same in being nursing fathers unto Zion, Isa. xliv. ult. xlv. 1.-6. xlix. 23. lx. 16. Rev. xxi. 24. When I left the church of Scotland, it was not because she was established by law; but because of her tyranny in government, and her error in doctrine. Witness the many violent settlements which take place, and the bare-faced Arminianism, to say nothing worse, which is taught almost every where. I did not leave her because she had a Confession of Faith, but because she abode not by it: many of her members, in direct violation of their ordination vows, teaching doctrines contrary to it. Her Confession and Catechisms I account as the ancient land-marks, which our fachers set, and hope never to see them removed, Prov. xxii. 28. Our fathers, it is urged, were not infallible. True, and as little are their sons. It is one thing to say, They could not err; another, That they did not err, in compiling these sacred systems. It is surely one thing to affirm, that an arithmetician is infallible; another to aver, that he commits no mistake in calling twelve times twelve an hundred and forty-four. If any credit be due to Dr. Manton's testimony, who was cotemporary with the compilers of our Confession and Catechisms, "They were a synod of as godly, judici"ous divines as ever England saw. And if in the "days of old, they had had but such a council of "bishops, as these of presbyters was, the fame of it "for learning and holiness, and all ministerial abi"lities, would, with very great honour, have been "transmitted to posterity." Enemies to Confessions declaim aloud that they are a restraint upon free inquiry after the truth, and fetter the minds of men. It is granted, that the prineiples in the Confession adopted by a church, are not to be called in question by her members. This is after vows to make inquiry, Prov. xx. 25. What an absurdity, to be ever and anon raising doubts concerning things which they confess! This would be to pull down with the one hand, what they build with the other. As if builders should use battering rams to try the strength of those very walls which their own hands had reared. What we have, we must hold fast, Rev. ii. 25.; at the same time, it is chearfully granted, that if any thing in said Confession be found not to be agreeable to scripture, that church which adopted it, is bound to reject it: and such as love the truth readily will. The same reverence for scripture which made them at first receive it, will now cause them to renounce it. They embraced it as agreeable to scripture, but now discovering that it is not, they can adhere no longer to it: this however, does not annihilate the use of Confessions. For though much of the scripture is yet unexplored, and there are many things of which we can only say, we think they are true; there are others of which we can boldly affirm, They are true, and of the utmost importance. There are doctrines, which if any man deny, we are neither to receive him, nor bid him God speed, 2 John ver. 10.; a heretic is to be rejected after the first and second admonition, Tit. iii. 10. 2 Pet. ii. 1. Sure as truth is one, we are certain that what we already know, can never be contrary, to what we do not yet know. What though at last the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun; and that of the sun, seven fold as the light of seven days? Isa. xxx. 26. this militates nothing against our embracing and professing what we know to be truth. Because the light shall then be greater, we are not therefore to shut our eyes against that with which we are favoured at present. Whatever accessions shall be made to the edifice of known truth, we may rest confident, that they shall bear no prejudice to those truths, which, from generation to generation, have been the joy of the saints. The precious stones then brought forth, shall not raze, but rest on the foundation laid in Zion long ago. The greater accession of light shall not destroy the less. That these mites cast into the treasury of truth, may be accepted of God, and advantageous to his church, is the fervent prayer of THOMAS BELL. GLASGOW. THE Irenicum of Witsius, of which it is proposed to give a translation to the public, has long been admired by those who were able to read it in the original Latin. It was composed by that learned man, with a view to terminate the disputes which were carried on, towards the close of the seventeenth century, by certain British Divines, under the names of Antinomians and Neonomians. Some of the controversies are obsolete: at least, some of the modes of expression, concerning the propriety of which he enquires, have long been exploded by every person of good sense and sobriety. But the reader will find a candid, luminous, and judicious discussion of several important articles of the Christian faith, and throughout the whole Treatise, will meet with such illustrations of scriptural truth as will amply reward the labour of perusing it. The translation has been executed with fidelity by the late Rev. Mr. BELL, and was left by him, at his death, in a state of preparation for the press. He has subjoined a variety of notes, which discover his extensive and accurate acquaintance with theology, and furnish much useful information on several interesting subjects. The translation and notes have been revised by the following Ministers, who unite in cordially recommending the work to the attention of the public." JOHN DICK, Glasgow. MATTHEW GRAHAM, Calton. JOHN BROWN, Gartmore. The Rev. Mr. FULLER of Kettering, in his edi tion of Adams' View of Religions, in a foot note, un B der the Article Neonomians, (page 242.) gives his opinion concerning the work proposed to be printed in the following words. "The controversy between what a century ago, were called the Neonomians and Antinomians, has been very ably and candidly reviewed by the famous WITSIUS, author of the Economy of the Covenants, in his Irenicum. This work has been translated from the Latin by the late Mr. THOMAS BELL of Glasgow, and is now proposed to be re-printed, with Notes by the Translator; we earnestly hope the work will be duly encourag, ed." The late worthy ABRAHAM BOOTH of London, well known by his book on the Reign of Grace, writes to a Scotch minister of this work in the following terms: "It gives me pleasure to hear from Scotland, of Witsii Animadversiones Irenica appearing in our language, for I consider it as a most valua ble work. It would be taking too much on me to recommend it." |