4. The second supposition, on which no solemn assent need be given, or no Articles subscribed, is, that no disturbance has happened ;-mere apprehension of the possibility of disturbance, without experience, is not a sufficient reason for laying restraints by disturbance we mean, such as would prevent the growth of religious sentiments. Our Church has not published any new articles since 1562, when the national Religion was changed, (and then they cut off some few of 1552) yet, if they had given way to every apprehension of disturbance, they probably would have framed some new Confession.-Nevertheless, though mere suspicion is not sufficient to justify restraints, strong marks of a turbulent disposition may; such as in Law are, with regard to Treason, called overt actsa: a man may not attack an ill-looking person whom he meets, merely because he is afraid of being attacked by him; yet he may take some signs as proofs of an hostile intention; if he stays till he has certainty of an attack, self-defence may be impossible. 5. A third supposition, on which assent to doctrines need not be required, is, that there were some mechanical way of spreading those which were established. Homilies are something of this sort, supposing them wholly to exclude preaching. If the whole duty of a teacher consisted in reading an Homily, it would be matter of little moment whether his opinions exactly coincided with those he read. And it would be much the same, if he would look upon himself as a mere instrument in the hand of the Church or as having no concern with truth, as not being accountable for falsehood, in the mere character of a teacher. This need only relate to the more obscure doctrines; in points not controverted, he might be warm and earnest.-I Blackstone. Index, Overt act. have have sometimes told my Congregation, in Sermons, that I speak as a minister, and not as a man; that, though I believe the doctrines I preach, I deliver them not as my own, but as the doctrines of the Church and on this account such doctrines demand greater attention. It would come to much the same thing, if teachers agreed in judgment to what has been here laid down, and looked upon themselves as bound to promote unity of Doctrine of that Doctrine, which was prescribed by the Authority under which they taught: if they were convinced, that peace of mind, by producing good sentiments, was of greater consequence than the difference between this mysterious opinion and that, whilst it generated discord and disunion. 6. If then we find no great difference of opinion, -or, if men suffer one another to express themselves as they please about doctrines above the reach of man; or, if difference of opinion occasions no disturbance or confusion; or, if mechanical ways of spreading doctrines are contrived and enjoined, or teachers turn themselves into mere instruments ;or, lastly, if teachers highly esteem unity of doctrine, and maintain it conscientiously; in any of these cases, assent to articles of religion is not to be required:-each set of people must ask themselves, therefore,―are we nearly of the same opinions? do we leave men to express themselves as they please about mysteries? have we any mechanical contrivances for teaching what authority prescribes?- do teachers consider themselves as mere machines in the hands of the Church? are they strongly impressed with the infinite importance of unity of doctrine? Upon the answers, which we are able to give to these questions, must our conduct depend, in particular churches;-but the actual state of par ticular ticular churches is not now the subject of our consideration. One word may be said on the expedient of spreading Doctrines by means of Homilies: it seems easy, but it does more harm, when a number of good preachers can be had, than restraining those preachers to deliver the same doctrine, and taking the security of their private judgment that they will do so. There would be, from time to time, if preachers were encouraged, new illustrations of virtue and religion; of natural religion as well as revealed: there would be, probably, in the natural course of improvement, numberless new lights thrown upon the Scripture:-now the constant use of Homilies would preclude all this: and to reform them would be nearly as difficult as to reform Liturgy, or Articles, even though they would become insipid by frequent repetition. Dr. Balguy says, "It should never be forgotten by ministers, that they are subject to higher authority. They are to execute Law, not to make it." And afterwards", "Every word that comes from our mouths in opposition to the established faith, is a violation of the most solemn engagements, and an act of disobedience to lawful authority.". Though this is said with particular relation to the Church of England, in which Ministers make express engagements, yet it would be just, though our engagements were only tacit and implied: it expresses perfectly well the general rights of religious Society over its ministers; but rights are not the whole matter; on the present subject, we would see moreover some security, that such rights will not be lost, or violated.--The kind of security to be required, in any particular case, will depend upon the answers which can be given to the questions just 2 Mentioned Sect. 5. b P. 113. Serm. vii. just now proposed; but something may be observed upon general considerations. If a new religious society was to be formed, quite as a res integra, of persons well disposed, but unconnected, if they were tolerably well informed, though some Body of doctrine should be constructed, the teachers should be left to their own consciences to deliver it faithfully.-And this should continue till some abuses should arise, which were likely to disturb men's minds, and defeat the ends of religious society". But, if men began to contend, got to be vehement, to form separate parties, to prefer men of their own religious persuasion, even in civil offices, in all sorts of employments of trust or profit, to exert themselves in shewing such preference; if they were found labouring secretly to gain proselytes, and insinuating themselves amongst those, whom they accounted enemies, as spies, or seducers; then the public tranquillity, and the nature of religious principles, would require, that those of one party should be rendered discernible from those of another, by certain marks. And, as it is not to be supposed, that any man would be ashamed of his own opinion, or afraid to own it, what mode of distinguishing religious parties could be so simple and natural, as drawing out a list of the opinions of one or more parties, and asking any man, who seemed likely to occasion any disturbance by his situation or employment, whether those opinions were his? whether, if he was a teacher, he would teach those opinions? whether, if he was a common man, This is the observation promised in Note to Sect. 1. about America. Let the experiment of requiring no judgment on the Doctrines to be taught, be tried there: but let us not be impatient whilst we are watching the issue: nor, if the Spirit of Party suffers it to succeed there for a considerable time, let us be rash in concluding our situation to be exactly similar to theirs. man, he would chuse to be ranked with such as held those opinions, and be a member of their Society? This may give an idea of what might occasion Articles of religion to be made, and assent to them to be required. One of these parties might perhaps be very opulent, another very poor; and, in the course of a few years, they might change situations with respect to wealth and poverty; but all this is merely incidental, and does not at all affect our reasoning. СНАР. |