it would have met with an humble, and most grateful acceptance? And such would have been the case, had man continued holy as he was created, in the moral image and likeness of his Maker. But, through rebellion against God, the purity of his nature was destroyed; his "foolish heart was darkened;" and now, he affords one striking evidence of his fall, by attempting, in a variety of ways, either to weaken, or to counteract, the obligations of the divine command.

We have proof of the correctness of this statement in every age. The Israelites were in possession of the written testimony and law of God, as their depository of doctrine and instruction; and this was proclaimed to them by His inspired Prophets, and appointed Ministers. Actuated, however, by "an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God," the people sought direction and information from other sources, expressly forbidden, inasmuch as they implied an insufficiency in what the Lord had revealed, and were, therefore, most dishonouring to Himself. In consequence of this behaviour, "the Lord hid His face from them:" they fell into the abominations against which they had been forewarned, and Isaiah was now charged to address them, in terms both of reproof and correction, "should not a people seek unto their God? For the living to the dead?" Should they turn from the living God to consult dead idols, or the spirits of dead men, or anything else, instead of His truth? "To the law and to the testimony." Here was the standard of truth and duty, to which, under every difficulty, doubt, or trial, they should have recourse. If the authenticity

of the Prophet's mission, or the correctness of his statements, be questioned, let them be tried by the law of Moses, and by every other portion of divine revelation then in their possession. Let everything be brought to this test; not only what related to their individual practice, but also to the doctrines of their professed guides. But do the people of Israel stand alone in casting an imputation upon the recorded law of God, as inadequate to its purpose? It would be well if none could be found whose conduct resembles theirs in this particular. Notwithstanding the privilege of possessing the complete canon of Scripture, comprehending many more books of the Old Testament than were in existence at the time of Isaiah, together with all the writings of Apostles and Evangelists subsequently delivered, there are those who still maintain that the written word of God is not, in itself, sufficient, as a Rule of Faith, and as a guide to salvation. Such is the ground taken by the Roman Catholic Church; and it will, now, be my object to compare this position with the Scriptures themselves, and with the avowed principles of the Church of England.

Permit me, my Christian Brethren, earnestly and respectfully, to solicit your undivided attention. Let us be careful to approach the subject with that seriousness which its importance demands; and, above all, let us implore the blessing of God's Holy Spirit that we may hear, as well as speak, the truth, in kindness and love towards those whom we deem in error, desiring, in all sincerity, not to offend by irritation, but to benefit by conviction. The welfare of immortal souls, responsible before

God for their faith, no less than for their works, is involved in the question. Let us, then, deliberate upon it as becomes accountable beings, with judgment and eternity ever in view. Thus may the glory of God be advanced, and his truth commended to the hearts of all, while we make our appeal "to the law and to the testimony," and declare, both of Churches, and of individuals, "if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."

The subject, then, which we have to consider, is THE RULE OF FAITH; and I purpose shewing, in the first place, what does not, and, secondly, what does constitute that rule.

FIRST. I am to shew what does not constitute the

Christian Rule of Faith. In order that we may have a clear understanding of what is meant by this expression, let us briefly explain the terms. A rule is that by which anything is measured, with a view to ascertain its straightness or correctness. A rule of Christian faith, therefore, implies that which is to determine the rectitude or truth of the doctrines proposed to our belief; either condemning or approving them, according as they are found in agreement, or at variance, with this given standard.* The question, then, arises, what is that rule by which we try the faith of a professed Christian? There is no one point on which the Churches of England and of Rome differ more essentially than upon this, which lies at the very threshold of the controversy between them. The former, together with all sound Protestant commu

* See a fuller definition in Archbishop Tillotson's "Rule of Faith," Part 1. Sect. 1 §. 3.

nities, maintains, that the written word of God, and that alone, constitutes the rule: as alone from God; as alone unerring; being "the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth;" while the latter has constructed a rule, including-1. The Scriptures as acknowledged by ourselves. 2. The books called Apocryphal. 3. Oral, or unwritten traditions. 4. The judgment of the Church-and 5. The unanimous consent of the Fathers. This is the five-fold division of her rule, the four last particulars of which I have now to examine. To guard against cavil and dispute, and to prevent any mis-statements by adopting the representations of opponents, I will bring before you the very words of her own public documents of undeniable authority.* In the 4th Session (or Assembling) of the Council of Trent (A. D. 1546), summoned for the purpose of correcting and fixing, by an infallible and irrevocable decision, the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, the following decree was recorded:† "The most holy Ecumenical and General Council "of Trent, lawfully assembled in the Holy Spirit, "having this object perpetually before their eyes, "that errors being removed, the very purity itself "of the Gospel may be preserved in the Church,

which, having been promised before by the Prophets "in the Sacred Scriptures, our Lord Jesus Christ "the Son of God first proclaimed with his own mouth, "and afterwards commanded to be preached to "every creature, by his Apostles, as the fountain of "all wholesome truth and moral discipline; and seeing this truth and discipline are contained in

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* See Appendix A.

+ See Appendix B.

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"the written books, and in the unwritten traditions, "which, being received from the mouth of Christ "himself by the Apostles, or handed down, as it were, by the Apostles themselves (the Holy Spirit dictating to them), have reached even to ourselves. "The Church, following the example of the ortho"dox Fathers, receives and venerates, with equally "pious affection and reverence (pari pietatis affectu ac reverentia), all the books both of the Old and New "Testament, since one God is the Author of each, and "also the Traditions, which relate both to Faith and "Morals, as from the mouth of Christ, or dictated by "the Holy Spirit, preserved in continual succession "in the Catholic Church. She has, however, deter"mined on adding an index (or list) of the books to this decree, lest a doubt should arise in the minds "of any one, what those books are which are received "by the Council itself." Then follows a catalogue, comprising all that Protestants acknowledge as inspired writings, together with some additional books, designated by us as apocryphal (i. e. as not inspired), because they give manifest evidence that they never were dictated by the Spirit of God.* The Decree proceeds, "But if any one will not receive as sacred "and canonical the books themselves entire, with "every part of them as they are accustomed to be

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* Nor are they even kept in a separate and distinct divison by themselves; but are intermixed with the genuine and canonical books, both in this catalogue, and in Roman Catholic Editions of the Bible, and are, therefore, the more likely to mislead an unguarded reader. Thus, after the book of Nehemiah, we find " Tobit, Judith, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Canticles, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Isaiah, and the other prophets; the Old Testament closing with the two books of Maccabees.