[TO THE EDITOR OF THE “SPEOTA.TOP..1 SIR,—The Athanasian Creed claim,
above all things, to be a defence against heretics. Let it, then, be kept for that purpose. The Church ought not to flash her aegis in the face of her friends.. It is not fair to compel the unlearned to repeat a form of words which can never be to them a real "Confession of Faith."
Beyond this, however, we complain that being met together in peaceful assembly, shields and weapons of war are thrust into our hands ; wanting only to join in common prayer, we are made to encase ourselves in clashing armour. And to what purpose ? If A heretic were now to come in, could we slay him ? I trow not. To us the panoply is useless : we have not proved it : its effect can only be to make us hot, and to make us stumble.
The poor unlearned faithful pray the Church graciously to con- sider their case. It is we, and not the heretics, who are asking to be relieved. We are told that the Athanasian Creed does not contain any new articles of belief ; and as to the minatory clauses, we are already well aware that without faith it is impossible to please God. Suffer us, then, to rely on the Creeds we do under- stand, and to live as peaceful citizens. And let the warfare against heretics be carried on by the captains and well-trained
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