b'LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, 5 \n\nchap. J&%*_\xc2\xa333S~ \n\nShelf \n\nUNITED STATES OF AMERICA. $ \n\n\n\nTHE CHURCH-THE FAITH-TRADITION. \n\n\n\ntil \n\n\n\nBY \n\n\n\nBENJAMIN T NDERDONK, D. D \n\nBISHOP OF THE DIOCESE OF NEW-YORK, \n\nAND PROFESSOR OF THE NATURE, MINISTRY, AND POLITY OF THE CHURCH, \nIN THE GENERAL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY OF THE \nPROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH \nIN THE UNITED STATES. \n\n\n\nONDERDONK & FORREST, \nPublishers, 4 John Street, \n\n\n\n\n\ncrf^ ~? \n\n\n\n.<DC3 \n\n\n\n[Entered according to Act of Congress, by ONDERDONK & FORREST, in the Clerk\'s Office \nof the Southern District of New- York, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and \nforty -four. I \n\n\n\nv \n\n\n\n\nPRINTED 3Y F. CLARKE. 115 FULTON STREET, N. Y. \n\n\n\nThe following is the Sermon which the Author recently preached in St. Paul\'s \nChapel and St. Clement\'s Church, with, however, a large addition since it was \npreached in St. Paul\'s, and some further addition since it was preached in St. \nClement\'s. B. T. O. \n\n\n\nNew-York, Jan. 4, 1844. \n\n\n\nQnmon. \n\n\n\n2 Timothy i: 13,14. \n\n" Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in \nChrist Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee, keep by the Holy Ghost, which \ndwelleth in us." \n\nThe Gospel is that system of faith and practice which God has \ncaused to be written for the best interests of men in time and \nthrough eternity. By it alone they can attain to true holiness \nand happiness here ; and it only shows them the appointed road \nto future everlasting glory. \n\nAs His instrument for preserving and extending this Gospel in \nthe world, its Divine Author has been pleased to establish His \nChurch. That Holy Society is constituted the pillar and ground \nof the truth. In this capacity it is divinely commissioned to re- \ntain the truth, to preach the truth, and to hand it down to all \ngenerations, and diffuse it throughout the earth. As a principal \nagency herein its ministry was originally commissioned by Christ \nHimself, with power to transmit the commission to all future \ntime. To this ministry, in order to the fulfilment of this its im- \nmense, holy, and comprehensive design, is committed the dispen- \nsation of the sacraments, whereby men are to be brought into the \nschool, family, or Church of Christ, and there receive and pro- \nfess the truth, and enjoy the grace and mercy, which are provid- \ned for all faithful subjects of the evangelical covenant. To the \nministry too it appertains to conduct the sacred services in which \nthe Church holds communion with her Divine Lord, commends \nherself to His care, guidance and blessing, seeks for her members \nthe varied benefits which they need at His hands, prays for the \nworld lying in wickedness, that it may be brought to the saving \nknowledge and consistent practice of the truth, and renders her \n\n\n\n6 \n\n\n\nmeet tribute of thanksgiving, praise, and adoration ; and in which \nthe precious faith of the Gospel is carried home to the heart, \nwarms the devout sensibilities, and is thus most effectually estab- \nlished in the understanding. The ministry is also God\'s appoint- \ned agency for proclaiming the messages of salvation, and all the \nholy revelations connected with them which fill the Sacred Scrip- \ntures, and for founding on them the instructions that result from \nthat study and meditation, which, duly exercised on God\'s word, \nwith faithful seeking of His grace, have promise of direction in \nthe right w T ay, and guidance to a right end. \n\nHoly Scripture and ancient authors clearly show that in the \nfulfilment of these great ends of the Church and its ministry, \nthere have, from the first, been duly appointed and established \nforms of worship, and other symbols, summaries, and standards \nof the faith given to the Church by Christ and His inspired apos- \ntles ; and that there has also been a recognized authority and disci- \npline to enforce their observance, and save the Church from the \ninfluence of false teachers, and their unchristian doctrines, effectu- \nally enlist and preserve its members in the true faith and practice \nof the Gospel, and commend them to the adoption of the world. \n\nAll this, in the primitive purity of the Gospel, was compara- \ntively simple and easy. The love of Christ, shed abroad in the \nhearts of believers, was pure, warm, and operative. The evan- \ngelical principle of communion with Christ through the medium \nof His Church, was universally admitted and put in practice. In \nwaiting on the ministrations of the priesthood of that Church, \nChristians sought guidance in the heavenly doctrines and precepts \nof the Gospel. Their pastors, being the apostles themselves, or \nthose brought up at their feet, or at theirs who had enjoyed the \npersonal instructions of the apostles, or who had learned Christ \nwhile the deep impression of those instructions still remained in \nthe Church, urged upon them principles and precepts bearing the \nhallowed stamp of apostolic truth and purity. Great too was the \nsimplicity of those primitive and truly evangelical instructions. \nUnconnected with temporal welfare and civil distinctions, and \nmade indeed the object of bitter and eager persecution, the Church \nhad nothing to offer her members but the testimony of a good \nconscience, humble reliance on the approbation and favour of \n\n\n\n? \n\n\n\ntheir Divine Master, and the hope of future eternal reward. It \nwas therefore their main anxiety to receive the Gospel as its \nGreat Author had given it to them. They knew it was from \nGod, and that it was therefore the best, and exactly as it should \nbe. As soon would they have questioned the propriety and fit- \nness of the order of the natural world, and attempted to show \nhow much better than under the existing arrangement, day and \nnight, summer and winter, seed-time and harvest, might have \nmade their revolutions, as have presumed to sit in judgment on \nthe revealed system of the Gospel. As soon would they have \ndeferred the use of food for sustenance, and of medicine to heal \ntheir sickness, until they could have thoroughly investigated and \nunderstood how they were to produce their wonted effects, as have \nhesitated about receiving those doctrines, and walking in those \ncommandments and ordinances of the Gospel, which were set \nforth and appointed for nourishing their spiritual life, healing \ntheir spiritual maladies, and preserving them unto life everlasting, \nuntil their reason could comprehend every thing, and present it \nto them as what itself could have as well discovered or enforced. \nThey were content to know that God was in heaven, and they \nupon earth ; that He was infinite, and they finite ; that He was \nacting for them because of their incompetency to act for them- \nselves ; and that He neither could nor would deceive them. \nTheir only inquiries therefore were, What is of God ? What does \nHe teach ? What has He caused to be written for our learning, \nand incorporated into the system of that Church which He has \nestablished for our spiritual and eternal good 1 Upon receiving \nsatisfaction on these points, their only and immediate conclusion \nwas, Therefore this is right \xe2\x80\x94 this is truth \xe2\x80\x94 this is duty. Humble, \ncheerful, and devout acquiescence becomes me. Grateful to my \nHeavenly Father for having ordained and required it, I will not \npresume to sit in judgment upon it. \n\nUnder this primitive, truly evangelical, and \xe2\x80\x94 all the proud \nboasting of reason falsely so called to the contrary notwithstand- \ning \xe2\x80\x94 truly reasonable state of things, the Christian pastors had, \nin their instructions, little else to do than simply urge, in Scripture \nlanguage, the doctrines and precepts of the Gospel. The exhorta- \ntions which accompanied their public ministrations were generally \n\n\n\n8 \n\n\n\nshort and simple. With little of studied argument or learned \nelucidation in their explanation or enforcement, they kept before \nthe people the standards of their faith, and pressed them on their \ndevout and consistent practical adoption. \n\nInstances indeed there were, even thus early, in which the pre- \nsumption of human intellect began to show itself. More inge- \nnuity of head than sanctification of heart was sometimes brought \ninto the Christian ministry, and led to the introduction of specious \ndoubts, to indulgence in fanciful speculations, and to a bold spirit \nof innovation and perversion. Thus crept in heresies to soil the \npurity and mar the unity of the body of Christ\'s members. \n\nThe Christian pastors were called to meet these difficulties. \nPrompt discipline soon placed heretical teachers where, separate \nfrom the Catholic Church, there was little danger of their errors \nspreading. For then the unity of the Church, as connected with \nunity of faith, and essential to it, was held dear, and considered in- \nseparable from the true love of Christ, and real devotion to His \nservice. Then the great adversary had not so far succeeded in \nhis wicked designs on the glory of God, the purity of the Gospel, \nand the influence of true piety in the world, as to recommend, \nunder the false appearance of liberality, indifference as to who is \nheard, or what is heard, provided preaching is attended, curiosity \ngratified, taste pleased, and the frightful name of bigot avoided. \n\nThese beginnings of errors gave increased force, even in the \napostles\' days, to the fitness, usefulness, and necessity, of symbols \nor summaries, and standards of faith, called in the text, and else- \nwhere in Scripture, forms of sound words, forms of doctrine, good \nconfessions, sacred deposites, and the like. They were in part \nincorporated into the Church\'s prayers and praises, and in part \ndeclaratory forms of Christian profession. They embodied, as far \nas they went, the faith actually held by the Church, under the \nteaching of Christ and His inspired ministers, even before it was \nrecorded on the pages of the New Testament. These declaratory \nforms of profession appear to have been originally very brief, \nembracing merely a few of the leading facts and principles of \nthe Gospel, which were denied or corrupted by false teachers. \nFor the rest, Christianus sum, I am a Christian \xe2\x80\x94 such was the \nprevailing godly concord of the Church\xe2\x80\x94 was sufficient. \n\n\n\n9 \n\n\n\nIn process of time, however, the state of the Church began to \nchange. Even within its own borders, oppositions to the primi- \ntive faith increased in number and in influence. This was, in a \ngood measure, the consequence of Christianity being embraced \nby the great philosophers of the day. Many of these, having \nbeen, in their respective schools, more accustomed to the exercise \nof the head, and indulgence in ingenious speculation, than the \ngovernment of the heart, and a severe and disinterested adherence \nto the truth, and not suffering their conversion to be so thorough \nas to bring every high imagination into the obedience of Christ, \nwere prone, after their admission into the Church, and even into \nits ministry, to exercise a rash and daring ingenuity on the Chris- \ntian system, and thus often present it in a distorted shape, and \nwith no small mixture of alloy. \n\nOthers of these converted philosophers, from a sincere desire to \nrecommend Christianity to their former brethren of the schools, \nwere induced to endeavour to prove to them that it would admit \nof close philosophical investigation, and was not, therefore, as it \nhad been represented, unworthy of adoption by an enlightened \nand scientific mind. This was indeed true. But the effort too \noften presented a successful temptation to push the researches \nand investigations of reason beyond the bound, which she herself \nprescribes, of entire subserviency to the will and wisdom of Infi- \nnite Intelligence. \n\nOften, too, a pious and disinterested effort to meet and coun- \nteract the unfavourable operation of these several causes, by \nbeing carried too far, led to counter-speculations, which increased \nthe evil it was designed to remedy. \n\nAll these circumstances, giving rise, from time to time, to new \nphases of departure from the simplicity and integrity of the Gos- \npel, all professing to be drawn from the Scriptures, led to gradual \nadditions to the symbols, creeds, or confessions, by which the \nChurch declared her sense of the Scriptures, and would enlist \nin what she held to be the truth as it is in Jesus, the profession of \nher members, and the instructions of her pastors. \n\nIn this, however, the Church acted simply in her character as \na witness. She did not undertake to establish truth, but to de- \nclare it. As points not before heard of were introduced into the \n\n\n\n10 \n\n\n\nteaching of her pastors, she subjected them to the test of that \nsystem which Christ and His apostles had left to the Church, \nand a record of which had been gathered in the New Testament. \nWhen plausible pretext for such points was found in their sup- \nposed accordance with Scripture, she inquired how the part of \nthe Scripture concerned had been understood by the great body \nof Christians from the first ; assuredly gathering that that was to \nbe received as sound in preference to the conjectures and criti- \ncisms of individuals. Her decisions in the premises were of no \nauthority in themselves ; and were urged by her simply on the \nground of their conformity with the catholic faith which had \nbeen revealed to the Church, and registered in the New Testa- \nment. Thus arriving at the truth, she exercised the authority \nwhich her divine Loud had committed to her, by enforcing the \nprofession of it on her members, and its faithful teaching on her \npastors. They were required to hold fast the form of sound \nwords, in which revealed truth was embodied, and had been \nhanded down, and to keep that good thing committed to the \nChurch, or the sacred depositum of the faith received from Christ \nand His apostles. \n\nThe sound principle herein concerned cannot be better illus- \ntrated than by reference to the ground on which we receive that \nsymbol of faith, had in reverence by all enlightened advocates of \nthe doctrine of the Trinity, the JYicene Creed. \n\nThe spirit of sect, always welcome to the carnal mind, had \ndivided heathen philosophers into divers schools or parties, dis- \ntinguished each by some favourite theory connected more or less \nremotely with the current idolatry. None of these was more \nextensively ramified, or exerted a wider influence, than that of \nthe gnostics. Many of its professors and teachers were among \nthose who made early show of conversion to the Christian name. \nI say show of conversion, without meaning to say that the con- \nversion was in all cases unreal. In many, it was doubtless sincere \nas far as it went. That is, their reason was satisfied that Christ \nwas a wise and good teacher, having a fair claim to respect and \nconfidence ; and that His religion was so virtuous and good that \nit ought to be embraced. Their devotional feelings and views \ntoo, and sense of religious obligation, were drawn into ready \n\n\n\n11 \n\n\n\nsympathy with its infinite superiority, as a system of piety, to \nthe religion in which they had been nurtured. But at the same \ntime, they found it hard to bring their intellectual pride into sub- \njection. Their former systems had given them certain notions of \na derived and subordinate divinity. These they coupled ith wthe \nScripture views of the nature of Christ, and conceived of Him \nas an exalted creature, endowed with some, but not with all the \nattributes of Deity. What, in the eye of sound catholic inter- \npretation of Scripture, was evidence of the co-existence in Christ \nof the human with the divine nature, they construed, in their \nindividual rendering of Scripture, into proofs of His falling short \nof full and supreme divinity. Their system, appealing to that \npride of the unrenewed heart which revolts at subjugating pri- \nvate judgment to superior authority, and urged with zeal and \neloquence, gained ground. At length large numbers of Chris- \ntian teachers and disciples were found who believed and repre- \nsented the Gospel as not favouring the doctrine of the real and \nfull divinity of Christ. Thus, from the same sacred pages, the \njudgment of one party drew one conclusion, and that of the other \nquite a different one. \n\nChristianity had by this time received the assent of the head of \nthe Roman empire, and become the religion of that wide-spread \npower. The Bishops and pastors of the flock of Christ were natu- \nrally and devoutly anxious that these doctrinal differences should \nbe healed by union in the true faith. The emperor, although not \nyet a member of the Church, was evidently very honest and sin- \ncere in his preference for Christianity, and his desire to promote \nits interests, and have it for the religion of his people. He par- \nticipated in the desire to settle, if possible, this cardinal point of \nthe true nature of Christ. Here, however, were learned men on \nboth sides, and on both sides men of piety, honesty, and sincerity, \nwho differed from each other, each appealing to the written word. \nThis written word, that is the New Testament, it must be borne \nin mind, is an inspired minute and record of a faith previously \nexisting, with occasional explanations, illustrations, and defences \nof it; very deficient, however, in systematic arrangement, and \nevidently designed to exercise Christians in that inquiry, search, \nand study, which make the embracing of the faith a moral act, \n\n\n\n12 \n\n\n\nwherein the will and understanding are to be largely concerned. \nThe question to be settled was, which of the systems \xe2\x80\x94 for it is \nevident that with either point, the truth or the falsehood of the \ndoctrine of Christ\'s supreme divinity, is necessarily connected a \nsystem widely different from that connected with the other \xe2\x80\x94 the \nquestion was, which of the systems was the true one. The rea- \nsonable ground taken by both the emperor and the pastors of the \nChurch was, that if they could ascertain what had been from the \nfirst the faith on this point of the whole Church, that must be the \ntrue meaning of the inspired text, and therefore, the required \nfaith of Christians. The emperor, accordingly, summoned a coun- \ncil of Bishops from all parts of his empire, to meet at Nice, and \nhence called the Nicene Council. It met in the year of our Lord \n325, and was composed of about 300 Bishops from all parts of \nthe Christian world. Among them were many aged men whose \nknowledge of the Church must have reached back to a period \nwhen it was under the government of Bishops who must have \nreceived their knowledge of the Church and its doctrines from \npastors but two or three degrees removed from the last of the \napostles. These men, too> and those who had handed the faith to \nthem, be it remembered, had held it through bitter persecutions, \nwhen the testimony of a good conscience was their only support, \nthe world frowned on them, and their sole hope was in the ap- \nprobation of Heaven, which, without conscientious adherence to \nthe truth they could not expect to enjoy. These men assembled, \nnot to give their private judgments as to what was truth and \nwhat not, but to bear testimony as to what had been the received \ndoctrine in their several portions of the Church, for as long an \nantecedent period as recollection or testimony could reach. Upon \na full investigation of the matter, it appeared that in all parts of \nChristendom, and from time immemorial, the supreme divinity \nof Christ had been the received doctrine of the Church. The \nquestion then naturally occurred, Whence could this doctrine have \narisen ? The universal practice founded upon it of worshipping \nChrist as God, must have been downright idolatry, if the doctrine \nwas not true. Could the whole Christian world have been sup- \nposed to have fallen into idolatry at so early a period ? Clearly \nnot. This catholic doctrine, then, furnishes the true light by \n\n\n\n13 \n\n\n\nwhich to interpret and understand the Scriptures when they speak \nof the nature of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Hence \nthe value and authority of the Nicene Creed. It is not merely \na summary of the private judgments of the venerable fathers \nwho set it forth; but their testimony to the faith which the \nChurch had maintained from the first, even before the Canon \nof Scripture was complete, and therefore from the direct teach- \ning of the inspired apostles. \n\nAs my purpose in introducing this point was merely to illus- \ntrate a principle, I have given to this whole Creed its usual \ntitle of Nicene, although there are some points in it which were \nadded, as formidable objections arose, by a subsequent similar \nprocess. \n\nThis mode of arriving at the truth, or in other words the right \nuse of tradition in that matter, is much misrepresented, if charged \nwith the substituting of human for divine authority. Not so. It \nis merely a reasonable and necessary mode of arriving at a know- \nledge of divine revelation. As given to us, that revelation of \ncourse requires to be interpreted. As it was not completed until \nafter the Church was in full possession of the faith, the fact of \nwhat faith that was which the Church had before the inspired \nrecord of it was made, is clearly the best rule by which to inter- \npret and understand that record ; or in other words, by which to \nknow what is the truth which God has given to His Church. \n\nFor the correct understanding of this view, we must again \nbear in mind the fact that the record given in the New Testament \nof the faith of the Church is far from being a systematic one. \nIt has been wisely put in another shape, and consists mainly of \nincidental notices and illustrations. The favourable moral bear- \ning of this has been before noticed. \n\nThis incontestible fact, however, derogates not from the suffi- \nciency of the Scripture record. \n\nThe experience of the Church of God in all ages, evinces the \nutter inadequacy of mere tradition to hand truth down unadul- \nterated and unmutilated. We should, therefore, regard as an \nunspeakable mercy the kindness and love of God in causing to \nbe written under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, that New \n\n2 \n\n\n\nTestament in which there is a record or notice of all that He, in \nHis infinite wisdom, has appointed to be held by His Church as \nof obligation. Whatsoever, therefore, cannot be proved by that \nsacred volume, is not in any wise to be maintained as of neces- \nsity to be believed or practised It is, however, nevertheless, \ntrue, that much that is there but incidentally noticed, or but infer- \nentially deducible, is proved to be of obligation by that light of \nprimitive catholic tradition, which shows it to have been a part \nof the evangelical system bequeathed to the Church by Christ \nand His apostles. \n\nFamiliar illustration of this is afforded in two points very ex- \ntensively conceded to be of Scripture obligation. I refer to the \nreligious observance of the first day of the week, and to the \nbringing of little children to Christ by the sacrament of baptism. \nYou will look in vain in the New Testament for any direct pre- \ncept enforcing either of these duties. In the earliest developments, \nhowever, which we have of the Christian system, we find both \nheld as of sacred obligation. In the New Testament we find \nrecords which clearly intimate that the first day of the week had \nreligious services performed thereon, and one reference to a day \ntermed the Lord\'s day. We therein also find such references to \nbaptism, and to connection with the Church, or covenant relation \nand appropriation to Christ, as clearly intimate that children \nwere, and should be, made members of His Church. In the \nhistory of the primitive Church we find that the first day of the \nweek was religiously observed, and that children were baptized, \nas matters of religious obligation. Hence the conclusion that the \nparts of Scripture mentioned are evidence of duty in the premises; \nthat is, that it is a part of the system of Christ\'s religion, as re- \nvealed in the New Testament, that Sunday should be religiously \nobserved, and that children should be baptized. \n\nI trust, my brethren, that I have now made it appear that tra- \ndition is valuable as a rule for the right understanding of the \nword of God. Whenever you hear of its being set up as another \nrule of faith and practice, you hear of that which has no founda- \ntion in truth, as it respects the principle involved, and which is \nequally untrue and unjust respecting the fact of that principle \n\n\n\n15 \n\n\n\nbeing held by any who rightly appreciate sound catholic doc- \ntrine. \n\nThus the true catholic use of tradition is to serve as a means \nfor a right understanding of Holy Scripture, Without the sanc- \ntion of this it can enforce nothing as of obligation. It is, \nhowever, of invaluable benefit as a rule for the right interpreta- \ntion of Scripture. To this end the early Church incorporated its \nteachings into liturgical exercises, and symbols of religious pro- \nfession. These constituted the form of sound words which was to \nbe held fast, and the sacred depositum which was to be kept by \nthe Holy Ghost, that is, through grace given by Him. \n\nIn process of time, however, this sound evangelical view of the \nmatter was superseded by the unchristian dogma of the infalli- \nbility of the Church of each particular age, and her competency \nto make articles of faith on the ground simply of ecclesiastical \nauthority. Tradition became exalted to an equality with God\'s \nword as another rule of faith and duty. Worldly influences, with \nwhich circumstances powerfully invested the Church, gave to \nthis principle an extent and degree of operation, which, combin- \ning with a rapid deterioration of intelligence and knowledge in \nthe community, sank the reason and consciences of men under \nthe weight of a spiritual despotism, of a pressure and extent, of \nwhich an idea can now hardly be formed. This, unchecked and \nunguided by the true spirit and principles of the Gospel, demand- \ned subjection \xe2\x80\x94 and compelled it by fire and sword, prison and \ntorture in this world, and terrific anathemas, presenting to the \naffrighted imagination all the miseries of eternal condemnation \xe2\x80\x94 \nto the most flagrant departures from Gospel truth, and the most \nawful perversions of Gospel precepts. Gross was the darkness \nwhich, gradually thickening and spreading, at length covered \nthat large portion of the Christian world which owned allegiance \nto Rome. Substituting the Church\'s unauthorized dogmas for \ntrue catholic and scriptural verity, it kept the people in ignor- \nance of God\'s word, and sank them to an awful depth of moral \nand spiritual degradation. But the Lord God Omnipotent still \nreigned. The Church was still His. He remembered His ever- \nlasting covenant. He thought upon His promises. When He \n\n\n\n16 \n\n\n\nsaw that the wise purposes of this severe discipline were answer- \ned, He determined to send deliverance. The power which once, \nby a word, dispelled the darkness that covered the face of the \ndeep, still was His. In this blackness of moral and spiritual \ndarkness, He still saw His Church. He had suffered her to drink \ndeeply of the cup of humiliation which her own remissness and \ntransgressions had prepared. He had let her test the sufficiency \nof the unhallowed substitutes for which she had departed from \nthe pure and holy religion committed to her. He had made the \nwrath of man to praise Him by showing the awful consequences \nof forsaking His guidance. The remainder of wrath He would now \nrestrain. In His just judgment, He had suffered such corruptions \nas ordinary means might, by His blessing, remove, to oppress His \nChurch. He had permitted her to eat the fruit of her own way \nby wandering from the truth, \xe2\x80\x94 to such a distance only, however, \nthat men might be the means of reclaiming her without super- \nnatural interposition on His part. But in two essential respects, \nwherein ordinary means could do nothing for her, He had faith- \nfully fulfilled His promise of still being with her. He had won- \nderfully preserved that divine revelation, and that divine ministry, \nof which the loss of either could be restored only by supernatural \ndivine power. \n\nFrom the darkness of error and superstition in which that reve- \nlation and ministry, by His gracious providence, retained their \ngenuineness, He would now release His Church. Let there be light, \nwas His high behest \xe2\x80\xa2 and there was light. A spirit of inquiry \nwas excited. Scripture and primitive antiquity were searched to \nknow whether the things that had been taught were the truth. \nConscientious conviction was wrought that they were not. Deep \nstudy, elevated devotion, inflexible purpose, zeal and labour unto \ndeath, were given to the work of reform. The erroneous and \nstrange doctrines which had been allowed to mar the form of \nsound words, and the foreign and impure incrustations which had \ngathered around the sacred depositum of the faith, were removed. \nUncatholic and unchristian additions and appendages to the an- \ncient liturgical services were stripped off. The primitive creeds \nwere brought out in their just prominence, and the unhallowed \n\n\n\n17 \n\n\n\ndogmas which had been entwined around them until they were \nalmost out of sight, were cast down to wither and die on the \npolluted soil that bore them. The heretical and schismatical \ndeparture of the papacy from that ministerial organization in \nwhich the living God had formed His Church the pillar and \nground of the truth, was thrown off, and the ministry restored to \nthe form which the Divine hand had given it. The members of \nChrist were restored to the privilege of worshipping in their own \ntongue, the blessed Book of God was read constantly in their \nears, and prepared for being placed in their hands, in the same \ntongue ; and the ordinance of preaching, so good and essential to \nthe use of edifying, brought back to its proper place and pro- \nportion in the public ministrations. Then were restored to the \npeople of God the form of sound words, and the sacred deposi- \ntum of the faith, in a catholic liturgy and catholic creeds \xe2\x80\x94 and \nbecause catholic, therefore strictly evangelical^which, in the \nprimitive simplicity and purity of the Church, had been God\'s \ninstrument for guarding and preserving the Gospel, and extend- \ning its benefits to men. \n\nI speak, brethren, you are aware, of that portion of the Church, \nso richly blessed of God, in which ours had its immediate origin. \nElsewhere, it is to be lamented, the protestant work was con- \nducted on different principles, and with far other, and sometimes \nmost deleterious results. They set not up the catholic standard, \nbut seemed mainly bent on change. To go the furthest possible \nfrom any given point of error, they seemed to cherish the obvi- \nously wrong and truly dangerous idea, was to arrive the near- \nest to the truth. The consequence was, they threw off as popish \nmuch which the papal system had retained from those happy \ndays of the Church, when it had not yet marred and corrupted \nthe Gospel system. \n\nThe time soon came when the Church of England was called \nto illustrate, in her position at home, her true character of a mean \nbetween two extremes. There were of her ministers and mem- \nbers two classes, besides those who duly appreciated the great \nand good things which God had done for her, and were true to \nthe pious obligations thence arising. One of these classes, unwill- \n\n2* \n\n\n\n18 \n\n\n\ning to submit to the catholic system, went back to the popish, \nand organized under intruding bishops, and holding allegiance \nto a foreign prelate, became the English papal schism. The \nother, finding in the sound Christian prudence and moderation of \ntheir Church, too little room for their love of change and novelty, \nthrew off the organization under which Christ had established \nHis ministry, rejected the scriptural safeguard to the truth, and \naid to devotion, found in an evangelical liturgy, and organizing \non the loose and slippery principles of protestant dissent, formed \nanother schism, which unhappily has served too well the cause \nof the great author of dissension, by giving rise to many schisms. \n\nAmid these Romish and Protestant departures from catholic \nand evangelical principles, the Church of England stands, God\'s \nwitness of His unfailing mercy in blessing the land with the form \nof sound words, and the sacred depositum of the Gospel. And \nto us of this Republic a similar blessing has been vouchsafed by \na branch of the same noble vine which God\'s right hand has \nplanted here. Although differing very materially in outward \ncircumstances and relations, yet in the spiritual character in \nwhich the present purpose requires us to view them, the Church \nin England and in this country may be regarded as one. Each, \nin its respective nation, is the true and scriptural and therefore \nlegitimate branch of that Holy Catholic Church of Christ which \napostles established in Jerusalem, in Antioch, in Rome, in Ephe- \nsus, in Crete, in all places whither they bore the standard, pre- \npared the ground, and set up the pillar, of the truth as it is in \nJesus. In each it is the Church in and of its proper country, in \nthat purely catholic and evangelical sense in which there was a \nChurch -of Jerusalem, of Antioch, of Rome, of Ephesus, of Crete, \nlong before the civil power was any other than the bitter oppo- \nnent and cruel persecutor of the Church. The Church in Eng- \nland, the Church of England, is not such by virtue of any civil \nadoption or establishment. It is such because it is the true and \nlegitimate branch in England and of England, of that kingdom \nwhich is not of this world \xe2\x80\x94 that kingdom of which Christ is \nthe Head \xe2\x80\x94 His Holy Catholic Church. The same is true, with \nregard to this country, of our own communion. The emissaries \n\n\n\n19 \n\n\n\nof the Pope are intruders here, having no right of jurisdiction, \non scriptural and catholic principles, over the people of Christ\'s \npasture. Organizations on non-episcopal principles, are, by the \nsame Scripture and catholic rule, self-deprived of such right of \njurisdiction. I have no fear then of being misunderstood, and \ntrust I have an honest and fair claim to exemption from being \nmisinterpreted, when I speak of there being an American Church, \nthe Church in and of America, and of its being one, on scrip- \ntural, primitive, and catholic principles, with the Church of Eng- \nland. \n\nThis united Church, it has appeared, is blessed with a form of \nsound words, a sacred depositum, embodying and enforcing that \nevangelical system which Christ and His apostles left to the \nChurch ; which was held fast and kept with a holy jealousy \nwhile the Church was in its primitive purity ; which, for a long \ntime, was guarded and defended from error as it arose ; which, \nhowever, in just judgment for the sins of the daughter of Zion, \nGod at length suffered to be mingled with erroneous, strange, \nand grievous departures from the truth as it is in Jesus, even \nuntil it became, in their midst, almost as a little one among ten \nthousand ; but which, when that God saw fit to send deliverance, \nwas shaken clear from these, and again appeared in its native \nexcellency and beauty. \n\nThis form of sound words and holy depositum, is found mainly \nin those creeds which our Church received from times when the \nevangelical system was fresh in its divine purity, and in the litur- \ngy which was carefully gathered from the worship of the same \nperiod, and from subsequent materials compared with that wor- \nship by all the jealous watching and minute comparison which \nmen could give, who, in both enlightened understandings, and \npure evangelical sensibilities and affections, were devoted to cath- \nolic truth, and zealous against papal error. The holy men who \nsevered those creeds and that liturgy from their corrupt alliances \ntook indeed the sacred Scriptures as their guide ; but they leaned \nnot so to their own understanding as to cast off due respect and \nreverence for primitive catholicity. They appealed to the holy \nfathers in proof of the soundness of their protests against popish \n\n\n\n20 \n\n\n\nerrors. They interpreted the Scriptures by that best rule which \nis afforded by the received catholic doctrines of the primitive \nChurch. He is untrue to the principles of the English reform- \nation who would underrate the value of this right use of tra- \ndition. \n\nThe creeds and liturgy, then, thus, by God\'s overruling provi- \ndence and grace, brought to us from primitive times, are the \nmain depositum of our faith, the chief form of sound words em- \nbodying the evangelical system once delivered unto the saints. \nArticles of religion and homilies have been added for the more \nprecise delineation and defence of points in this system, rendered \nnecessary by peculiar states and junctures of the Church. \n\nOur articles and homilies are indeed, as well as our liturgy, to \nbe cherished as standards of our catholic system, of great value, \nand of vital importance to our unity, purity, and efficiency. Those \narticles and homilies, however, are subsidiary to the liturgy. They \nwere designed to illustrate, enforce, and defend the system incor- \nporated into the liturgy long before they were formally set forth. \nThey are, as it were, comparatively modern comments on the \nancient liturgical digest of the Gospel system of faith and duty. \nThis should be borne in mind in all our efforts to arrive at the \ncorrect meaning of the articles and homilies. The pervading \ncatholic spirit and principles of the liturgy must be understood as \ndesigned to be incorporated into them too, and to be duly influen- \ntial in the true understanding of them. \n\nThe articles and homilies also differ from the liturgy in the \nfact of their being in a good degree controversial documents, \ndesigned to meet peculiar errors of the times. Like all contro- \nversial writings, therefore, a correct knowledge of the circum- \nstances giving rise to them, and under which they were prepared/ \nis necessary to a proper understanding of them. \n\nAllowing due influence to these principles, the articles and \nhomilies will be found a most valuable accompaniment, and aid \nin its blessed objects, to that form of sound words, and depositum \nof the truth, with which we are favoured in our liturgy. \n\nThus shining in the light of God\'s truth, the Churches of Eng- \nland and America, stand, as we have seen, a witness against error \n\n\n\n21 \n\n\n\non both sides \xe2\x80\x94 on the one, against the hostility to the Gospel \nsystem which is embodied in the forces marshalled under the \nbanner of the Roman pontiff \xe2\x80\x94 on the other, against the motley \nhosts, whose name is legion, assembled without the Catholic \ncamp, and claiming the common appellation of Protestant. \n\nIn this position it is not to be matter of surprise if members of \nthe Church, failing in just understanding and appreciation of her \nclaims, should be drawn by influences bearing on the weaknesses \nor prejudices of the natural heart, and thus decline, sometimes to \nthe one sometimes to the other side of truth\'s straight path. Time \nhas been when the Church, too secure in its temporal ease \nand prosperity, has slept while the enemy has sowed the tares of \nfanaticism, confusion, and misrule. Sometimes zeal greater than \nknowledge has alarmed the Church\'s sons with the idea of her \nimperfect devotion to the cause of Christ, and lured them to seek \nin dissenting ranks greater conformity to the spirit of their Chris- \ntian profession. Sometimes honest dread of one or other point of \nerroneous and strange doctrine or practice, has led to a formida- \nble array of influence in directions opposite but equally erroneous. \nNow tendencies have threatened to popish, and now to protestant \ndepartures from the truth, unstable souls have been beguiled \nthereby, and anxiety and fear and serious alarm have been \nexcited because of such defections. Meanwhile, however, the \nChinch has stood. Her standards of faith and devotion, and her \nfree, open, and perpetual appeals to Scripture have, by God\'s \nblessing, been her preservation. Faithful pastors and faithful \nmembers have not been indifferent spectators of these things. \nUnderstanding their character and operation, looking to God to \nguide them aright in the emergencies thus created, and fully own- \ning and feeling the duty of meeting them properly, and striving \nby divine aid to gather profit from them for both the Church and \nthemselves, and turn them to her good, and her Lord\'s glory, \nthey have been blessed herein, and joy has filled their grateful \nhearts to see how all has been beneficently overruled. \n\nAnd thus, brethren, it will ever be, if we have true faith. The \nLord hath done great things for us indeed in the form of sound \nwords which He has given us, and that good thing committed \n\n\n\n22 \n\n\n\nunto us, the sacred deposition which we have of the faith once \ndelivered to the saints. That " form" let us " hold fast in faith \nand love which is in Christ Jesus." That "good thing" let \nus " keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us." Mistaken \nor false friends may stir up strife within ; foes may assault with- \nout ; the Lord of hosts will be with us, the God of Jacob will be \nour Refuge. \n\nNow, especially, it behooves us, brethren, to be jealous with a \ngodly jealousy of the security which the Lord has provided for \nus in our holy liturgy. They are to be feared who would weak- \nen its hold on the minds of our people by encouraging in them \nthe false impression that it is well to seek often, in other modes, \nlivelier and purer exercises of evangelical devotion ; and they \nwho favour amalgamations, alliances, and co-operations, which \nrepresent Christian exertion as better made extraneously from \nthe Church, and in at least indirect sanction of unchristian sys- \ntems, than strictly within her holy borders. They should be had \nin great honour who, in this day of mournful departure from the \nevangelical principles and spirit of sound Catholicism, aim and \nstrive for their restoration, and manifest the honesty of their pro- \nfession of devotion to the Church as it is, as by jealous avoiding \nof all compromise of her principles and appointments, so by at \nleast an undissembled readiness and willingness to enjoy and pre- \nsent the Church as it is in its godly provisions for daily assemblies \nfor prayer and hearing, the divine word, and at least as oft as \nSundays and holy days urge their peculiar claims, seeking God\'s \nfavour, and sheltering themselves under His love, in the eucha- \nristic recognition of His redeeming mercy. \n\nIf thus, as the Church provides, Christians would, in the true \nfaith and spirit of the Gospel, have their time and attention pre- \noccupied by devotion, and by the best means of growing in grace \nand in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, the \nChurch would be less injured by unsanctified speculation and \ngodless controversy ; a salutary reverence for holy things would \ntake the place of the profane intrusion into them which now \ninsults the Majesty on high ; and zeal for the Church appearing \nin its only legitimate connection with the renewed and sanctified \n\n\n\n23 \n\n\n\naffections of the Gospel, the enemy would be ashamed, having \nnothing to say against us, malicious prating would be silenced, \nand Zion, at unity in itself, would have inscribed on every stone \nof the great and glorious temple within whose walls the High \nand Lofty One that inhabiteth eternity designs that all men shall \nyet be brought, the true and blessed motto, Holiness unto the \nLord. \n\n\n\nTHE END, \n\n\n\nI THE CHURCH \n\n\n\n\xe2\x80\x94THE FAITH-TRADITION. \n\n\n\nE E8 M \xc2\xa9 M \n\n\n\nj BENJAMIN T. ON.DSRDONK, D. D \n\n\n\nBISHOP OF THE DIOCESE OF NEW-YORK, \n\n\n\nAND PROFESSOR OF THE NATURE, MINISTRY, AND POLITY OF THE CHURCH, \nIN THE GENERAL THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY OF THE \nPROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH \nIN THE UNITED STATES. \n\n\n\nONDERDONK & FORREST, \nPublishers, 4 John Street. \n\n\n\n18 44. \n\n\n\nor THE \n\nPROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCHES \n\nIN THE CITY OF NETS 7 - YORK. \n\n\n\nEY HENRY M. ONDERDONK, \n\n"WITH THE APPROBATION AND T^NEER THE St\'PERVISIOS" OF THE \n\n33is1)0|) of \\\\)t Btocesc. \n\n\n\nEMBELLISHED WITH A HIGHLY FINISHED ENGRAVING OF EACH CHURCH ON STEEL, \n\nEXECUTED BY J. B. FORREST. \n\nThe above splendid work, now in course of publication by Onder- \ntone; & Forrest, contains a correct and authentic History of the \nEpiscopal Churches in this city, and is embellished with exquisite \nSteel Engravings presenting accurate and spirited views of the dif- \nferent edifices as they now exist. Neither pains nor expense are spared \nby the Publishers to render the work worthy a liberal patronage, and \nto make it, in all respects, one of the most elegant productions that \nhas ever emanated from an American press. The typography is exe- \ncuted in the most beautiful style, upon paper of the finest quality, w T ith \nstereotype plates cast with great care from new type made expressly \nfor the purpose. \n\nThe whole work will be completed in about Fourteen numbers, \nat Twenty -ErvE Cents each, payable on delivery. No. I., containing \na view of Trinity Church, and one of St Paul\'s Chapel, has been \nalready issued, and a second edition is now printing to supply the \ndemand. No. II., containing St John\'s Chapel and St. George\'s \nChurch is now in press and will be ready for delivery in a few days. \nA number contains sixteen imperial octavo pages and two engravings. \nSubscribers have the advantage of the first impressions from the \n\nplates. \n\nC3r* Payments in advance are unauthorized by the Publishers. ^CJi \n\n\n\nPublication of \\\\}t Stxmons \n\nNOW IN COUFSE OF DELIVERY IN ST. PAUL\'S CHAPEL AND ST. CLEMENTS \nCHURCH, NEW- YORK, \n\n0. & F. propose to publish the above Sermons, (or as many of \nthem as can be procured,) separately, in pamphlet form, as soon as \nthey can be prepared for the press, equal in all respects to the present \none, which constitutes the first of the series. \n\nThe desire manifested on all sides, for a more intimate acquaintance \nwith the distinctive doctrines, and universal teachings of the Church, \nboth by those within and those without her fold, has encouraged the \nPublishers to hope that a ready sale will support them in their efforts \nto meet this demand ; and the plan of their enterprise having been \nextensively approved, they also trust that they will be sustained in its \nexecution by the clergy and members of the Church. \n\n\n\nLIBRARY OF CONGRESS \n\n\n\n021 897 753 4 \n\n\n\n'