tice of what we say; and it is invoking his vengeance or renouncing his favour, if what we say be false, or what we promise be not performed."* This is the solemn import of the words which close the form of a civil oath; So help you God. May God deal with you in mercy or in judgment, as you shall speak truth or falsehood in the case now before you, or as you shall perform or not perform what you now promise.

This awful nature of an oath is very particularly exhibited in the following form, which is administered in Holland to those who embrace the Jewish religion. "You swear by the almighty and living God, who created heaven and earth, and gave his laws by Moses, that you will be upright and true in whatever shall here be asked of or proposed to you; and if you declare any thing either entirely, or in part, false and unjust, you acknowledge yourself liable to all the curses, plagues and punishments, temporal and eternal, which the God of Israel inflicted on Sodom and Gomorrah, and Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and which he has denounced against all those who invoke or use his name falsely or in vain. As you are true or false, so may God almighty and omniscient reward ⚫r punish you."

REMARKS.

How shocking to every pious mind, is the apparent lightness and irreverence, with which civil oaths are often administered. How little do people in general

* Paley,

consider the awful nature and sacred obligations of an oath.

How heinous is the crime of perjury, and the crime of using profane oaths in conversation.

Civil magistrates as well as gospel ministers, should often instruct people in the nature and obligations of an oath, and endeavour to impress their minds with a religious veneration for the great name of GOD.

CIVIS.

SURVEY OF NEW ENGLAND
CHURCHES.

(Continued from page 318.)

How great soever the advantage of confessions, they have many and powerful adversaries; who, although they agree in a common disesteem of confessions, are influenced to it by different motives. Some are always ready to complain of measures, which they did not originate and control. Others extend their charity to men of all parties of Christianity, and of all religions which prevail in the world, and do not consider the belief of any particular doctrines, as essential to salvation. They think that people of all persuasions have an equal claim to the favour of God, and may be saved according to the particular scheme of religion which they embrace. With such ideas, they naturally despise confessions of faith, the very being of which is founded on the importance and necessity of believing certain articles in order to church fellowship. They who esteem the Christian doctrine of small moment, look with indifference upon the means of preserving its purity, and upon the obligations which bind me

to maintain it. We believe it an observation, which will be found generally true, that in proportion to the opinion which a man entertains of the doctrines of Christianity, and his zeal to prop agate them in the world, will be his esteem of confessions.

But a greater number, it is apprehended, take the side of opposition, because, in the bulk of confessions, their own sentiments are condemned. They wish to destroy a weapon, which they see directed against themselves. Were their own particular sentiments contained in the generality of creeds, their zeal to discredit them would undoubtedly decrease. Although we are far from applying this to all who differ from us concerning this subject, yet we are apprehensive that, generally, men are against confessions, because confessions are against them. There are indeed some, deserving the name of Christians, who, by a mistaken fondness for the noble principles of liberty and private judgment, and a zeal for the honour of divine revelation, are led to entertain an unfavourable opinion of creeds.

We now proceed to a serious and careful investigation of the principal objections which have been urged against creeds, designing to represent them substantially, as they have been stated by the ablest writers, and not to dissemble any thing which adds to their strength.

Objection 1. Confessions of faith, in their very nature and design, are an invasion of the natural rights of mankind. Every person is entitled to examine and judge for himself, especially in religion, which commands the strict

est inquiry, and cannot subsist without free and rational choice. No man, therefore, or society of men have authority to judge for another, or to compose a system of doctrines to which they can demand his assent. And as such a claim, by whomsoever made, is assuming and arbitrary; it is dishonourable and base in any Christian to submit to it. He who yields his neck to this yoke, gives up the most valuable right of a rational creature, and violates the command of Christ, to "call no man master on earth.”

In order completely to invalidate this specious objection, it seems necessary to show the foundation on which a vindication of creeds is built, or to mention the principles, upon which a church may require of those, who would become her members or her ministers, a consent to a public confession of faith. And we are willing the candid should judge, after attending to the subject, whether the use of confessions be any thing more, than a proper exercise of that freedom in religious concerns, which constitutes the essence of this objection.

It is not only the dictate of reason, but the appointment of Christ, that good men should unite together in religious societies, and have communion and fellowship with each other, as the people of God. And as freedom is the birthright of mankind, any number of them may voluntarily join themselves together for religious purposes, under such regulations as appear to them agreeable to God's word; provided they do not violate the rules of justice, or the rights of others. As every nan ought to

ed in confessions. We are ever ready to assert, that a Christian ought to receive that sentiment, which, upon impartial inquiry, appears most agreeable to Scripture, whether it is contained in confessions, or not. If we produce passages of Scripture, as conclusive proofs of the doctrines contained in creeds, let it not be supposed, that we would be followed at a venture. We have no design to fetter the understanding of others, or to bear down a rational inquiry by the weight of our decisions; but wish every one, with an unbiassed mind, to examine our faith, and judge whether it be according to Scripture.

We pretend not that a confession of faith, or any human composition is, properly speaking, a standard of orthodoxy, or a test, by which erroneous opinions can be certainly distinguished from those which are true. It is possible the truth may be on the other side, and that error may be found in the established creeds of the church. But although no church or society of fallible men have a right to determine any article of faith, or to fix the meaning of Scripture, so as to oblige others to submit to their decisions; yet those who constitute a Christian society have proper authority to determine, what articles of faith they themselves embrace, or in what manner they understand the Scriptures, and what they would have their ministers believe and preach; and consequently, they have authority to compose a body of doctrines, the belief of which they think an essential qualification of those,

Hence it is manifest, that the determinations of any body of men concerning articles of faith, are not founded upon any supposed authority, which they ave to govern the consciences of others, or to make creeds for them; but upon the natural right which all men and all societies have to follow the dictates of their own understanding, and to embrace and support that scheme of religion, in which they perceive the greatest evidence of divine truth. In a word, that use of confessions, which we dieve to be proper and beneficil, rests upon that unalienable rivilege of a rational creature, e right of private judgment. And all the considerations, which the warmest advocates of freedom can urge to heighten its excellence, we shall cordially approve as important advantages to our own cause; since we shall thereby have at least the same liberty to value and support confessions, as others have to despise and reject them.

If indeed churches should oblige any person to incorporate with them and subscribe to their constitutions; if they should either force him to give an assent to their established confes

The Bristol Society, for promoting Religious Knowledge among the Poor, have published a Third Annu al Report, stating, That, since their commencement, they have distributed 110,000 Religious Tracts; and encouraging their friends to new and increased exertions.

At the late Anniversary of the Magdalen Charity, which was the fortyeighth, it was reported, That since the commencement of that institution, no fewer than 2,400 young women, a considerable majority of whom were under twenty-one years of age, have been rescued from the vices and miseries of prostitution. The evil, however, still continues to a most alarming extent; and additional remedies are imperiously demanded. Another institution of a similar kind, conducted by pious persons of evangelical principles, and under the direction of Christian Ladies, would do honour to the sex and to the nation. Ev. Mag.

CONNECTICUT.

Ar a meeting of the General As. sociation of Connecticut in Weathersfield, June 17, 1806, "Inquiry was made with respect to the state of religion, in the churches with which we have connexion, from which it resulted, that although much coldness and lukewarmness in spiritual concerns, appear in many places, yet in others, the spirit of vital piety eminently prevails; and various parts of the vineyard are watered and enriched with heavenly dews. The friends of real religion have much cause to render

praise to the great Lord of the vineyard, and to persevere in prayer that showers may descend in plentiful effusions."

A committee was appointed to consider whether it would be regular to exchange ministerial labours with any one, who openly denies the divinity and atonement of Christ, and made the following report, which was accepted.

"Whereas a few individuals in the ministry have openly denied the divinity and personality of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Voted, That this association, feeling it a duty to bear testimony against principles so subversive of the pillars of gospel truth, of vital piety and morality, do recommend to their brethren in the State, earnestly to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints; to hold no communion, and to form no exchanges in ministerial duties with preachers of this character."

The following motion was made and approved:

"Whereas the relation between a minister and his people is one of the most solemn that can be formed in this world, Voted, That this body do disapprove of the growing usage in the churches, by which this relation is dissolved, without making public the true reasons of discontent in the parties, as tending on the one hand, to shield the immoralities and erroneous opinions of a minister, and on the other, to gloss over the unreason. able discontents and vices of a people."

Attest, JOHN ELLIOT, Scribe.
Con. Evan. Mag.

MUNGO PARKE. As there have lately appeared various accounts of Mr. Parke and his fellow-travellers in Africa, the follow. ing extract of a letter from him to his friend at Goree, being the only authentic information received since he reached the river Niger, will no doubt prove acceptable to those who feel an interest in the fate of that enterpris. ing man :

"Sansanding, Bamboura,

Nov. 10, 1804.

"My dear friend-We left the Gambia in good health and spirits, and continued travelling with the greatest and most flattering prospect of success, till we had crossed the Falam River, and entered Minskoodo: here, alas! the rainy season commenced, and the soldiers were affected with fevers. The fever had at the

they be; therefore we, who think otherwise, and believe the doc trines of religion of great moment, must act in contradiction to our understandings, and, in order to gratify their inclinations, must be indifferent as to the interests of truth, and give ⚫urselves little concern about what ministers believe and teach. It may be added as another consequence of their reasonings, that because they are fully satisfied as to the orthodoxy of a man, if he own the Scriptures and express his sentiments in the precise words found there, though he decline giving his assent to doctrines expressed in any other terms; therefore we, who are persuaded, that many men understand scripture phrases in a manner quite opposite to what we think the true sense, and under that fair varnish conceal the most unscriptural schemes; we who accordingly believe, that their using scripture phrases is no evidence what kind of doctrine they embrace, must, notwithstanding, be content with their false test of orthodoxy, and if we act with serious caution, must be stigmatized, as morose, narrow-minded bigots.

These are some of the wonderful benefits which we owe to them, who profess to be most zealous for liberty and the right of private judgment. This is the noble freedom, to which they would elevate us; a freedom which would dissolve the bonds of Christian societies, and the unity of faith; a freedom which would confound truth and error, light and darkness, the church and the world; a freedom which would impose upon us, if not articles of faith, at least a disbelief

and contempt of them, and would dictate its own airy notions in as magisterial and imperious a manner, as the pontificate ever assumed.

Is there not ground for this rebuke? Have not the favourite words, liberty, free inquiry,private judgment, charity, &c. been perverted to an uncertain and dangerous signification, and prostituted to the most unworthy purposes? Have they not been instruments of infidelity, and a fair mask, under which apostacy from Chris tianity and hatred of all goodness have disguised themselves? Do we not know that in the mouths, and in the lives of many, liberty means licentiousness, a contempt of the restraints of virtue and religion? Do we not see that the adversaries of creeds are as fond of their own notions, and as obstinate in maintaining them, and look with as much disdain on those who differ from them, as the most zealous devotees of orthodoxy Are they not as impatient of tradiction? Do they not shew Chemselves capable of as much wrmth and rudeness? What writers in all the world treat their opponents with more contempt, display an air of higher superiority, or are more fondly addicted to their own schemes, than those who make the loudest pretensions to candour and liberality? PASTOR.

THOUGHTS ON THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST.

THE perfection of Christ's example, and the evidence thence arising in favour of the gospel, have been stated in some preceding numbers of the Panoplist. May we not hence derive