sion. It is too common for people to adopt the peculiar prejudices of their own church, as the analogy of faith, and force the word of God to conform to it. The analogy of faith, as applicable to particular passages, ought to be very short, simple and purely Scriptural; but most sects conceive it as taking in all the complex peculiarities and scholastic refinements of their own favourite systems."*

Thus, that there is one God, and that he is pleased to accept of charitable deeds, and an upright, holy life, are propositions pervading the whole of Scripture; and, therefore, we should not oppose to them any single text, any metaphorical expression, any casual and incidental allusion, that may appear contradictory to them; much less, any creeds, articles or confessions of faith.

In forming our judgment of the analogy of faith, we should be guided by the discourses of our Lord, as of the highest authority and greatest perspicuity, and containing the whole of his doctrine; for it would be highly disrespectful to the Evangelists, to suppose, that, while they recorded so many inferior incidents in the life of Christ, and so many subordinate points in his dis-courses, they omitted any material principle of Gospel truth. To suppose, that they neglected

* Gerard's Institutes.

any points, essential to the salvation of those churches and individuals, for whom they composed their Gospels, would be an imputation, which nothing in their characters can warrant. But, though we have no doubt of their integrity and veracity, it may be necessary to inquire into their purpose and intention in writing. Now, Matthew and Mark professed to write the Gospel of Jesus Christ; which they did not do, if they omitted any of those glad tidings, which it announced, and from which it derived its name. Luke undertook to inform his friend Theophilus of "those things, which were most surely believed among Christians, that he might know the certainty of those things, wherein he had been instructed;" and in the introduction to the Acts he refers to his former treatise, for on account of "all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day, in which he was taken up." Are we then to suppose, that the essential requisites to life eternal, were not surely believed among Christians; that Theophilus had not been instructed in them, and that they had never been taught by our Lord? John is yet more explicit: "These things are written, that ye might believe, that Jesus is the Son of God; and that, believing, ye might have life through his name." He, of course, committed to writing every fundamental doctrine, every thing necessary towards perfecting our faith and obtaining life eternal.

H

Hence, we may deduce not only the sufficiency of Scripture in general, but also the sufficiency of every Evangelist separately, as to fundamentals; for if any one of them were deficient in this respect, he would be exposed to all these imputations. From this another undeniable inference follows; that no principle, which cannot be clearly proved from every one of the Evangelists, can be an essential article of faith; for, otherwise, we must suppose, that some one of them has omitted an essential truth.

If, then, you be in doubt, whether any doctrine be necessary to salvation, try it by this test: look for it in the Gospels; and if you do not find it plainly declared in them all, you may safely conclude, that it is not essential to the plan of redemption. If any person attempt to impose a spurious tenet upon you; require him to prove it in this manner. If he fail, you may be assured, that the point in question is not a fundamental truth. This I recommend as a sure guide to conduct you through the intricacies of controversy, and prevent you from being entangled in the nets of sophistry.

Scripture abounds with truths, conducive to edification, able to "convert the soul, rejoice the heart and enlighten the mind:" but I speak, at present, only of such as are essential to salvation, and declared to be so by our Lord. These are faith and repentance, love to God and love to

man. That these are necessary, is the uniform language of the Evangelists; that they are suf ficient, is repeatedly declared by Christ; and if they be sufficient, nothing more can be essential. Even Baptism and the Lord's Supper are not indispensable. Thousands of children and pious believers die without baptism; and a numerous sect of most exemplary Christians dispense with both. It does not appear, that any of the twelve Apos tles were baptized. Paul was baptized by Ananias; but he was not of their number. The Baptist himself was not baptized; nor Apollos, except, perhaps, with the Baptism of John; and the Holy Ghost was freely dispensed to numbers before Baptism. Many of the primitive disciples must have died before the institution of the Lord's Supper; and it is never insisted on, as essential to salvation.

Some of you may desire to know, why I have confined these observations to the Gospels, to the exclusion of the Acts and Epistles. The reason is plain. Neither of these professes to give a full and perfect account of the Christian Faith: we cannot, therefore, conclude beforehand, that all its doctrines are clearly contained in them. A man, who had never read the Gospels, and was only acquainted with the characters of the writers, and the nature of their books, might

* Matt. xxv. 34. Luke x. 28.

safely conclude, that such men, having undertaken such a work, could not possibly omit any principle of the grace of God; and might thence infer, that no article is fundamental, which cannot be found in every one of their books. But no such opinion can be formed, with respect to the Acts of the Apostles, previous to a perusal; for this was not necessarily connected with the duty of the writer, nor did he undertake it. Whether or not he does actually declare the whole Gospel, is to be known only from reading the book, and comparing it with the Gospels.

It is notorious, that the scheme of redemption is not clearly revealed in every one of the Epistles; and the reason is, that they were not composed with that view. They were designed for the instruction of the churches and individuals, to whom they were addressed, upon particular occasions, to which the authors, in a great measure, confine themselves. They are full and clear upon the points in controversy among the disciples, such as the respect due to the Mosaical law; the freedom of the Gentile converts from its rites and ceremonies; the heresies, that had begun to divide the Church; the vicious practices, that had crept into particular congregations; and the manner, in which the Lord's Supper should be celebrated, with a variety of other points. They are full of consolation, reproof and exhortation, according to the characters and circumstances of