Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1817-10-08
perteeter,. Jesus Christ, wishes taat all
should helieye what IS true, and that they

0ffaith," sa, $ 81. PAU, hp' e. ior u"e'o
is oaIy one God and one faith" iO'd')
Gan say the same thing, that there be not
schisms among you, that you be perfect in
the same sense and in the same opinion /"
q Cor. ~ lfGod wish al the members
Of the true church to believe the same
creed, then he has given them some
means to preservethis unity OF faith i'f
it were blasphemy to assert that God
wished to gain any object and did not
employ adequate means to accomplish
that object. Then, in the true church,
there is some adequate principle OF unity
This cannot be the principle OF Profess
tantism, for that no sooner began to ope-
rate than irreconcileable divisions were
the consequences. The great and multi
farious variety Of religions in the world
is the natural product Of the operations Of
the principle Of Professionalism. The prin-
ciple which mean is, that "the scrip
ture is the only rule OF faith" That this
principle is incapable Of producing a last
ing unity of faith, I attempted TO prove
in my last letter, and / will Only make
one more remark here on the subject
Ever since the beginning Of this eoDtro.
versy, both you and | have acted on Pro-
testant principles; that is, we have both
argued on the merits OF the religious
question discussed, and our opn ideas Of
them have never told you, nor have
you ever told me, that any tenet discus
sed must be true or false because an in
fallib!e tribunal has pronounced it so.--
We have both been serious, and both
honestly sought for the truth (; interest
or passion have had no influence with US.
But we are still at variance, and p obably
shall never entirely agree AID pray, sir,
what can be the reason Of this 7 Tie
cause must be sought for in the principles
which we have pursued. Our own pri-
cate judgment and the scripture are not
suffic eut to produce or to preserve unitv
Of faith ; and yet in the true church (as
proved above) there mus, be some ade-
quate principle Of unity. I make no
doubt but that You sincerely and honestly
believe the ,Dn-eristence of the personal
presence Of Christ in the eucharist, and,
il ! know myself, I believe as sincerely
the real prs,enes. Both Of us may study
the scripture both by day and by the
midnight lamp till our departure from
this world, and probably we might never
agree in faith; and yet we might both be
sincere in the discussion. Since the re-
formation instances of this nature may
have happened. Indeed, instances n ay
easily happen if no recourse be had to in
fallibility. Yet, however, God wishes
both of US to be of the same belief Then
the scripture alone cannot be an adequate
principle of unity ; but there must exist
some iDiallible tribunal, before which our
disputes may be set at rest, Without it
God wishes unity Of faith, yet denies US
the power to be Of one belief.
Besides being one in faith. the true
church of Christ must be holy. II it
be not hfaIlible, it cannot be holy. If the
true church be not infallible, it may err
If it err, it viii teach tenets which are
false il that be the case, its doctrine
will be opposite to The doctrine of Christ,
which is the rule of holiness. Its doc
trine will be opposed 10 the will Of God,
for Gud wishes, il to teach truth not false.
hood what is opposed to the will of God
is certainly unholy. Therefore, il the
church teach dnct'ine opposed to Gods
will, it will be unholy; it may teach doc.
triue opposed to this viii, il it can err,
and it can err If it be not infaliible -
therefore the true church which is holy
Is ipfallibic. Yosrs, NJ. b.
P.S Since wrote the above l have
seen your letter OF Saturday. There is
j., ~ murh ahnse and LITTLE argument. 70