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....

with the Father, by whom all things were made"*. | the self-existent Jehovah in Exodus iii. 14, and Again, "I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord, also from the fact that it is not pwToRTIODELS, but and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father pwrоTOKоg in Col. i. 15; that he is "of one suband the Son, who with the Father and the Son stance" (or "essence," ovoiac) "with the Father," together is worshipped and glorified, who spake we infer from the fact that while in John v. 18, by the prophets." Also, "I acknowledge one viii. 17, 18, he asserts a distinct personality, he baptism for the remission of sins." But on exa- also elsewhere declares, “I and my Father are mination these clauses will be found to be almost one" (John x. 30, 33); and that by Christ "all verbally the same as the scriptures. To avoid things were made," appears from the statement prolixity, the corresponding passages of scripture that "all things were made by him; and withwill be set down in order, without comment. out him was not any thing made that was They will stand thus: "One Lord Jesus Christ" made" (John i. 3); by him were all things (1 Cor. viii. 6); "the only-bogotten Son of God" created, &c. all things were made by him, and (John iii. 18); the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son for him: and he is before all things, and by him of the Father" (2 John 3); "the only-begotten all things consist" (Col. i. 16, 17). So in Rev. iii. of the Father" (John i. 14); "unto God and his 14, he is styled "the beginning" (apxn), i. e., the Father" (Rev. i. 6); "O Father, glorify thou first cause, the author of the creation of God." me with thine own self with the glory which I See also 1 Cor. viii. 6, Ephes. iii. 9. bad with thee before the world was (John xvii. With respect to the portion of this creed which 5); "by his Son .... by whom also he made relates to the Holy Ghost, the several clauses apthe worlds" (Heb. i. 3); "the first-born of every pear to be taken from the scriptures as follows: creature" (Col. i. 15), or rather, "born" or "be- the expression "the Lord and Giver of life," gotten before every creature," or "all creation" (TOV KUρLOV TO Zwoπolovv), appears to be founded on TOWTOTOKOS TRONS Kriσews, (see Dr. Bloomfield's these texts, now the Lord is that Spirit” (2 Cor. Greek Testament); "he is before all things" (Col. iii. 17); "we are changed by the Spirit of i. 17). In John i. 1, xx. 28, Rom. ix. 5, 1 Tim. the Lord," or, as it is in the margin, "by the Lord iii. 16, Christ is expressly styled "God"; and he the Spirit, Kupov Ivεvμaтos" (2 Cor. iii. 18); expressly declared, "I proceeded forth and "the Spirit giveth life, ПIvevpa (womolet" (2 Cor. came from God," ER TOU OOU (John viii. 42); so, iii. 6). That the Spirit "proceedeth from the while we read that God is Light" (1 John i. 5), Father and the Son," is evident from John xv. we also read that Christ is also" the Light of the 26., xvi. 7; Acts ii. 33; Rom. viii. 9, 14-16; world" (John viii. 12., i. 9), being "the bright- Gal. iv. 6; and 1 Pet. i. 11. That he "with the ness of" the Father's "glory, and the express Father and the Son together is worshipped and image of his person" (Heb. i. 3). The expression glorified," we infer from Matt. xxviii. 19, 20; very God of very God"-intended to teach that 2 Cor. xiii. 14; Rev. i. 4, 5*, iv. 8. And that he Christ is not metaphorically, but truly and pro-"spake by the prophets," we learn from 1 Pet. i. perly God-is founded on such passages as these: 10, 11; 2 Pet. i. 21; and Nehem. ix. 30. we read that the Father is "the only true God" (John xvii. 3); but we also read "we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This" (or rather "he," ouros, see Whitby on the passage) "is the true God, and eternal life" (1 John v. 20); for "in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Col. ii. 9), i. e., all the natural and moral attributes of God without limitation (see also John v. 23, 26). That Christ was "begotten" we learn from Ps. ii. 7, Heb. v. 5, John i. 18; that he was "not made" we infer from his own declaration, "before Abraham was I am" (John viii. 58), the very name assumed by **All these expressions were introduced into the creed, to express, if possible, what is meant by styling Christ God. That is, we declare that he is God the Son from God the Father, truly and verily God as we conceive the Father to be: and the addition of light derived from light was intended to exemplify a communication of the divine attributes, without detracting any thing from the prerogative of the Father. These, as before observed, are not articles of faith, but an endeavour to express our meaning" (Dean Vincent, quoted in bp. Mant's "Prayer-book," p. 338).

In the second article, it is "begotten from everlasting of the Father". He must be "begotten" indeed, or he would not be a Son; but "from everlasting," or he would not be

God. In Micah, after a plain reference to the divine word, we read "whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting" (v. 2). See rev. J.B. Marsden's "Discourses on the Festivals," xiii. p. 229. That there is some reference to the resurrection in the use of the word "begotten" appears from the inspired comment on Psalm ii. 7 in Acts xiii. 33 compared with Col. i. 18, Rev. i. 5, Heb. v. 5, 6. In rev. G. S. Faber's "Apostolicity of Trinitarianism" (book i. chap. ii. pp. 12-22) are some useful remarks on the doctrine and meaning of the Nicene creed.

The clause, "I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins," is taken from these scriptures: "One baptism" (Ephes. iv. 5); "repent and be baptized.... in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" (Acts ii. 38); "arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins" (Acts xxii. 16). The twenty-seventh article thus explains the clause, By baptism "the promises of forgiveness of sin, are visibly signed and sealed." On the Nicene creed, then, it only remains to quote some remarks of bishop Burnet, respecting the phraseology used therein respecting "the Son," and "the Holy Spirit." He truly observes, "The word 'possession,' or, as the schoolmen term it, 'spiration,' is only made use of in order to the naming this relation of the 'Spirit' to the Father' and the Son,' in such a manner as may best answer the sense of the word 'Spirit': for it must be confessed that we can frame no explicit idea of this matter; and therefore we must speak of it either strictly in scripture words, or in such words as arise out of them, and that have the same signification with them. It is therefore a vain attempt of the schoolmen to undertake to be generated,' and so is called 'Son'; and the to give a reason why the second Person is said to

* Bishop Tomline, on our first article ("Works," pp. 360, 361), offers some good remarks on the probable reason of the Holy Spirit being here represented under the figure of " the seven Spirits of God" (compare Isa. xi. 2, and see remarks in bp. Mant's "Prayer-book," p. 450, on the collect to the confirmation service, wherein it is quoted), viz. because the book was addressed to the seven churches, each of whom had partaken of the same spirit.

third to 'proceed,' and so is called the 'Spirit.' All | these subtilties can have no foundation, and signify nothing towards the clearing this matter, which is rather darkened than cleared by a pretended illustration" (On the fifth Article, pp. 85, 86, Page's edition). Again, he says, "Begetting' is a term that naturally signifies the relation between the Father' and the Son'; but what it strictly signifies here is not possible for us to understand, till we comprehend this whole matter: nor can we be able to assign a reason why the emanation of the 'Son,' and not that of the Holy Ghost' likewise, is called 'begetting.' In this we use the scripture terms, but must confess we cannot form a distinct apprehension of that which is so far above us" (On the second Article, pp. 51, 52).

3. Athanasius' Creed, or the "Confession of our Christian Faith, commonly called the Creed of Saint Athanasius" (Rubric). Serious objections are often felt by many to "the damnatory clauses" of this creed, that is to verses, 1, 2, 28, 29, and

42.

"There are expressions, which may seem liable to exception; but it must be for want of understanding them, or admitting fair interpretations of them" (abp. Secker, quoted in bp. Mant's prayer-book, p. 58).

damnatory clauses thus refer to every word, and every statement in the creed, and consequently made it "heresy" to hold the possibility of salvation for the Greek churches, or others who may happen to differ from any single word or expression in the creed. Indeed, the language of the creed itself excludes such a monstrous idea. Thus in verses 1, 2, 3, 4, it runs thus: "Whosoever will be [i. e. would be-wishes to be, vult esse] saved: before all things [i. e. in the first place, as the foundation of everything else] it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled [i.e., without rejecting any part of it which is clearly revealed, or adding anything to it which may defeat its sense and corrupt its tendency], without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the catholic faith [which it is necessary" thus to "hold"] is this: [namely,] that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the substance." "This" then is the only matter of "necessary" faith respecting the Trinity to be believed in order to salvation; and what follows in verses 5-25 is only matter of proof and scriptural illustration of this doctrine, like a sermon to illustrate and explain a text-true, indeed, and which "ought In offering a few remarks upon these clauses, it to be" received and believed, but not essential to must be premised that, while the sixth article of salvation. This is evident from the wording of it; our church declares that "whatsoever is not read" because the fifth verse begins with "For"in holy scripture, "nor may be proved thereby, "For there is one Person," &c. And, then after is not to be required of any man, that it should be an illustration and explanation, we are led to this believed as an article of the faith, or be thought conclusion in verses 27, 28, viz., "So that in requisite or necessary to salvation," the eighth all things, as is aforesaid [i. e., in verses 3, 4]: article also declares that this creed (like the two the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity is others) "ought thoroughly to be received and to be worshipped. He therefore that will be believed," for that it may be proved by most [i. e. wishes to be-is desirous to be saved must certain warrants of holy scripture"*. That the thus [i. e., as is "aforesaid" in verses 3, 4] whole creed is capable of such proof, may be seen think of the Trinity;" or, as the Latin might be on reference to the Church of England Magazine, more literally translated, and as it was translated vol. ii. No. 53, pp. 322-324, and rev. H. I. in the Scotch liturgy of 1637, "He therefore Bailey's "Liturgy compared with the Bible," that would (vult) be saved, let him thus think of (No. 194 on the Christian Knowledge list). But the Trinity (ita de Trinitate sentiat)." Hence the present remarks relate exclusively to the it is clear, that the "damnatory clauses" refer "damnatory clauses" of the creed-that is, to exclusively (as was before said) to the affirmation verses 1, 2, 28, 29, and 42. On examination it of doctrine in verses 3, 4, respecting the neces will be evident that these clauses refer exclusively sity of truly "worshipping" (see John iv. 24) to the doctrine affirmed respecting the Trinity and the one living and true God, whom "without the incarnation in verses 3, 4, 27, and 29, and not faith it is impossible to please" &c. (Heb. xi. 6); to the proofs adduced in explanation and illus- and performing that worship in a true manner, tration of that doctrine in verses 5-26, and through the "one Mediator between God and verses 30-41, which, although they are to be man" (1 Tim. ii. 5)-since "no man cometh regarded as scriptural and true by every sub- unto the Father, but by" him (John xiv. 6, comscriber to the eighth article, and which "ought" pare Luke x. 22, and 1 John ii. 22, 23)—and “by" to be "received and believed" by the church the "one" Holy "Spirit” (Eph. ii. 18). It generally, are yet not essentially necessary to be must be remembered, too, that these clauses are believed by every individual Christian in order to not imprecatory, but simply declaratory and moni salvation. Otherwise the creed would affirm-tory clauses founded on scripture. And, since we and require our church's members to affirm that the entire Greek church which rejects the doctrine of the procession of the Spirit from the Son stated in verse 23, must "without doubt" perish everlastingly, and "cannot be" saved. But it surely is absurd and unreasonable to maintain that the

read that "he that believeth not" the gospel "shall be damned" (Mark xvi. 16), are those expressions unwarrantable which limit salvation to those who sincerely seek, and therefore find that, according to the gospel terms, "through" Christ they "have access by one Spirit unto the Father" (Eph. ii. 18)? For be it remembered that the creed defines "the" true "catholic" faith-" the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude, ver. 3)

Thus Dr. Waterland declares that "our church receives it not upon the authority of its compiler, nor determines any thing about its age or author: but we receive it, because the truth of the doctrine contained in it may be proved by most certain warrants of holy scripture, as is expressly said in our eighth article” (Quoted in bp. Mant's prayer-book, p. 58). | with Mark xvi. 15, 16.

That the doctrine of the Trinity is an integral truth in the gospel will appear on comparing Matt. xxviii. 18, 19, 20,

-to be (not the mere orthodox profession of faith | favourable construction" as the preface to the in, but) the "worshipping" of "one God in prayer-book calls upon us "in common equity" Trinity, and Trinity in Unity"-the worshipping to allow in the case of disputed passages, it is and serving the Triune God from the heart, "in hoped that all serious objection to these clauses will spirit and in truth" (John iv. 24). So that the be removed*. For, while it has been justly termed most illiterate Christian, who by divine teaching by a minister of our own church, "a wonderful has learned experimentally the blessing of "access body of divinity," we have the following testimony unto the Father," through Christ and by the to its value and its excellence from an eminent Spirit-though he may be hardly capable of ex- non-conformist minister, Richard Baxter, furpressing his ideas upon this mysterious subject- nished to us by rev. T. H. Horne at p. 36 of his is not excluded from the hope of salvation. On Analysis: "I unfeignedly account the doctrine the other hand, we are warned that the most of the Trinity the very sum and kernel of the orthodox profession, without such "worship" of Christian religion (as expressed in our baptism), the heart, is ineffectual to salvation. and Athanasius's creed the best explication of it that I ever read" (Baxter's Reasons of the Christian Religion, pt. ii. ch. x. s. 6). "In a word, the damnatory sentences excepted, or modestly expounded, I embrace the creed, commonly called Athanasius's as the best explication of the Trinity" (Baxter's Method of Theology, p. 123)†.

In like manner, the twenty-ninth verse of the creed states the second fundamental doctrine, viz., "Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ," viz., the leading facts and doctrines connected therewith as declared to us in the scriptures of truth (See Romans iv. 24, 25, x. 9, 10, 13, 14, 1 Cor. xv. 1-4). It then proceeds in verses 30-41 to a proof and illustration of this important topic, similar to that respecting the Trinity, as verse 30 testifies, "For the right faith is, that we believe and confess" &c. (Rom. x. 9,10). And then it terminates with a declaration that, "This [i. e., as we infer, the doctrine of the incarnation as stated in verse 29] is the catholic faith; which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved." The following are the scripture warrants for this assertion: "These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name" (John xx. 31); "What must I do to be saved?.... Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts xvi. 30, 31); "neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts iv. 12); "if ye believe not that I am he [i.e. the promised Messiah who was to come], ye shall die in your sins" (John viii. 24); "every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God" (1 John iv. 3, In conclusion, it only remains to make one remark compare John ii. 7); and St. Peter speaks upon the word " Person" as used in the creed with of men who "bring in damnable heresies, reference to the Godhead. It is not intended that even denying the Lord that bought them, three Persons are one Person; but that "three and bring upon themselves swift destruction" Persons" constitute one glorious Godhead-the (2 Pet. ii. 1. See also Luke x. 22, and 1 Persons of the Trinity, answering to the Elohim John ii. 22, 23). In 1 Cor. xv. 1-4, we also find of Jehovah in the Old Testament scriptures. That a belief in the leading facts of our Lord's death such language is scriptural we infer from Heb. i. and resurrection-which are set forth in the ex-3, where the Son of God is described as "the planatory portion of the creed, verses 30-41-to be necessary to salvation. Compare Romans iv. 24, 25, x. 9, 10, 13, 14, Mark xvi. 15, 16.

In the Christian Observer for July, 1850, at p. 460, we have a "baptist testimony" to the value of" the "three creeds" which occurs in "An orthodox Creed, or Protestant Confession of Faith" signed and published in 1678 by fiftyfour baptist ministers, in the thirty-eighth article of the same, which runs thus: "The three creeds, viz., the Nicene creed, Athanasius' creed, and the Apostles' creed, as they are commonly called, ought thoroughly to be received and believed. For we believe they may be proved by most undoubted authority of holy scripture, and are necessary to be understood of all Christians; and to be instructed in the knowledge of them by the ministers of Christ, according to the analogy of faith recorded in sacred scriptures upon which these creeds are grounded; and catechistically expounded in all Christian families for the edification of young and old; which might be a means to prevent heresy in doctrine and practice; these creeds containing all things in a brief manner, that are necessary to be known fundamentally, in order to our salvation."

For further information on the subject, see Wheatly on the Common Prayer, c. iii. s. xv. p. 148;* rev. C. Simeon's Third Discourse on the Excellency of the Liturgy, in his Horo Homileticæ vol. ii. No. 136 pp. 211-214; and rev. T. H. Horne's Concise History and Analysis of the Athanasian Creed (an excellent tract published by Cadell 1837) all of which take this view of the case. There are also some useful observations in bp. Mant's prayer-book, pp. 57-67. If therefore we allow to Athanasius creed "such just and

The remarks of Wheatly and Simeon will be found in the Church of England Magazine, vol. xxiii. Nos. 668 and 669, pp. 248 and 263.

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express image of" the Father's 'person" VROOTAGEWC; while in 2 Cor. iv. 4,6, we not only find Christ termed "the image of God" but that God hath made known the light of the gospel "in the face (or "person", as the word рorway is

* It has been supposed that the words "At whose coming," &c., in verse 40, exclude all who hold the pre-millennial advent of Christ from the church. But the word "coming," like the Greek Tapovσia must be open to both views of the

subject.

† Dr. Waterland also says, that "upon the Reformation there was not a protestant church, but what received it in its fullest extent: Luther, Calvin, Beza, and all the wisest and best reformers, acknowledged the Athanasian creed, and made it their profession of faith; the puritans in our own country, the parent stock of all our modern dissenters, embraced it as readily as the church of England herself," &c. (Quoted in bp. Mant's prayer-book, p. 58).

translated in 2 Cor, ii. 10) of Jesus Christ;" while in John xv. 26 the Holy Ghost is spoken of in terms which evidently imply a distinct personality,

The writer has already discussed this subject in a sermon on the Trinity in the Church of England Magazine, vol. xxx. No. 889, p. 400 (June part, 1851). Rev. W. Jones' "Catholic Doctrine of a Trinity" published in a cheap form by the Christian Knowledge Society (No. 122) will be found to be a simple but conclusive treatise on the subject. Perhaps the simplest mode of stating our belief in this mysterious doctrine is this: That in the Unity of the Deity there are three Persons, absolutely equal in all respects, and joined together in one common essence (see the proper Preface for Trinity Sunday in the Communion Service); and that "the eternal Son of God was pleased to join himself to that flesh which was born of the virgin Mary; namely, to the man Jesus Christ, so as to become one person with him" (Crossman's Catechism p. 36).

MISSIONARY RECORDS.

No. LXXIX.

"Let us not be satisfied-let us not be contented with scanty measures of joy and triumph: let us look for greater things, and expect more signal displays of divine power and goodness. We are not straitened in God, but in ourselves : let us only be strong in faith; and according to our faith it shall be unto us' "-REV. C. SIMEON.

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ful son of the church, abetted the papal pretensions; but they are said to have been strenuously opposed by the representatives of Russia and Great Britain. Austria kept in the background out of gratitude to the czar.

THE EMIGRANT TO JERUSALEM.-What follows is from a communication received by the London Society for Promoting Christianity among the Jews, from Mr. P. Davis, their missionary at Bucharest: "On the 19th Sept. I visited the rabbi, and found him indisposed: he refused to listen to, or hold any conversation with me. While I was at his house, there came in a Jew who was on the eve of departure for Jerusalem to end his days there. His countenance was beaming with joy, and he appeared to be ani. mated with the most lively hopes. I saw him take leave of some of his friends: the scene was rather touching when it came to the turn of a venerable old Jew. Adieu,' said the latter, his eyes dimmed with tears: how I envy you I cannot say if ever I find an opportunity, I shall meet you in Jerusalem. May you remain a good Jew, and be comforted in your last hours by the God of our fathers. I have been young, and now am old, and yet never saw I the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread. I felt exceedingly interested in this old man, not only because I found him to be a pious Jew, but from his uniform kindness and suavity of manner to all around. While walking with him to the Jewish burial ground, which he particularly wished me to see, I spoke with him about the hopes of Israel, and the all-sufficient atonement of Christ.' 'Ah,' said, he with enthusiasm, it is too late for me to think of such matters. I have lived under the old law, and under the old law will I die.' On the Day of Atonement I visited the synagogue, and sat down in a retired part of the building; but no sooner did one of my friends catch sight of me, than he came to invite me to take his seat, which was in the first rank. I spoke with those around about the imperfection of their worship: they have no high priest, no temple, and, above all, no atonement, no assurance of the forgiveness of sins: I pointed them to "the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world", who took upon him our nature, that he might redeem us from eternal death, and who now pleads our cause at the right hand of God. The general impression made upon my mind was not that of solemnity; for, between the prayers, men might be seen laughing and talking over the affairs of their daily business. I rebuked some for doing so, and told them that, if they were not immediately engaged in prayer, they ought to remember the solemnity of the occasion, and that they were in that place particularly set apart to the service of God,"

SAXONY.-Religious Denominations. According to the official statement published by the minister of the home department as the result of the census made on the 3rd December, 1849, the population of the kingdom of Saxony was, at that date, 1,894,431. It consisted of 1,855,241 Lutherans, 33,725 Romanists, 2,582 of the reformed church, 1,772 German catholics (seceders from the papacy), 89 Græco-catholics, and 1,022 Jews). JERUSALEM.-The Holy Places-Pope Pius IX. had for some time arrogated to himself, as pseudo-representative of Emmanuel upon earth, the possession of the holy places both in Jerusalem and other quarters of the Holy Land. But the sultan has resisted the aggression, which had been supported by the presence of an envoy extraordinary at Constantinople, in the person of cardinal Vespasiani, who returned from his bootless mission at the end of last October. The aggression was originally begun by Monsignor Valerga, as patriarch of Jerusalem. The sultan has made known to the pope his "regret that, owing to the altered feelings which Christians of all persuasions in Jerusalem entertain, as evidenced indeed by the existing differences there on the subject of the BORNEO. The Rhenish Missionary Society, holy places, he could not interpose without en- which was instituted in the year 1828, is supdangering the public tranquillity, and creating ported by upwards of 50 branch associations in hazardous broils, though he might have been dis- the west and centre of Germany, and has its diposed to do so under other circumstances. He recting board at Elberfeld, began its mission in expresses, however, his intention to do away with Borneo in 1834. It has since that date sent out the heavy fees exacted from pilgrim-visitants to 11 missionaries, but of these only 5 remain, the the holy sites, for admission to them at certain remainder being dead, or having quitted the field seasons of the year, and to afford them the oppor- in consequence of the extreme unhealthiness of the tunity of visiting those spots without expense.' southern districts, where they had fixed their The president of the French republic, as a faith-quarters with a view to enjoy the protection of