2. It is evident from the conflict with indwelling sin, which all true Christians are required to carry on till death. The apostle Paul declares to his Galatian fellow Christians, that the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, so that they could not accomplish even those holy purposes which they formed. And to the Romans he confessed that there was still a law in his members opposed to the better dictates of his judgment.?

3. In the Lord's prayer we are taught by the Saviour himself to implore pardon for our daily offences. But where could be the necessity of imploring pardon, if we had committed no offence?

4. The law of God requires perfect obedience not only in outward actions but also in the thoughts and affections of the heart. This obedience moreover must be universal, and perfect in degree. But what mortal can with truth assert, that his heart is ever glowing with seraphic ardor for the cause of his heavenly Father, and can challenge the omniscient Jehovah, "who putteth no trust in his saints and before whom the heavens are not clean," to find any sin in him ?3

5. The ancient saints confessed their short comings; how then shall we pretend to excel them in holiness ?4

1 Gal. 5: 15, 17. For, brethren,-the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

2 Rom. 7: 14-25. For I know that in me (that is in my flesh) there dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me (this was not the case before the apostle's conversion); but how to perform that which is good I find not.-For I delight in the law of God after the inward man (this also he could say only after his conversion); but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

3 Job 15: 14-16.

4 Psalm 130: 3. If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? Psalm 143: 2. Enter not into judgment with thy ser

6. If any believer attained the state of perfection on earth, he would no longer need the daily application to the blood of the Saviour; but might be justified by the deeds of the law, and take the glory to himself!

ARTICLE XIII.

Of the use of the Sacraments.

Concerning the use of the sacraments, our churches teach, that they were instituted not only as marks of a Christian profession amongst men; but rather as signs and evidences of the divine disposition towards us, tendered for the purpose of exciting and confirming the faith of those who use them. Hence the sacraments ought to be received with faith in the promises which are exhibited and proposed by them. They therefore condemn those, who maintain, that the sacraments produce justification in their recipients as a matter of course (ex opere operato,) and who do not teach that faith is necessary, in the reception of the sacraments, to the remission of sins.

The topics of this article, having made the subjects of ample discussion under Articles IX and X, the reader is referred thither for information on them.

vant; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. Isaiah 64: 6. But we are all as an unclean thing: and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.

ARTCLE XIV.

Of Church Orders.

Concerning church orders they teach, that no person ought publicly to teach in the church, or to administer the sacraments, without a regular call.

The necessity of a regular call to the gospel ministry was naturally introduced in treating of the officers of the church under Articles VII and VIII.

ARTICLE XV.

Of Religious Ceremonies.

Concerning ecclesiastical ceremonies they teach, that those ceremonies ought to be observed, which can be attended to without sin, and which promote peace and good order in the church, such as certain holydays, festivals, &c. Concerning matters of this kind, however, caution should be observed, lest the consciences of men be burdened, as though such observances were necessary to salvation. Men should also be apprised, that human

traditionary observances, instituted with a view to appease God, to merit his favour, and make satisfaction for sins, are contrary to the gospel and the doctrine of faith. Wherefore vows and traditionary observances concerning meats, days, &c. instituted to merit grace and make satisfaction for sins, are useless and contrary to the gospel.

This article asserts in regard to human and uninspired regulations in church matters in general, what the Formula of the Lutheran church in this country alleges concerning government and discipline in particular: "That as Jesus Christ has left no entire, specific formulary of government and discipline for his church; it is the duty of every individual church to adopt such regulations as appear to them most consistent with the spirit and precepts of the New Testament, and best calculated to subserve the interests of the church of Christ." There can be no doubt of the applicability of this principle to ceremonies and forms of worship; for no one will contend that the New Testament contains a "specific and entire" directory on this subject.

OF FESTIVALS.

Under the sanction of this principle, whilst the Confessors rejected the great majority of fasts and holydays, which had accumulated into an intolerable burden in the papal church, and seriously interfered with the temporal duties of men; they retained on the ground of expediency a few of the cardinal holydays, which had been instituted in the earlier ages in commemoration of the fundamental facts of the Christian religion: such as the birth, suffering, resurrection and ascension of the son of

1 Chapter I. sect. 5.

God and the out-pouring of the Holy Spirit. Nor does their conduct, on this subject, appear to us objectionable. It has been no small part of the wisdom of nations to perpetuate the memory of salutary events and illustrious personages by various methods. For this purpose the pencil of the painter, the chisel of the statuary, the bold designs of the architect and the highest inspirations of the poet have all been put into requisition ; and for the same reason have the wisest nations set apart particular days, to commemorate illustrious personages and events in their history. Christianity addresses herself to man as he is, and the means by which her doctrines are perpetuated, are adapted to the laws of the human mind. Hence, on the same principle, and with infinitely greater propriety, the Christian church has set apart particular days, to keep alive in the forgetful memories of her children, the recollection of the principal events connected with the establishment of our holy and divine religion. And if it be just to perpetuate the memory of the patriot, who liberates his country from the yoke of foreign bondage; how much more is it proper to cherish the memory of him, who delivered a world from the servitude of the arch-enemy Satan. If he who bestows temporal blessings on his country, is justly recollected with gratitude; much more should the noblest feelings of our souls be called into action, and the most fervent gratitude be enkindled in our hearts, by the recollection of him, who purchased for a fallen and guilty world the incalculable blessings of eternal life.

But there is another aspect of this subject deserving of notice. Christianity is a religion designed for the whole mass of mankind. Now matters of fact, the truth of which rests on the testimony of the senses, are most intelligible to the great body of men; and for obvious reasons arising from the structure of the mind, best calculated to make an impression upon them. Hence the very pillars on which Christianity was wisely made to rest, are matters of fact, intelligible in every language, suited