The Writings of the Church Fathers
The Congregationalist gives rather a unique reason why modern scholars should familiarize themselves with the writings of the so-called church Fathers, namely, "that they may see how frail they were, and may observe the gross defects developed almost at once when the original congregationalism of the early church became subverted by human ambitions in a very different and a very human system." And that is about the only benefit to be derived from the study of their productions. As Dr. Clarke says, there is not a "heresy that has disgraced the Romish Church that has not challenged them as its abettors," and there certainly is not a truth which cannot be proven much more clearly and directly without their testimony than with it. There can, therefore, be no good reason for studying their writings, except the one given by the Congregationalist.