nses; but they divide, some taking the unction of Sentimentalism,
and others of Mysticism.

AUGSBURG CONFESSION OF FAITH.

The first Protestant Confession was that presented, in 1530, to the diet
of Augsburg, by the suggestion and under the direction of John, elector of
Saxony. This wise and prudent prince, with the view of having the
principal grounds on which the Protestants had separated from the Romish
communion distinctly submitted to that assembly, intrusted the duty of
preparing a summary of them to the divines of Wittemberg. Nor was that
task a difficult one; for the Reformed doctrines had already been digested
into seventeen articles, which had been proposed at the conferences both
at Sultzbach and Smalcald, as the confession of faith to be adopted by the
Protestant confederates. These, accordingly, were delivered to the elector
by Luther, and served as the basis of the celebrated Augsburg Confession,
written "by the elegant and accurate pen of Melancthon"--a work which has
been admired by many even of its enemies, for its perspicuity, piety, and
erudition. It contains twenty-eight chapters, the leading topics of which
are, the true and essential divinity of Christ; his substitution and
vicarious sacrifice; original sin; human inability; the necessity,
freedom, and efficacy of divine grace; consubstantiation; and particularly
justification by faith, to establish the truth and importance of which was
one of its chief objects. The last seven articles condemn and confute the
Popish tenets of communion in one kind, clerical celibacy, private masses,
auricular confession, legendary traditions, monastic vows, and the
exorbitant power of the church. This Confession is silent on the doctrine
of predestination. This is the universal standard of orthodox doctrine
among those who profess to be Lutherans, in which no authoritative
alteration has ever been made.

ARMENIANS.

The chief point of separation between the Armenians on the one side, and
the Greeks and the Papists on the other, is, that, while the latter
believe in two natures and one person of Christ, the former believe that
the humanity and divinity of Christ were so united as to form but _one
nature_; and hence they are called _Monophysites_, signifying _single
nature_.

Another point on which they are charged with heresy by the Papists is,
that they adhere to the notion that the Spirit proceeds from the Father
only; and in this the Gree