the same spirit of liberality that, as he himself informs us, he subscribed the Augsburg or Lutheran Confession of faith, and declares the points of difference between the Protestant churches of his day, an insufficient cause for division.1 THIRD FEATURE. Let a creed be adopted including only the doctrines held in common by all the orthodox christian denominations, to be termed the Apostolic, Protestant Confession, and let this same creed be used by all denominations as the term of sacramental, ecclesiastical and ministerial communion. To this each denomination would add its present Formularies for government, discipline and mode of worship, which it might also change or amend from time to time, at its own option, and in its own way. Each denomination might also use its former creed as a book of instruction to whatever extent it saw proper. The new creed should consist of two parts, a) The so-called Apostles' Creed.2 This little formulary has already been adopted by four fifths of the Protestant church, by the Lutherans in the different kingdoms of Europe, by the Episcopalians in Europe and America, and by the Presbyterian church in this country and probably also in Great Britain. The doctrines contained in it are embraced by every orthodox Protestant denomination on earth. The adoption of this confession would establish the doctrinal idenity of the confederated churches, with that of the apostolic age, and of the first four centuries; which is a matter of no small moment in the popular mind, and has been too much neglected by Protestants. b) The second part should be styled The United Protestant Confession, consisting of a selection of those articles from the creeds of the prominent Protestant churches, in which all can agree, taking but one article on each subject. As each of these churches acknowledge the christian character of the others, they all virtually admit, that the creed of each church contains every thing essential on the doctrine which any given article treats; whilst each one believes the creed of the other to contain minor errors on some points. Now, if a selection can be made from all the creeds, which will contain an article on every topic necessary to be introduced, and yet not include any peculiar aspects of doctrines on which the parties differ; all denominations can evidently adopt it; for they fully believe it, and have already acknowledged its 1 Epist. Schalingio, p. 113. Farello, p. 9. Mason's Plea, p. 182, 183. 2 For a copy of this Creed, See page 121. christian character by acknowledging as brethren those who profess it. And if in order to complete such a creed, it would be necessary to strike out some minor specifications from any article of the existing creeds, in order to make it unexceptionable to all parties, it is evident, that if nothing be added, all can still adopt it, because the thing erased must be non-essential, as it is one on which the confederated denominations differ. It might be thought preferable by some, that a general council of the liberal-minded of all denominations should be called to deliberate and form an original creed, covering the common ground of the Protestant churches. But the testimony of experience is not strongly in favor of the probable results of such a convention. The whole field of theological topics would have to be passed over, and the discussions entered on anew which were passed through in the original formation of the several creeds. But by the far simpler plan here proposed, all these difficulties are obviated. We have in the creed of each denomination the result of its deliberations on all these points. Taking these as the separate voices of the different churches, we can by the principles above suggested, without difficulty frame one creed, in which these voices shall unitedly be heard proclaiming the common faith of all God's people. As the method proposed neither requires nor admits the composition of a single original sentence, it will not be thought presumptuous in the writer to attempt the application of his own rules. He has accordingly formed such a Protestant confession, and appended it to this Appeal. These two parts would constitute the Apostolic, Protestant Confession, required by the third feature of the proposed union. The necessity and advantages of such a creed are evident. 1. In order to keep heretics out of the church of God. The duty of the church to exclude from her communion all who deny a fundamental doctrine, is admitted by all whose union is contemplated in this plan. The apostle John expressly declares, "If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine," (concerning the person of Christ, his real and not merely feigned appearance in the flesh, as the gnostics asserted v. 7, and 1 John 4: 2) receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed; for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds."1 Now in order to bring men to the test, 1 2 John 10, 11. whose fundamental soundness is suspected, it is absolutely necessary to have a creed, either written or nuncupatory. But whilst the principle of both is the same, a written creed has many confessed advantages, and must necessarily constitute one feature of our catholic union. And having thus enlarged the ground of christian forbearance, and confined the test to the truths held in common by the orthodox churches, the utmost fidelity, and uncompromising spirit ought, and it is believed, would be displayed, in the discipline and the excommunication of any and every one, who denies a single doctrine actually taught (not by inference) in the common creed. One principal cause of laxity in executing discipline for doctrinal deviations from the different creeds, is undoubtedly the conviction, derived from Scripture and reason, that the errors impugned are too trifling to deserve discipline. 2. Such a creed is necessary, to give prominence to the great, acknowledged truths of Christianity. a) It has been doubted whether it is possible to give special prominence to the grand doctrines of Christianity, without becoming incoherent, or illogical, or vapid; but its practicability has often been demonstrated by facts, and ought therefore not to be disputed. The writer many years ago, for some time attended the preaching in the college chapel at Princeton, where the professors of the Seminary and College alternately officiated, all of whom were Calvinists; yet he rarely heard a sentiment conflicting with Lutheranism, and very rarely heard the peculiarities of any sect introduced. The reason is, that those excellent men, feeling that there were in that college, students from all churches, were disposed to avoid unnecessary offence, and yet they dwelt on the whole circle of undisputed christian doctrine. None who heard them would wish more 1 On this subject we would refer the reader to a "Lecture on Creeds and Confessions," by Rev. Dr. Miller of Princeton, containing many very sound arguments in favor of their indispensable necessity to the purity of the church. Whether the author would consent to the modifications of the subject proposed in this Appeal, and confine the doctrinal specifications of the creed to the common ground of Protestantism, we know not. Yet we are almost led to hope so from the fact that all the cases adduced by him, to show the necessity of including non-fundamental matters in it, are cases belonging to government, discipline or forms of worship, on which this plan proposes that the sectarian standards may be retained. edifying, practical and profitable preaching. The volume of Sermons and Addresses by Dr. Green, published soon after he resigned the presidency of that institution, probably contains some of the sermons then delivered by him. Of that volume, a review was soon after published in the Christian Advocate, and the writer distinctly recollects that the reviewer applauded the unsectarian character of the discourses, and pronounced them free from every thing to which Christians of any religious denomination could with propriety object. The opinion of the reviewer is cited because the writer has not read the work, and therefore could not speak for himself. As indisputable specimens of most excellent religious discussion confined to the undisputed truths of Christianity, the common ground of the orthodox churches, we may cite the publications of the American Tract Society, and of the American Sunday School Union. We might cite the Sermons of president Davies, Doddridge's Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul, Burder's Village Sermons, and a number of other invaluable works as substantially confined to the grand, cardinal doctrines of Christianity. And is it not a notorious fact that these and other similar publications, are the works which have exerted the greatest influence in producing the evangelical spirit and enterprise of the present day? Has not the blessed Saviour so signally blessed these works, above all others of a sectarian character, as specially to encourage their multiplication, not indeed so as to exclude others, but to give greater prominence to these? b) Prominence ought to be given to these undisputed doctrines, because they alone are CERTAINLY TRUE. It has been stated, that the aggregate of doctrines believed by the different orthodox denominations may be divided into two classes, those that are believed by them all, and those which are believed by some and disbelieved by others. As men of equal piety, talent and learning differ in respect to the latter, it is but just to suppose, that they are not so clearly revealed, and so definitely decided by Scripture, as those points which all agree in finding in that sacred book. And as they are not so clearly revealed, they cannot be essential to salvation, nor so certain in themselves, if our knowledge of them is derived from revelation alone. Moreover, no one Protestant sect is more numerous than all the others together. The Lutheran church, which is by far the largest, numbers according to the best authorities, a population of about 30,000,000, whilst the whole body of Protestants amounts to about 70,000,000. Hence, it is evident that the peculiar, distinguishing doctrine of each sect, is disbelieved by the majority of Protestants. If a disputed doctrine be common to several of the larger sects, it then has a majority of all Protestants in its favor, and the probability of its biblical authority is augmented. But those doctrines alone can be regarded as certainly scriptural, which the great mass of all enlightened, faithful, acknowledged Christians, who have free access to the Bible, agree in finding in it. These undisputed doctrines alone, we suppose, can be essential to salvation. For it is acknowledged by each sect, that persons denying its distinguishing tenets, do exhibit evidence of piety, and will be saved. Hence, uniting this judgment of all the sects, Protestants do themselves acknowledge, that persons will be saved in the denial of each of the disputed doctrines. Hence, none but the undisputed tenets are in fact judged by Protestants to be essential to salvation. If these views be correct, all christian teachers should accustom themselves to distinguish in their own minds between the disputed and the undisputed doctrines of Christianity; and in their instructions they ought to give special prominence to the latter. Who would think of adopting as text-book in a College, an author on Chemistry or Natural Philosophy, who introduced the various disputed opinions and theories of a particular class of men, which he regarded as true; but did not distinguish between these opinions, and those facts and principles fully established and admitted by all? Let us go one step further, and suppose the peculiarities referred to be such as are regarded as erroneous by the majority of chemists. Such a book would by common consent be considered unsafe, and be pronounced unphilosophical. Yet this is exactly the practice of all the different denominations. Their standards make no distinction between fundamental and nonfundamental doctrines, between those which are certain, and not disputed by any acknowledged christian denomination, and those which, though believed by some, are disputed and disbelieved by others. It would certainly be conducive to christian union and sound christian knowledge, if the distinction between disputed and undisputed doctrines were distinctly made by including the latter only in the public creed, leaving the former as subjects of amicable difference, and as occasions to exercise that forbearance required by the apostle, in "not judging our brother." For if |