and to a future judgment. These are the doctrines of the Athanasian Creed (g); and therefore it would follow, that a belief in the doctrines of the Athanasian Creed is essential to salvation. Extra ecclesiam nulla salus, was a favourite maxim of the early ecclesiastical writers; that is, according to their judgment, no man could be saved who did not believe the doctrines of the Catholic church. This principle is maintained by Athanasius, Hilary, Lactantius, and many other of the most eminent fathers; and thence it appears that this Creed only spoke the language of those times. It was also a custom among the early Christians, after a confession of the orthodox faith, to pass an anathema on all who denied it; and indeed, in almost every antient creed transmitted to us we find

an

(g) "It does not pretend to explain how there are three persons, each of whom is God, and yet but one God; but only asserts the thing, that thus it is, and thus it must be, if we believe a Trinity in Unity; for the Athanasian Creed, as far as it relates to this matter, is only a more particular explication of the Homousion, adopted by the Nicene fathers; or in what sense the Son is of the same nature with the Father, and one God with him." Sherlock's Vindication.-The Hypostatic Union, which is not distinctly asserted either in the Apostles, or the Nicene Creed, is explicitly maintained in the Athanasian Creed, with an evident design to preserve the purity of the Catholic Faith, amidst the contentions of prevailing heresies.

an anathema constantly denounced against those who dissented from it, because each creed was thought to contain the essential articles of Christianity.

We know that different persons have deduced different and even opposite doctrines from the words of Scripture, and consequently there must be many errors among Christians; but since the Gospel no where informs us what degree of error will exclude from eternal happiness, I am ready to acknowledge that, in my judgment, notwithstanding the authority of former times, our church would have acted more wisely and more consistently with its general principles of mildness and toleration, if it had not adopted the damnatory clauses of the Athanasian Creed. Though I firmly believe that the doctrines themselves of this Creed are all founded in Scripture, I cannot but conceive it to be both unnecessary and presumptuous to say, that "except every one do keep them whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly."

As different practical duties are required of different persons, according to their circumstances and situations in life, so different degrees and different sorts of faith, if I may so express myself, may be required of different persons, according to their understandings, attainments, and opportunities of improvement; and God only

only knows what allowance is to be made for the influence of education and habit, and for that infinite variety of tempers, dispositions, and capacities, which we observe in mankind; but in any case let it be remembered, that these clauses cannot be considered as applicable to any persons, except those who shall have had full means of instruction in the doctrines to which they relate, and who shall have finally rejected them. It is utterly repugnant to the attributes of God, nor can it be reconciled to our ideas of common justice, that a person should be consigned to eternal punishment, because he did、 not believe certain articles of faith, which were never proposed to him, or of the truth of which he was not qualified to judge. We may be convinced that the belief of some doctrines, as well as the practice of some virtues, is essential to salvation; but we are to suppose that the door of repentance is equally open in both cases: a man may be sorry for, and correct an error in opinion, as well as he may be sorry for, and abandon, any vice; in the one case he may conquer a prejudice, and in the other subdue a passion. We are not justified in saying that any man is so sunk in error, or so depraved by sin, that he cannot repent and be saved; but, as we may say, that if any man perseveres in the deliberate commission of known sin he has

no

no right to expect salvation, so we may say, that if a man, through obstinacy and prejudice, from a wilful misapplication or neglect of the talents with which he is endowed, finally rejects the fundamental doctrines of the Gospel, when they are fairly and fully proposed to him, he likewise has no right to expect salvation: in either case he must be left to the uncovenanted mercy of God. We are commanded to "search the Scriptures (h)," that we may form a right faith, and be able to give a reason of the hope that is in us (i)." We are also to "contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints (k):" that is, we are to maintain with zeal and firmness, what after mature deliberation and impartial enquiry, we believe to be revealed truth; but in our exertions to establish the unity of faith, we are not to violate the bond of peace; we are not to consider all who differ from us as unworthy of, or excluded from, the favour of God.

Some learned men have contended that the CREED, WHICH IS COMMONLY CALLED THE APOSTLES CREED, was composed by the Apostles themselves, but there is no authority for

that opinion in Scripture, or in

any writer of

the first three centuries (1); and much less is there any ground for the fanciful notion men

tioned

(h) John, c. 5. v. 39.

(i) 1 Pet. c. 3. v. 15.

(k) Jude, v. 3. (1) Vide Vossius and Bishop Bull.

tioned in the beginning of this article, which several persons have maintained, that each of the Apostles contributed a clause to this creed. Indeed, neither this nor any other formal declaration of the whole faith of a Christian, is found in any author before Irenæus, although it is certain that the Catechumens, from the earliest times, made a public profession of their faith previous to their baptism. The numerous creeds which are extant in the writings of the fathers who flourished from the latter part of the second to the end of the third century, perfectly agree in substance, but there is a diversity of expression in them, and even the same author does not always use precisely the same creed in different parts of his works. This diversity, as has already been observed, shows only that the Apostles did not prescribe any creed; for if they had, it would of course have been adopted by all ecclesiastical writers without any the slightest variation. The primitive fathers often speak of an apostolical crced: but by that name they do not mean a determinate form of words drawn up by the Apostles, but a creed containing the doctrines which they preached; and this is what we are to understand by the creed, COMMONLY

CREED.

VOL. II.

CALLED THE APOSTLES

Q