fore, the acknowledgment of his divine mission, and a belief in the miraculous evidence by which it was supported, in the doctrine he taught, in all the truths he delivered, in all the representations he gave of the design of his mission and of the nature of his religion; in the necessity and the obligation of all that purity and perfection of virtue, which he taught, a virtue extending to all the relations of life, to every action, to every thought and purpose of the heart; in the motives by which he enforced his precepts, especially in the doctrine of immortality, a resurrection, a righteous judgment, and the retributions of a future life, adjusted to the conduct and character of the present. All this, and much more than this, must have been comprehended in the faith of him, who believed in Jesus as the Christ. And all this, together with its practical influence in a correspondent life, must then have appeared, as they must always appear, in the character of the true Christian.

If it now be asked, whether this single article of faith be all that is necessary for Christians, the answer will depend on the reply to another question, namely, Necessary to what purpose? If it be said, necessary to constitute a Christian in distinction from a Jew, a heathen, an infidel, or a man of any other religion; the reply will be, that it is the article and the single article by which the Christian, as such, is distinguished. He cannot be a nominal Christian without it, whatever other truths, which make a part of the Christian scheme, he may receive; and with it, however ignorant he may seem to us to be of the principles and

the design of the gospel, and however defective or erroneous his views of the Christian doctrine may appear, the Christian name is not to be denied him.

But if the question be, whether this single article of faith be all that is necessary to salvation, the reply will be different. No number of articles can be specified, which are necessary for every one in order to salvation; nor can any be named, which are alone sufficient for every one. The reason is, that what is essential to be known and believed by different persons, must vary, as their capacities and opportunities vary. The number of fundamental or essential doctrines in this respect can never be determined; for every Christian, as far as his situation, talents, and opportunities are peculiar to himself, must have a distinct catalogue, obligatory on him, but binding on no one else. Leisure, capacity, opportunity, and motives for inquiry lay a reasonable foundation for higher demands of knowledge and of faith; while less will be required where opportunities less favorable have been given.

Let me add, that so far is it from being requisite, that all should assent to the same articles of faith, that what is actually a fundamental doctrine to one, another may be under no obligation to receive as an article of faith. Besides, a natural difference in the strength or clearness of the understanding, a difference of education, and a nameless variety of circumstances over which they have no control, may lay obligations on some, which extend not to others, and present truths to those with such light and evidence as to 25

VOL. II.

render the assent to them obligatory, of which these may very innocently be ignorant, or, misunderstanding their nature or their evidence, may reject as errors. What seems to be essential is, not that this or the other truth be clearly understood and assented to, in a certain form; but that in adopting the opinions, which are to make the sum of his faith, he be a pious, humble, upright, and faithful inquirer.

Can it be, that the same faith is required of all, however different their means of coming to the knowledge of the truth? Can it be, that even the first and fundamental article of the Christian faith is obligatory on him, and essential to his salvation, who, living where the light of the gospel has not reached, has never even heard of the Saviour? He cannot in these circumstances be a nominal Christian; but will any say, that he cannot have all that faith, that is necessary to his salvation? Will any venture to pronounce, that such are placed by the inevitable lot of their being, out of the range of the divine mercy, out of the limits of that faith which is connected with salvation? Will any maintain, that so large a portion of our race, as have passed their lives where the light of the Christian doctrine, and even the name of the author of our faith, has never reached them, are, by the condition of their being, excluded from their Maker's favor? We cannot for a moment abstract from our notion of a righteous God, that he requires of each one, only what is possible in the circumstances in which he is placed, and will approve and accept him, whose faith, whatever it be, is correspond

ent to his condition and means, and is productive of its proper fruits. "God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation, he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him."

CHAPTER XXIV.

DUTY OF FAITHFUL INQUIRY.

I HAVE endeavored to present a statement of some of those doctrines of our religion, which are regarded with a peculiar interest, as well on account of their real importance, as on account of prevailing differences of opinion about them, and the controversy, which, at different times, in all ages, has been agitated respecting them.

That, on important subjects of universal interest, such differences of opinion should exist among intelligent, inquiring, and honest men, is a circumstance that must naturally excite a more lively interest on the subject; nor ought it perhaps to be a surprising or unexpected thing, if, in some minds, it should awaken doubts, and lead to skepticism, as it has done, on the whole subject of religion. But what may account for such a result, as a matter of fact, may come far short of justifying it as reasonable. And doubtless in similar cases we should not come hastily to such a conclusion.

In philosophy, for example, in legislation, in medicine, in education, diversity of opinion, even among the most distinguished writers, leads to no such conclusion. Amidst all the war of words and opinions, we still have no doubt, that in philosophy there is