that men must find out the truth, and grope their way to the real sanctuary of religion, then also do I think it true, that the sacred Book (seeing, that it is so difficult, and obscure) is a very unhappy, and a very fatal present. For, in this case, men will for ever dispute; for ever doubt; for ever remain uncertain; and unable to ascertain its genuine signification. So that God will thus have spoken to us to very little purpose. [See Illustration, F.]

"Books," says Rousseau, consulting the dictates of common sense, "books are the sources of endless disputes. Human language is not sufficiently clear. Were God himself to speak to us in our languages, still he would not speak so clearly, but that men would find out something or other to dispute about."-Lettre à M. Beaumont.

In like manner, the learned Maimonides, speaking of the Jewish religion, observes: "It was a piece of wisdom, that the doctrines of our religion were not always committed to writing. By this means, were prevented those varieties of opinion, those perplexities and doubts, which were subsequently found to occur. For, perplexities, and doubts, are sure always to arise out of writings, and books. These instruments become the subjects, and sources, of dissensions, and controversies; of sects, and schisms and in relation to business, they are rendered the causes of confusion. Hence, in my Commentaries upon the Talmud, I have shown,—and the Law also itself attests the same, that every thing was, anciently, determined by the judgment of the Sanhedrim.”—More Nevochim.

"If," says Voltaire, "if there were not an authority to fix, and determine, the sense of the Bible, and the dogmas of religion, the consequence would then be, that there would be as many sects, as there are individuals, who read the Bible."-Essai sur l'Hist.

The Protestant, by the strangest mode of reasoning, maintains that to be wise in religion, which, in every other case of importance, he condemns, as preposterous, and wrong. So, for example, let any human legislator compose a code of laws, and proclaim, and call out to his subjects, "There, accept this. You are all, and each of you, free, and independent. You are, each of you, the judges, and interpreters, of its signification. There is no one, who has any right to restrict your opinions, or to control your decisions. Therefore read, examine, it; and without appealing to any tribunals, judge; and regulate amongst yourselves, the whole order of your conduct, and your respective claims to justice, property, &c."-I need not say, that language such as this,although it is but similar to that of every consistent Protestant theologian, would be considered, not only as a piece of folly, but as an invitation to anarchy, and revolution.

Since, therefore, it is thus manifest, both from the dictates of common sense, and from the attestations of experience, that neither individual reason, nor feelings, nor the pretext of inspiration, nor the light and language of the Bible, as interpreted by the suggestions of private judgment, are competent, or sufficient, to conduct mankind to the sure knowledge of the real doctrines of religion,-it should, of course, appear to follow, that, as the belief and profession of these divine truths are strictly enjoined by their sacred Author, as the necessary conditions of future happiness,—so, consequently, there ought to exist,—and therefore does exist,— some other principle, besides the above, by which this blessing may be attained;—and a principle, moreover, by means of which, the possession of the true religion may be ascertained, with such a degree of certitude, and security, as to leave no room for rational doubt upon the mind of the sincere inquirer. In reality, there is no kind of certitude, and conviction, that should be so strong, and so completely devoid of doubt, as the certitude, and conviction, of Christian faith. In religion, all doubt is not only wrong, but criminal. The want of a solid basis to sustain belief must, of course, produce error, scepticism, and indifference. It is only a fixed, and sure criterion, that can create wise stability, or inspire rational conviction.

X. And what, therefore (I come now to ask the important question), is that happy principle, by means of which these invaluable blessings may be obtained? Why, if the various mediums, which I have thus far discussed, be inadequate to this purpose,-then is the reply at once obvious,

In like manner, let us imagine a set of men, pretending to instruct the public, in relation to their health; and loudly calling out to them: "Here is a treatise upon medicine. Whosoever wishes to enjoy health, and to live long, let him take this book, and examine it with care; no need of any physician to direct you. Your own feelings, and your own good sense, are, alone, sufficient to do this. It is true, the book contains many difficult, and unintelligible things. Still, if you wish to live, you must read it, and adopt it, as the only guide, and security, of your health."-Good sense feels at once the nonsense of language such as

this.

and incontestable.

For, in this case, there remains but one medium more, by whose aid the attainment of the above benefits can be reasonably accounted for. This medium is Authority-but, an authority, of course, unerring, and infallible; an authority, instituted by the wisdom of our supreme Legislator;-designed by his mercy to be the guide, and instructor, of his subjects; and so established, as to preserve inviolate, till the end of time, the sacred depositum of his revelations. In religion, the means ought manifestly to correspond to the end. So that if the unity, and perpetuity, of the true faith be the necessary appendages of the sacred institute, then must there also coexist some means or other, corresponding to these benefits, by which they may be effectually attained, and secured. This means, as I have just said, is no other than Authority.

XI. That our great Legislator promulgated, and esta

1 "There can be no peace in any community, no order preserved in any church or state, unless there be tribunals established, to which existing differences may be referred for decision: and if those differences relate to the truths which compose the Christian religion, it is quite impossible to put an end to them, or to quiet the minds of the disputants, unless the decision be exempt from error. Faith is not faith, if the believers hesitate in doubt:-for he who doubts, is already an unbeliever. It, therefore, obviously, and necessarily follows, that, if God willed, that we should believe what he has revealed, he should either reveal his will so clearly, as that no doubt should arise with regard to its meaning,-which he has not done; or else, he should only require of us to adopt such meaning of it, as appeared to us the most probable,-a supposition, incompatible with the nature of faith;-or lastly, he should give us a tribunal, authorised to decide, so as not only to put an end to disputes, and preserve order in the church, but which, also, by its decision, would exclude all doubt:-whereas doubt cannot coexist with faith. The existence, therefore, of an infallible authority in the church is not a matter of secondary import; or one, on which different opinions may be entertained it is so necessary, that, without it, (revelation being such as it is,) the church could not exist; nor faith continue, on the earth. Without this authority, the Christian religion, from its very commencement, would have degenerated into a system of human philosophy; and private opinion would have taken the place of divine faith in the minds of men. This is, indeed, the result of the rejection of church authority, throughout the Protestant churches of France, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, and Denmark."-Dr. Doyle, Reply to Magee.

blished, the doctrines, and the law, of truth, this is a point, which, just equally with the Catholic, every Christian sect very readily admits. He did this, in the effusions of his mercy towards his creatures. However, merely to have done this was by no means enough. It was still requisite, that he should also provide for the preservation of those benefits; because they are designed to be, not temporary, but perpetual, and immortal institutions. It was necessary even, beyond this, to secure their preservation against all the profane mixtures of error, and the impure alloys of human corruption :-because they are intended to remain always, such precisely as they were originally, as pure, holy, and uncontaminated, as when they came forth from the bosom of the Divinity. This, too, is obvious: and such as this, accordingly, is the order of things instituted by our great Legislator. He has even done this, in a way, which strikingly attests his own eternal wisdom; points out that knowledge of the human character, which can only belong to an infinite Being; and expresses, at the same time, that property of unity, which is the distinctive attribute of the works of the Almighty.

But how, then, and by what means, has he effected this? Has he done it, by committing his divine doctrines to the pages of a book ;-affixing to it proofs, so peculiarly manifest, and arguments, so palpable, that the human mind cannot easily either reject, or misunderstand them? Such as this, no doubt, in the formation of a code of laws, would be the plan, and endeavour, of the political legislator, or of the human philosopher. However, who but must feel at once, that, considering the pride, and passions, the self-love, and the weaknesses, of the minds of men,-to have acted thus, would have been opening a field, a vast, boundless field,-to endless difficulties, to strife, contention, and disunity? Who but must be sensible that, by thus flattering, and addressing, the reason of the public,-authorising them to believe only what they clearly understood,-would have been, in reality, to have erected an insurmountable barrier, between man, and an incomprehensible Being? It is, consequently, hence, that the great Legislator, disdaining all the feeble and vain

supports of human opinions, descends at once, and penetrates, into the very foundations of our nature, and constitution: and it is there, that he lays, and fixes, the grounds of the unity, and perpetuity, of his law. He maintains and preserves his divine truths in the thoughts of men, precisely as he maintains and preserves thought itself,-by the transmission of his sacred word,-preparing, at the same time, for the security of this transmission, by the institution of a medium, ' which is inviolable, and holy. That is, in other words, he has formed, and established, on earth, a regular society, under the control of a regular government, of which himself is the corner-stone. He has united together by certain exterior, and indissoluble links, that happy portion of mankind, who constitute its members; again uniting them, moreover, interiorly, by the principles of the same belief. Such as this is the character of the real church of Jesus Christ,

XII. The principle, as the reader knows, upon which our divine Legislator himself undertook the office of teaching, and conducting mankind, was the deputation, which he had received, for these purposes, from the sanction of his eternal Father: for, as St. Paul remarks, "Christ glorified not himself to be made a high-priest." It was solely in virtue of this charter, as himself declared, that he inculcated his sacred doctrines, and imposed his precepts.-Wherefore, being thus deputed, and commissioned, this divine Being, in his turn, deputes, in like manner, and commissions, a new order of pastors, to whom, also, he transfers that self-same charter, which himself had received from the hands of his heavenly Father. "As the Father," he said, addressing his apostles, and through them, their successors to the end of time," As the Father hath sent me, even so do I send you." "Go, therefore, and teach all nations; and behold I am with you, all days, to the end of the world." Hence, exactly as Christ Jesus has said, speaking of himself,-" He, who hath sent me, is true; and I say again to the world those things which I have heard from him," so also, speaking of themselves, do these pastors, thus authorised, for ever, and at present, say,-" He, who hath sent us, is true; and we say again to the world those things, which we have heard from him." Mere witnesses of