the articles of faith, contained in this Creed, with deference and godly fear, not as deriving their authority from the will of man, but from the Word of God. Let him ever remember, that though no rubrick be inferted for the purpose, yet we are warranted by reafon and common sense to affirm what was once intended to be declared by a rubrick, "That "the condemning claufes are to be under"stood as relating to those, who obftinately "deny the fubftance of the Chriftian Faith." The Creed had a very general reception among Eastern and Western Churches. And, to use the words of it's accurate Hiftorian, 66 may it ever continue in full force, till the "Christian Churches can find out (which "they will not eafily do) a juster, or "founder, or more accurate, form of faith "than this is." And may he, who alone can order the unruly wills and affections of finful men, evermore keep us stedfaft in this faith, through Jefus Chrift our Lord, to whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end.

NUMB. XVI. Part of the 11th Verfe.

THOU AND ALL THY COMPANY ARE GA

THERED TOGETHER AGAINST THE

LORD.

NOT

OTHING has created greater contention between the Sectaries and ourfelves than proper modes of Christian Worship. They seem to wage perpetual war against every part of our inftitution; against our temples, our ceremonies, our vestments; against prescribed forms of prayer in general, and against the Common Prayer in particular. It is intended, in the following discourse, to answer their most formidable objections.

And first, let us confider their objections against our temples, our ceremonies, and our

vestments.

vestments. These are invidiously faid to be the inventions and ordinances of man. A confeffion that they are can be no argument against their propriety and utility. Why should man be blamed for regulating that which is evidently left in his power? Matters of ornament or decency require no abftruse reasoning, no laborious investigation, much less do they require the aid of infpired penmen; and, if fome fmall deference be paid to the prejudices of the people, there can be no just cause of complaint. But if no distinction between the primitive times and the darker ages, or between the darker ages and our own, be attended to, if the ufe muft be confounded with the abufe, every argument we can bring will be fuperfluous. Should enquiry be made where we will fix the boundary, it is obvious that in things commonly called indifferent, but only fo called in opposition to effentials, an exact boundary is not neceffary to be fixed; and no moderate man would depart from a Church merely upon the fuppofition of her retaining more externals than he heartily approves. No fociety could act collectively with harmony and efficacy, if individuals did not give way in

things

* Indeed, many

things of smaller moment. wife and good men, little inclined to vexatious animadverfion, or uncharitable cenfure, have been of opinion that fomewhat more of the Romish ritual, or of outward decoration, might have been retained without injury to religion. An attachment to ceremonies was objected with much malignity and invective against a Prelate of the laft century, who died a facrifice to that intolerance, from which, in the days of his power, he had not been entirely free. Happy would it have have been for this kingdom, if his judgment had never erred more than in the ceremonious confecration of a Church, or in giving additional fplendour to the worship of the Almighty.

Various are the methods by which popularity has been acquired. Sometimes aufterity and mortification, fometimes, on the contrary, an attempt to reconcile religion and fenfuality together, has led to reputation and pre-eminence. None of the least fascinating arts is that by which the pride of man is flat

*Wida, Archbishop of Cologn, was defirous of retaining all the religious ceremonies of the Church of Rome which were not impious. His plan most resembled that of England. Bayle's Dictionary.

tered,