith, the tribunal,
which alone and exclusively possesses the right of interpreting the Bible, is, the good sense, or judgment, ofeach private
individual.
All this is repetition; but repetition is sometimes necessary. And hence, although I have already stated some
of the consequences of the alleged pretension, yet, again
resuming the subject, I will point out a few more of its
awkward difficulties .
XVIII. The religion, then, of the consistent Protestant is
thus, according to the above- cited principle, transformed into
a system of reasoning. And the consequence, as I have so
often stated, was, and still is, that it early assumed, and
possesses at present, as many forms, and features, as there
are fancies, and feelings, in the human mind. Sects at once
arose ; and each sect soon generated others,-succeeding,
and following, one another with restless and rapid velocity,
-like cloud pursuing cloud, or wave rushing upon wave.
Never did the Christian world, at any period, behold so
astonishing, and so wild a fecundity of errors,-a profusion
of creeds contradicting creeds, and of doctrines opposed to
doctrines ; but yet all, and every one of them, deduced plainly, according to their respective authors, from the word
of God. To pretend to state, or even enumerate them, would
be absurd ;-more absurd than to attempt, on a day of tempest, or in the midst of a storm, to count up the clouds which
obscure the sun.
XIX. The whole history of Protestantism is replete with
inconsistencies. Thus, notwithstanding all the wide liberty
of its maxims, and the freedom with which its members are
allowed to apply them, such, notwithstanding these circumstances, is the attachment, which men entertain for their own
belief, or at least, such was the affection, which the reformers, some of them, entertained for their own opinions,-
united, it may have been, with a certain remaining, but expiring respect for unity,-that, although indignant at the condemnation which had been passed upon them by the church
of Rome, they proceeded, very early, to condemn, and even
anathematise, each other. Thus, we know, with what
severity the arch apostle, Luther, reprobated many of the
doctrines of his fellow apostle, Calvin, whilst the latter, in
like manner, with an equal degree of aversion, expressed his
dislike to several of those of Luther. Again, how strikingly
