BR 157 .E82 1832 Evans, John, 1767-1827 A sketch of the denominations of the A SKETCH OF THE DENOMINATIONS OF THE CHRISTIAN WORLD, TO WHICH IS PREFIXED AN OUTLINE OF ATHEISM, DEISM, THEOPHILANTHROPISM, MAHOMETANISM, JUDAISM, AND CHRISTIANITY. WITH A PERSUASIVE TO RELIGIOUS MODERATION. By JOHN EVANS, LL. D. FROM THE FIFTEENTH LONDON EDITION. WITH AN ACCOUNT OF THE RANTERS, OR PRIMITIVE METHO- DISTS AND OF THE IRISH PRESBYTERIANS, AMOUNTING TO NEARLY A MILLION OF PEOPLE. 27tov8a^ovrsg rriQtiv rijr ivorrira tov nvsy^carog tv tw avvdianiortjg st^ijrTjs.— Ephes. in. 4. AMHERST: J. S. & C. ADAMS, PRINTERS. 1832. TO WILLIAM SMITH, Esq., M. P. THE ENLIGHTENED CHAMPION OP THE BIGHTS AND LIBERTIES OF CONSCIENCE, THIS FIFTEENTH EDITION Of a Work consecrated to the Promotion of Religious Knowledge, IN CONJUNCTION WITH CHRISTIAN CHARITY, IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED, According to the expressed intention of its deceased Author, BY HIS SON, JOHN EVANS. Gray^s-Inn, June 1, 1827. CONTENTS. The name of Christian is become too general to express our Faith, there being- a Geography of Religion as well as of Lands, and every clime is distinguished not only by their laws and limits, but circum- scribed by their doctrines and rules of faith. — Sir Thomas Bbown's Religio Medici. Page Preface . . . : , . . 5 List of Religious Societies . . . . . 7 Introductory Account of Atheists ....... 26 Deists ........ 29 Theophilanthropists ...... 33 Jews ........ 34 Mahometans ....... 41 Christians, including a Summary of the evidences of Christianity 45 CHRISTIAN SECTS, According to the Person of Christ. Trinitarians ....... 66 Athanasians ....... 66 Sabellians ....... 71 Unitarians ....... 73 Arians ........ 73 Humanitarians and Socinians . ... ,77 Necessarians . . . . . . .83 Materialists ....... 85 According to the Means and Measure of God's favour. Calvinists ....... 86 Sublapsarians Supralapsarians .... 89 Arminians ....... 90 Baxterians ........ 94 Antinomians . . . . . . .96 According to the Mode of Church Government. Roman Catholics ...... 99 Greek or Russian Church . , . . . 105 Protestants . . , . . . .108 Lutherans . . . . . . . 113 Hugonots ....... 115 Episcopalians, or Church of England . . . .118 Protestant Dissenters ..... 129 Kirk of Scotland 137 IV Seceders, Burghers, and Antiburghers Reformation in Scotland Eng-lish Presbyterians Irish Presbyterians Independents Brownists Psedo baptists Baptists, General and Particular Dissenting Academies Dr. Willams's Library Sion College Page 141 142 143 144 154 154 155 156 160 162 163 Twenty-four Miscellane ous Sects, not redvcible to the above three-fold Division. Quakers Methodists Lady Anne Erskine, Character of New Methodists Primitive Methodists, or Ranters Bryanites Jumpers Universalists Destructionists Sabbatarians Moravians Sandemanians Hutchinsonians Shakers Dunkers New American Sect Mystics Swedenborgians Haldanites Freethinking: Christians Joanna Southcott, Muggletonians, and Fifth Seceders from the Church of England Sauds, or Saadhs Jerkers and Barkers Millenarians Monarchy Men 165 171 173 174 177 181 182 185 190 191 193 195 193 199 202 203 206 207 209 212 219 224 228 230 233 Additions aad Preliminary Remarks Persuasive to Christian moderation Conclusion Explanatory Schedule Chronological Table Sonnet on a subject which concerns every human being Index ...... 237 239 262 264 267 269 270 PREFACE TO THE FIFTEENTH LONDON EDITION. The reader shall be detained only by the Author's g-rateful acknowl- edg-cment of the favourable reception given by the public to the " Sketch of the Denominations of the Christian World." Detailing- the opinions of the various sects, it addresses the curiosity of Turk, Jew, Infidel, and Christian. This accounts for its unrivalled circulation. It enjoys the honour of a niche in the royal library, whilst it has descended down to the shelves of the cottag-e in the obscurest recesses of the country. Throug-hout the three king-doms of the British empire it is well known, and has undergone several editions in the United States of America. By its translation into foreign languages, it has spread over the Conti- nent : whilst it has found its way to Calcutta, to the Cape of Good Hope, and even to Rio Janeiro in South America. Thus the little volume, like a universal missionary, proceeding silently and unostentatiously on its errand of Christian love, may be said to have traversed the four quarters of the globe. Its professed purport i& to enlighten and enlarge the understanding, by imparting accurate views of the tenets charac- terizing the several departments of Christendom. This, in many in- stances, it is known to have accomplished. One singular fact may be noticed. The Author entering a bookseller's shop in the country, the bookseller, taking him for a clergyman, presented him with a copy of the Sketch, and strongly reccommended its circulation among his par- ishoners, for the promotion of candour, peace, and charity ! He had he said, sold many among the clergy ; and added, that it had never failed to produce some good effect. Nor ought the Author, in justice to him- self, to omit noticing the Sequel of the Sketch, which completes the plan of his work. Arresting, indeed, the career of uncharitableness and bigotry, by inculcating the spirit of Christianity, it has had a more limited circulation. In every age men have been concerned more about faith than practice. The volume is denominated The Golden Centenary ! for it consists of one hundred testimonies in behalf of can- dour and unanimity, by divines of the Church of England, of the Kirk of Scotland and from many Protestant Dissenters, with concentrated biographies of their characters and writings. The bringing together the declarations of so many good men of every denomination cost no small pains. It was not the labour of a day ; and it was no mean en- comium passed on it by a venerable living divine, that "one of these testimonies, at least, should be read from the pulpit, at the close of the service every Sabbath, in every place of worship throughout the king- dom." Its contents yield offence to no party ; — it breathes kindness to all, and promotes, by anticipation, the harmony of all wise and good in heaven. Should the Sketch and Sequel have taught one individual to think more justly on the awful topic of religion, and to feel more charitably towards an erring brother,the end will be accomplished. The writer can honestly declare, that having with much bodily infirmity, attained the sixtieth year of his age, and witnessed the issuing of one hundred thousand copies of his 1* VI little book from the press, the vanity of authorship natural to early life i.s absorbed in the sweet and heart-exhilarating consciousness of doing' good to mankind. Reader, " one labour more indulge." The Author having relinquish- ed his employ of educating youth, in which he was engaged for thirty years, wishes usefully to fill up his retirement. It will be seen that all the Christians sects, delineated in the subsequent pages, appeal to the Bible as the only legitimate mode of bringing their disputes to an ami- cable termination. This is a truly Protestant principle, which should meet with due encouragement. Accordingly, the Author is now occu- pied in a work, entitled, " An Answer to the Question, What is the Bi- ble 1 in Twelve Replies, illustrative of the Truth and Excellence of the Sacred Writings." It will be distributed into three parts : the first will consider it as a sacred, authentic, inspired, and translated book ; the second, as an historical, devotional, moral, and prophetic book ; and the third, as an evangelical, apostolic, epistolary, and prospective book. Thus it will embrace a survey of the truth and contents of the Old and New Testament. Biblical learning has, within the last few years, been much cultivated. The substance of many a learned treatise may be compressed in a small compass. He wishes to avoid making a large book, which the ancients justly pronounce a great evil. Such is the plan — simple and unaffected, nor altogether devoid of originality. Should Providence enable the Author to finish the volume in a man- ner agreeable to his own wishes, he is persuaded tliat the public will receive it candidly, and that it will shield the minds of the rising gen- eration from the pernicious influence of the growing evil of the age — an overweening and clamorous infidelity.* The longer he lives, the more he is convinced that the belief and practice of the religion of the Holy Scriptures, the last and best gift of heaven to man, is the sum of human felicity. With regard to the present edition of the Sketch, every article has been most carefully revised. The author has availed himself of the latest communications from some of the leading ministers or members of the sects. These were transmitted in reply to applications made on the subject. He has not, nor can he have, any interest in the misrep- resentation of any body of Christians ; — his sole object is truth and charity. The celebrated Charles Butler, Esq., of Lincoln's-Inn, (no mean authority) has, in a letter to the author, sanctioned the article on the almost endless disputed subject of Popery; and the interesting accounts of the Primitive Methodists, or Ranters, and of the Presbyte- rians in Ireland, who are highly patronised by government, whilst they are distinguished for talents, erudition, and piety, may be pronounced an essential improvement. The Author, by compressing certain portions of the volume which were the least necessary and important, has made room for the addi- tional matter, without increasing its size or price. It is thus more ac- cessible to the generality of readers, and of course perpetuates that unexampled circulation with which it has been honoured almost beyond any other publication throughout the religious world Islington, Jane 1, 1827. * The fulfilment of these pleasing anticipations was denied to Dr. Evans. He had made considerable progress in his projected work, when its completion was arrested by his death, Jan. 25, 1827. An Obituary Memoir of the deceased may be seen in the " Monthly Repos- itory" for March, 1827.— Editor. RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES FOR THE DIFFUSION OF CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE BOTH AT HOME AND ABROAD J WITH THE DATES OP THEIR RESPECTIVE ESTABLISHMENT. There are institutions which bear the g-enuine stamp of Christianity, not originating in party, founded on disinterestedness : and compre- hending the best interests of almost the whole habitable globe, without partiality and without hypocrisy. — Hannah More. Previous to the delineation of the various sects, it is proper to remark that Christians, notwithstanding the dis- cordancy of their opinions, are most cordially united in the diffusion of the Holy Scriptures, which constitutes the alone rule of faith and practice. 1. The British and Foreign Bible Soceitij, establish- ed in 1804, disperses the Bible, both at home and abroad, without note or comment. It has distributed upwards of a million copies of the Scriptures. It is placed at the head of this list of religious Societies, because it is sup- ported by every class of the religious community. The union of Christians in every good work must be condu- cive to love, to peace, and to charity. The broad Prot- estant pinciple of giving away the Bible, without note or comment, characterises the British and Foreign Bible So- ciety. It is a memorable declaration of Richard Bax- ter's, in the " History of his Life and Times," " To every family that was poor and had not a Bible, I gave a Bible. And I had found myself the benefit of reading to be so great, that I could not but think it would be profitable to others." Thus it appears that upwards of a century ago the germ of this society lay concealed within the bosom of a man, whose liberal views, and whose devotional warmth of temper, alHed him to the pious of all the de- VIU nominations of the Christian world. The income of this society has been 100,000/. per annum, but this last year it is diminished. This is partly owing to the times, and partly to a schism amongst them respecting the circula- tion of the Apocrypha along with the sacred writings. There has been a secession of the Scottish branch of the society, though it has resolved to make no future circula- tion of the obnoxious work. Mr. Haldane and Dr. An- drew Thomson have written against the parent society in a spirit utterly irreconcileable with Christianity. The " Eclectic Review" in England, and the " Pioneer" a small Unitarian periodical in Scotland, have administered merited chastisement. The pure Bible, for which these gentlemen contend, sanctions neither strife nor bigotry. Its spirit is perfect purity. The professors of Christianity have instituted other societies of a miscellaneous description. An extended account of Missionary societies will be found in Dr. W. Brown's " History of the Propagation of Christianity among the Heathen since the Reformation." As unbe- lievers urge the contradictory opinions of Christians against all missions, it may be remarked, that there are central points which embrace the essence of religion in which all are agreed. These are: 1. That there is one Supreme Being of infinite perfection. 2. That the Supreme Being is the object of religious worship. 3. That Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, or the Son of God. 4. That there will be a Resurrection of the dead ; and 5. That Virtue and Piety will be rewarded, whilst Vice and Impiety shall be punished. Individuals admit- ting these five articles, believe every thing essential in the Christian religion. Keeping in view these central points, in which all Christians coincide, the subsequent list must exhibit a pleasing picture of the zeal and activity of the religious world. A mission is recommended even to Jeru- salem ! 2. Dr. Brai/s Charity, instituted 1696, whose object is the diffusion of Christian knowledge by providing Hbra- ries for the parochial clergy, and lending libraries to the clergy in their neighbourhood, of which sixteen have IX been established in the province of York, and forty-five in the province of Canterbury. 3. The Society at Bartletfs Building s^'RoXhoxn, 1698, for promoting Christian knowledge, which erects charity schools in England and Wales, distributing Bibles, Com- mon Prayer-Books, and religious tracts. 4. Incorporated Society for the propagation of the Gospel in foreign parts, 1701, providing the West India and American colonies with clergymen and schoolmasters. These two respectable Societies are conducted by mem- bers of the Church of England. 5. Society in Scotland, 1709, designed to banish igno- rance and profaneness from the highlands and Western Islands. This society has a correspondent board in Lon- don, before whom an annual sermon is preached in favour of the institution. 6. Missons of the Church of the United (or Mora- vian) Brethren, established among the heathen 1732, and whose efforts have been particularly successful. 7. Society for Promoting Religious Knowledge among the poor, 1750, by giving away Bibles and religious tracts. 8. Naval and Military Bible Society, 1780, instituted for the sole use of the army and navy of Great Britain. 9. Society for the Support and Encouragement of Sunday Schools throughout the British dominions, 1785. 10. Methodist (or Wesleyan) Missionary Society, 1786, for the conversion of the Negroes in the West Indies. 11. Unitarian Society, 1791, for promoting Christian knowledge, and the practice of virtue, by the distribution of books. 12. Biptist Missionary Society, 1792, in India, under whose auspices the Scriptures have been translated into the Asiatic languages by means of Dr. W. Carey, now resident at Serampore. Besides preaching and transla- tions, a College is in contemplation, for educating native youths, with a view to the Christian ministry This must prove a measure of the greatest utility. 13. Society for the Conversion of the Negroes, 1739, instituted by the late Bishop Porteus in expectation of the abolition of slavery. 14. American India Civilization Society, 1795 found- ed and supported by the society of Friends. 15. London Missionary Society, 1795, for sending the Gospel to the heathen and otl]er unenHghtened nations. Their efforts were first directed to Otaheite and the South Sea Islands. 16. Religious Tract Society, 1799, which has distri- buted an immense number of tracts throughout almost every part of the world. 17. Church (of England) Missionary Society, 1801, for diffusing the Christian religion in Africa and the East. 18. African Institution, 1806, for the civilization of Africa and the education of native youth. 19. Hibernian Society, 1806, for encouraging Protest- ant Schools, and for distributing Bibles and Tracts in Ireland. 20. Unitarian Fund, 1806, for promoting Unitarian- ism by means of popular preaching. Out of this Society arose an association whose object is to promote the reli- gious rights of the Unitarian community. This and the preceding Unitarian Book Society, together with the Fund, are now incorporated into one, under the title of the ^^ British and Foreign Unitarian Association," Wal- brook-Buldings, Walbrook. 21. Christian Tract Society,\Q09,iox diffusing knowl- edge among the poor, supported by Unitarians and other Christians of every description. 22. London Society for the conversion of the Jews, Spi- talfields, 1809, with an Episcopal Chapel at Bethnal Green, patronized by the Church of England. 23. Prayer-hook and Homily Society, \S\\. 24. Irish Evangelical Society for preaching the Gos- pel, 1814. 24. The Village Itinerant Society, 1803,for propagating the Gospel in the dark villages of England. Attempts are now making to convert the sailors and also the gipsies, both very proper subjects of reformation in civilized soci- ety. 26. The Village Itinerant Society, 1796, for preaching the Gospel, and opening Sunday Schools in the villages within ten miles of London. XI 21 . Deputies for the several congregations of Protes- tant Dissenters, of the three denominations, in and within twelve miles of London, appointed to protect their civil rights, 1730. 28. Protestant Society for the protection of Religious Liberty, ISIL This and the last society have erected a salutary barrier against the inroads of ecclesiastical tyranny. 29. Society of Patrons of the Anniversary of the Charity Schools, under the patronage of the King. 30. Ladies Society for the Education and employment of the Female Poor at Chelsea 3L National Education Society, 1812. Dr. A. Bell's system is adopted by this Society, which in the education of the children of the poor, uses the Church Catechism and Common Prayer-Book, along with the Bible, and insists on their attendance upon the Established religion, 32. The British and Foreign School Society (orignal- ly denominated the Royal System of Education, and commonly called the Lancasterian Institution,) for the education of the labouring and manufacturing classes of society of every religious persuasion. Providing for the education of necessitous children, whatever faith their pa- rents may profess, it rears its majestic structure upon the basis of general utility, and ought to be supported by eve- ry well-wisher to the community. Its success constitutes the triumph of knowledge over ignorance — of virtue over vice — of happiness over misery ! The British and For- eign School Society, or Schools for All — a title by which it has been impressively designated, must prove a bless- ing to dark, ignorant, uninstructed humanity — Let not a form which bears your Maker's image Defeat the end of being! Know 'tis yours In heavenly tints to dip the infant soul — To raise the new idea — lift it high Ev'n to Jehovah's throne — the ductile mind, Pliant as wax, shall wear the mould you give ; Sharp gratitude you've called to life, shall cut In cyphers deep the now-expanded heart ; And e'en beyond the chambers of the grave The joyous spirit shall your record bear To meet your eyes when trembling worlds expire ! Joseph Lancaster, having long left this country, is enga- ged by Bolivar in the institution of schools throughout South America. xu Finally, A Society was established, June 14th, 1816 ^for the promotion of permanent and universal peace I This itaccomphshesby the distribution of Tracts expo- sing through all its ramifications the turpitude of offensive war, which, though decked in the trappings of military dory, is no other than an unprincipled violation ot mdi- vidual rights— an outrageous disruption of all the bonds of society. The distribution has extended to nearly all the United States and the British provinces m America —to Great Britian, France, and Russia in Europe—to India, and the Sandwich Islands. All communications may be forwarded to the respective officers of the Feace Society, No. 3, Great Knight-Rider-Street, Doctors Commons. O ! first of human blessings and supreme, Fair Peace, how lovely— how delightful thou . By whose wide tie the kindred sons of men Like brothers live— in amity combined. Ineffable are the blessings of peace, whilst the shed- mg of blood is the abhorrence of humanity. Nor can we re- fuse to bid God-speed to an institution, whose object is to secure to man "the legacy" of the Saviour of the world as well as to accelerate the arrival of that halcyon period of universal tranquillity, which is the long and devoutly wished-for consummation of our common Christianity. The term peace is music in the ears of every rational be- ing. It speaks volumes to the individual, and to every well-constituted community. It is the grand panacea sug- gested by Reason, and confirmed by Revelation, for as- suaging the numerous, the complicated, and heart-rendmg maladies incident to the vast multitudinous family of man- kind. Amidst the obstreperous dissonance of contend- ing parties. Peace— Peace ! will be the loud and reitera- ted aspiration of every true Christian throughout each suc- cessive age, ceasing only with the destruction of the world. N.B. In the preceding catalogue, the names of the Of- ficers of the several Religious Societies are suppressed. Being in a state of incessant fluctuation, their enumeration is better suited to annual publications— whence may be derived the requisite information, and of which there is no paucity in the Christian world. SKETCH OF ALL RELIGIONS. The'g-eat lesson which every sect, and every individual of every sect, ought to learn from the history of the church is Mod- eration. Want of g-enuine Moderation towards those who differ from us in relig-ious opinions, seems to be the most unaccountable thing- in the world.— Watson, Bishop of Llandaff. The Christian World is divided into denominations, each of which is discriminated by sentiments pecuUar to itself. To dehneate the nature, point out the foundation, and appreciate the tendency of every individual opinion, would be an endless task. My only design is briefly to enumerate the leading tenets of the several parties which attract our notice, and to make this variety of rehgious opinions a ground for the exercise of moderation, together with the improvement 'of other Chriatian graces. The moderation here recommended lies at an equal distance between an indifference to truth and the merciless spirit of uncharitableness. It is a virtue, alas 1 much talked of — little understood — and less practised. But before we delineate the tenets of the several parties, the Atheists and Deists shall be mentioned, two descrip- tions of persons frequently confounded together ; and also an outline given of Theophilanthropism and Mahometan- ism, of Judaism and Christianity. These topics will form an introduction to An Account of the Sects and Denom- inations of the Religious World. INTRODUCTION. ATHEISTS. The Atheist does not believe in the existence of a God. He attributes surrounding nature and all its astonishing pheenomena to chance, or to a fortuitous concourse of At- oms ! Plato distinguishes three sorts of Atheists ; such as deny absolutely that there are any Gods; others who al- low the existence of the Gods, but deny that they concern themselves with human affairs, and so disbelieve a Prov- idence ; and, lastly, such as believe in the Gods and a Providence, but think that they are easily appeased, re- mitting the greatest crimes for the smallest supplication. The first of these are the only Atheists, in the proper sense of the word. The name of Atheist is composed of two Greek terms, « and deog, signifying without God, and in this sense the appellation occurs in the New Tes- tament, Ephes. ii. 12. '^ Without God (or Atheists) in the world." It is to be hoped that direct Atheists are few. Some persons question the reahty of such a char- acter, and others insist, that pretensions to atheism have their origin in pride, or are adopted as a cloak for licen- tiousness. In the seventeenth century, Spmosa, a for- eigner, was its noted defender ; and Lucilio Vanini, an ItaUan, of eccentric character, was burnt, 1619, at Tou- louse, for his atheistical tenets. Being pressed to make public acknowledgment of his crime, and to ask pardon of God, the king, and justice, he rephed, that he did not believe there was a God ; that he never offended the king ; and as for justice, he wished it at the devil ! He confess- ed that he was one of the twelve who parted in company from Naples to spread their doctrines in all parts of Eu- rope. The poor man, however, ought not to have been put to death ; confinement is the remedy for insanity. Lord Bacon, in his Essays, remarks, that " A little phi- 27 losophy inclineth a man's mind to Atheism, but depth in philosophy bringeth men's minds about to rehgion : for while the mind of man looketh upon second causes scat- tered, it may rest in them and go no farther ; but when it beholdeth the chain of them confederated and linked to- gether, it must needs fly to Providence and Deity." And Dean Sherlock remarks respecting the origin of Atheism, that " The universal Deluge and the confusion of lan- guages, had so abundantly convinced mankind of a Di- vine power and Providence, that there was no such crea- ture as an Atheist till their ridiculous idolatries had temp- ted some men of wit and thought rather to own no God than such as the Heathens worshipped." The arguments for the being of a God are distributed by the learned into two kinds : — 1st. Arguments «przori, or those taken from the necessity of the divine existence ; — 2d. Arguments a posteriori^ or those taken from the works of nature. Of the latter species of proof a fine illustration may be found in the treatises of Dr. Balguy. On the former, see Dr. Clarke's " Essay on the being of a God," which has been deemed a masterpiece on the subject. The reader is also referred to Dr. Paley's work on ^' Natural Theology," which though it bears a resem- blance to Derham's " Physico-theology," is by far more compact and impressive. Newton, Boyle, Naclaurin, Ray, Derham, Locke, Wilkins, Cudworth, Abernethy, Fenelon, Van Mildert, and Chalmers in his eloquent Discourses on Astronomy, together with other philosophers distinguished for the pro- fundity of their researches, and the extent of their erudi- tion, are to be enrolled amongst the advocates for the ex- istence and superintendence of a Deity. On this sub- ject Lord Chesterfield made the following declaration ; and no man can suppose his understanding to have been clouded with religious prejudices : " I have read some of Seed's sermons, and like them very well. But I have neither read, nor intend to read, those which are meant to prove the existence of God ; because it seems to me too great a disparagement of that reason which he has given us, to require any other proofs of his existence, 28 than those which the whole and every part of the crea- tion afford us. If I beUeve my own existence, I must beheve his : it cannot be proved a prioriy as some have idly attempted to do, and cannot be doubted of a pos- terioriJ' Cato says very justly — '' And that he is, all nature cries aloud ;" Dr. Priestley's Letters to Hammon of Liverpool, in confutation of Atheistical tenets, deserve well to be consulted — The name Hammon was, it seems, fictititous — the Atheist wishing to conceal himself in ob- scurity. Dr. Priestley (in one of his Fast Sermons) observes, that when he visited France in 1774, — " All her philos- ophers and men of letters were absolute infidels, and that he was represented by one of them (in a mixed strain of censure and compliment) as the only man of talent he had met with, who had any faith in the Scriptures. Nay, Voltaire himself (who was then living) was considered by them as a weak-minded man, because, though an un- believer in revelation, he believed in a God." By some Christian writers. Atheists and Deists are us- ed without discrimination. They are by no means syn- onymous terms. Even Thomas Paine, one of the most inveterate Deists, asserts the existence of a Supreme Being. Finally, Dr. Bruce of Belfast has published a very masterly work on " The Existence and Perfections of the Deity," — entitled to the utmost attention. He is a Pres- byterian minister, of talent, learning, and respectability. He has been connected with the seminary or college at Belfast, and his son occupies the chair of one of the tu- tors in that seminary. It has produced many men of em- inence for the Christian ministry. Paley has, in his " Natural Theology," demonstrated from the visible creation, the existence and the superin- tendence of One Supreme, all-powerful, all-knowing, and benevolent Author, whose natural attributes are — Om- nipotence, omniscience omnipresence, eternity, self-exis- tence, necessary existence, and spirituality ! Dr. Gis- borne also has published a kind of Appendix to this work, entitled '^ The Testimony of Natural Theology to Chris- tianity." m DEISTS, The Deists believe in a God, but reject a written rev- elation from him. They are extravagant in their enco- miums on natural religion, though they differ much re- specting its nature, extent, obligation, and importance. Dr. Clarke, in his treatise against Deism, divides them into four classes, according to the number of articles com- prised in their creed. "The first are such as pretend to believe the existence of an eternal, infinite, independent, intelhgent Being; and who, to avoid the name of Epicurean Atheists, teach also that this Supreme Being made the world ; though at the same time they agree with the Epicureans in this, that they fancy God does not at all concern himself in the government of the world, nor has any regard to, or care of, what is done therein, agreeably to the reasoning of Lucretius, the Epicurean poet — For whatsoe'er 's divine must live at peace, In undisturb'd and everlasting- ease ; Nor care for us, from fears and danglers free, Sufficient to his own felicity ! Noug-ht here below, nought in our pow'r it needs; Ne'er smiles at g^ood, nor frowns at wicked deeds. " The second sort of Deists are those who believe not only the being, but also the providence of God with re- spect to the natural world, but who, not allowing any dif- ference between moral good and evil, deny that God takes any notice of the morally good or evil actions of men,- these things depending, as they imagine, on the arbitrary constitution of human laws. " A third sort of Deists there are, who, having right apprehensions concerning the natural attributes of God and his all-governing providence, and some notion of his moral perfections also, yet being prejudiced against the notion of the immortality of the soul^ believe that men perish entirely at death, and that one generation shall' perpetually succeed another without any further restora- tion or renovation of things.. 3* 30 " A fourth, and the last sort of Deists, are such as be- lieve the existence of a Supreme Being, together with his providence in the government of the world ; also all the obligations of natural religion, but so far only as these things are discoverable by the light of nature alone, with- out believing any divine revelation." These, the learned author observes, are the only true Deists ; but as their principles would naturally lead them to embrace the Christian revelation, he concludes there is now no consistent scheme of Deism, in the world. Dr. Clarke then adds these observations, mingled with a just severity : " The Heathen philosophers, those few of them who taught and lived up to the obligations of natu- ral religion, had indeed a consistent scheme of Deism, as far as it went. But the case is not so now ; the same scheme is not any longer consistent with its own princi- ples, it does not now lead men to embrace revelation, as it then taught them to hope for it. Deists in our days, who reject revelation when offered to them, are not such men as Socrates and Cicero were ; but under pretence of Deism, it is plain they are generally ridiculers of all that is truly excellent in natural religion itself Their trivial and vain cavils ; their mocking and ridiculing without and before examination ; their directing the whole stress of objections against particular customs, or particular and perhaps uncertain opinions or explications of opinions, without at all considering the main body of religion ; their loose, vain, and frothy discourses ; and, above all, their vicious and immoral lives show, plainly and undeniably, that they are not real Deists but mere Atheists, and con- sequently not capable to judge of the truth of Christian- ity. The present Deists are of two sorts only, those who believe and those who disbelieve in a future state." If a Theist (from the Greek deog, God) be different from a Deist, it is that he has not had revelation proposed to him, and follows therefore the pure light of nature.* * Paganism is the corruption of natural relig-ion, and is little else than the worship of idols and false g-ods. These were either men, as Jubiter, Hercules, Bacchus, &c. ; or tictitious persons, as Victory, Fame, Fever, &c. ; or beasts, as in Eg'ypt crocodiles, cats, &c. ; or, finally in- 31 The term Deist comes from the Latin word Deus, a God, and is applied to the rejecters of revelation, because the existence of a God is the principal article of their be- lief The name was first assumed by a number of gen- tlemen in France and Italy, who were willing to cover their opposition to the Christian revelation by a more hon- ourable name than that of Atheist. Viret, a divine of eminence among the first reformers, appears to have been the first author who expressly mentions them ; for in the Epistle Dedicatory, prefixed to the second volume of his '' Instruction Chretienne," published in 1563, he speaks of some persons at that time who called themselves by a new name, that of Deists. Deists are also often called Infidels (from the Latin word Injidelis) on account of their want of faith or belief in the christian religion. Some indeed have censured the application of the term infidelity to unbelievers, contending that in our language it is used solely in a particular sense, implying the want of conjugal fidelity. The advocates for Deism on the continent are Bayle, Voltaire, Fredrick II., king of Prussia, Helvetius, Dider- ot, Raynal, Rousseau, Condorcet, D'Alembert, he, with other disciples of the new philosophy. In Great Britain the deistical writers are, Lord Herbert, Hobbes, Toland, Mandeville, Wollaston, Collins, Shaftesbury, Boling- broke, Chubb, Tindal, Morgan, Blount, Hume, Gibbon, and Thomas Paine, of political celebrity. In the writings of these men it is evident that reason is extolled at the expense of revelation ; but, as it has been beautifully re- marked, "The lights of reason and revelation fall upon our path in rays so blended, that we walk like the sum- mer-evening travellei , who, enjoying at the same time the animate thing's, as onions, fire, water, &c. Upon the propag-ation of Christianity, Pag-anism declined. Julian the apostate made an ineffeo- tual attempt to revive it, and it is now deg-enerated into gross and dis- g-ustful idolatry. The cheif Sects of Paganism now existing- are the Sabians, Magians, Hindoos, and Chinese, together with that of the Grand Lama of Tartary. Curious specimens of the Pagan idols may be seen in the British Museum and in the Museum at the Baptist Acade- my, Bristol. — See Young's "Historical Dissertation on Idolatrous Cor- ruptions in Religion," 2 Vols. — Also Ellis's "Account of Owyhee, one of the Sandwich Islands," recently published. 3^ moon and the sun's solstical twilight, is unable to as- certain the proportion in which he is indebted to each ol these heavenly luminaries ; and some of us, alas ! are such incompetent philosophers, as, because the greater is below the horizon, to attribute all to the less !" In the "Tracts and Sermons" of the author of this Sketch, pub- lished in a large octavo volume, 18'25, will be found, '^art Attempt to account for the infidelity of Edmund Gibbon, Esq." with " remarks on the scepticism of Lord Byron," so unhappily prominent in all his justly admired and wide- ly spread poetical writings. Gibbon and Paine have been most ably and satisfactorily answered by Bishop Watson, in his Apoligies for the Bible, and for Christianity." Lord Herbert of Cherbury was the first Deist who ex- cited public notice in the country, but was a man of real learning and piety. Dr. Brown's recent edition of Le- land's " View of the Deistical Writers," (Tindal, Morgan., Chubb, Bollingbroke, he. &c.) together w4th many other valuable treatises, aftbrd information concerning their principles, and contain a refutation of their objections against revealed religion. It is well observed by Paley, — "Of what a revelation- discloses to mankind, one and only one question can be properly asked, — Was it of importance to mankind to know or to be better assured of? In this question, when we turn our thoughts to the great Christian doctrine of a resurrection from the dead and a future judgment, no doubt can be possibly entertained. He who gives me riches or honours does nothing ;. he who even gives me health does little in comparison with that w^hich lays before me just grounds for expecting a restoration to life, and a day of account and retribution, which thing Christianity hath done for millions !" The rejecters of revelation (before they thoughtlessly calumniate it)woulddo well to consider what they are able to give us in its stead,.bettercalculatedto alleviate the dis- tresses, and bind up the bleeding heart of humanity.. 33 THEOPHILANTHROPISTS. The Theophilanthropists are a kind of Deists arisen ins France during the revolution. The name by which they stand distinguished, is a compound term derived from the Greek, and intimates that they profess to adore God and love their fellow-creatures. Their common principle is a behef in the existence, perfections, and providence of God, and in the doctrine of a future life ; and their rule of mor- als is, love to God and good will to men. Dr. John Walk- er, a medical gentlemen, author of the '^ Universal Ga- zetteer," published the Manual of the sect, from which a few particulars shall be extracted. *^The temple most worthy of the divinity, in the eyes of the Theophilanthropists, is the universe. Abandoned sometimes under the vault of heaven to the contemplation of the beauties of nature, they render its author the hom- age of adoration and gratitude. They nevertheless have temples erected by the hands of men, in which it is more commodious for them to assemble and listen to lessons concerning his wisdom. Certain moral inscriptions, a simple altar on which they deposit, as a sign of gratitude for the benefits of the Creator, such flowers or fruits as the season afford, and a tribune for the lectures and discourses, form the whole of the ornaments of their temples. " The first inscription placed above the altar recals to remembrance the two religious dogmas, which are the foundation of their moral. " First Inscription. " We believe in the existence of a God, in the immor- tality of the soul. ^'Second Inscription. '' Worship God, cherish your kind, render yourselves useful to your country. '' Third Inscription. " Good is every thing which tends to the preservatioa or perfection of man. 34 " Evil is every thing which tends to destroy or deteri- orate him. J " Fourth Inscription. " Children, honour your fathers and mothers. Obey them with affection. Comfort their old age. '^Fathers and mothers, instruct your children. ^^ Fifth Inscription. "Wives, regard in your husbands the chiefs of your houses. . " Husbands, love your wives, and render yourselves re- ciprocally happy. " The assembly sits to hear lessons or discourses on mo- rality, principles of religion, of benevolence, and of uni- versal salvation, principles equally remote from the sever- ity of Stoicism and Epicurean indolence. These lectures and discourses are diversified by hymns. Their assem- blies are holden on the first day of the week, and on the decades." The Christian reader will admire the practical tenden- cy of this new species of Deism, but lament the defects by which it stands characterized. It wants the broad basis of revelation, which would give permanency to its doc- trines, and energy to its precepts, beside the glorious dis- coveries of immortality ! It was hoped at one time that the profession of this system in France would have pre- pared the way for the reception of pure Christianity. JUDAISM. Judaism is the religious doctrines and rites of the Jews, who are the descendants of Abraham, a person of emin- ence, chosen by God, soon after the flood, to preserve the doctrine of the Divine Unity among the idolatrous nations of the earth. A complete system of Judaism is contained in the five books of Moses, their great lawgiver, who was raised up to dehver them from their bondage in Egypt, and to conduct them to the possession of Canaan, the prom- 35 ised land. The Jewish economy is so much directed to temporal rewards and punishments, that it has been ques- tioned whether the Jews had any knowledge of a future state. This opinion has been defended with vast euridi- tion by Warburton, in his " Divine Legation of Moses ;" but it has been controverted by Dr. Sykes, and other au- thors of respectabihty. The principal sects among the Jews, in the time of our Saviour, w^ere the Pharisees, who placed religion in external ceremony — the Sadducees, who were remarkable for their incredulity ; and the Essenes, who were distinguished by an austere sanctity. Some ac- counts of these sects will be found in the last volume of Prideaux's " Connection," in Harwood's " Introduction to the Study of the New Testament," and in Marsh's im- proved edition of " Michaelis." See likewise two ingen- ious and learned volumes, entitled, " Ecclesiastical Re- searches," and also the " Sequel," to it by John Jones, LL. D. The author contends that Josephus and Philo were Christians, and introduces striking passages from their writings, tending to confirm the truth and illustrate the genius of primitive Christianity. The Pharisees and Sadducees are frequently mention- ed in the New Testament ; and an acquaintance with their principles and practices serves to illustrate many passages in the sacred history. At present the Jews have two sects, — the Caraites, who admit no rule of religion but the law of Moses ; and the Rabbinists, wha add to the laws the tradition of the Talmud. The dispersion of the Jews took place upon the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus, the Roman emperor, a.d. 70. The expectation of a Messiah is the distinguishing feature of their religious system. The word Messiah signifies one anointed, or installed into an office by an unction. The Jews used to anoint their kings, high-priests, and sometimes prophets, at their entering upon office. Thus Saul, David, Sol- omon, and Joash, kings of Judah, received the royal unc- tion. Thus also Aaron and his sons received the sacer- dotal, and Elisha, the disciple of Elijah the prophetic unction. Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, in 36 whom all the Jewish prophecies are accomplished. The Jews, infatuated with the idea of a temporal Messiah, who is to subdue the world, still wait for his appearance. Ac- cording to Buxtorf, (a professor of Hebrew, and celebra- ted for rabbinical learning) some of the modern rabbins beheve that the Messiah is already come, but that he will not manifest himself on account of the sins of the Jews. Others, however, have had recourse to the hypothesis of two Messiahs, who are to succeed each other — one in a state of humiliation and suffering — the other in a state of glory, magnificence, and power. Be it however remem- bered, that in the New Testament Jesus Christ assures us, in the most explicit terms, that he is the Messiah. In John iv. 25, the Samaritan woman says to Jesus, " I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ : when he is come he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak to thee am he." According to the pre- diction of Jesus Christ, several impostors would assume the title of Messiah, and accordingly such persons have appeared. A history of False Messiahs has been writ- ten by a Dutchman. Barcochab was the first, who ap- peared in the time of Adrian ; the second, in 1666, was Sabatai Sevi, who turned Mahometan ; and the last was Rabbi Mordecai, who was talked of in 1682. The Talmud is a collection of the doctrines and mo- rality of the Jews. They have two works that bear this name ; the first is called the Talmud of Jerusalem, and the other the Talmud ofBabylon. The former is shorter and more obscure than that ofBabylon, but is of an ol- der date. The Talmud compiled at Babylon the Jews prefer to that of Jerusalem, as it is clearer and more ex- tensive. The Jewish economy was certainly typical of the Chris- tian dispensation in many important respects ; but these types and antitypes have been wretchedly abused. A cu- rious instance of this kind occurred about the time of the Reformation. Le Clerc has recorded it, and the perusal of it must create a smile. The story is this : Two eminent Protestants, a Lutheran an a Calvinist had been wrangling a considerable time about the precedency of their patri- 37 archSj without any seeming advantage ; when the one took it into his head to make Luther the antitype of Aaron, seeing he was the first who had set up and hghted the grand candlestick of the reformation in the tabernacle. The other, not being able to disprove the fact, had re- course to the same typical reasoning, and affirmed that if Luther was Aaron's antitype, upon that score Calvin was much more so, since it is manifest that, if he had not ta- ken the snuffers in his hand and snuffed the lamps, the candlestick would have given so dim a light, that few people would have been the better for it. The most remarkable periods in thehistoryof the Jews are, the call of Abraham, the giving of the law by Moses, their establishment in Canaan under Joshua, the building of the Temple by Solomon, the division of the tribes, their captivity in Babylon, their return under Zerubbabel, and the destruction of their city and temple by the Empe- ror Titus. Their books of the Old Testament are the most ancient and authentic records extant. See the writ- tings of Josephus, their famous historian, of which there are several translations, in our language — Dr. Jenning's two volumes of" Jewish Antiquities," Dr. Shaw's '' Phi- losphy of Judaism," the late Mr. David Levi's " Cere- monies of the Jewish Religion," and Dr. Adam Clarke's " Fleury on the manners of the Ancient Jews," together with Jones's " Researches" and " Sequel," already men- tioned. Maimonides, an illustrious rabbi, drew up for the Jews, in the eleventh century, a confession of faith, which all Jews admit. It is curious, and the reader will be gratified by tlie insertion of it. L " I believe with a true and perfect faith that God is the Creator (whose name be blessed), governor and ma- ker of all creatures, and that he hath wrought all things, worketh, and shall work for ever. 2. "I believe with a perfect faith that the Creator (whose name be blessed) is one, and that such an unity as in him can be found in none other, and that he alone hath been our God, is, and for ever shall be. 3, " I beUeve with a perfect faith that the Creator 4 38 (whose name be blessed) is not corporeal, nor to be com- prehended with any bodily property, and that there is no bodily essence that can be likened unto him. 4. " I believe with a perfect faith the Creator (whose name be blessed) to be the first and the last, that nothing was before him, and that he shall abide the last for ever. 5. *' I believe with a perfect faith that the Creator (whose name be blessed) is to be worshipped and none else. 6. "I believe with a perfect faith that all the words of the prophets are true. 7. ''I believe with a perfect faith the prophecies of Moses, (our master, may he rest in peace,) that he was the father and chief of all wise men that lived before him, or ever shall live after hira. 8. "I believe with a perfect faith that all the law which at this day is found in our hands was delivered by God himself to our master, Moses. God's peace be with him ! 9. " I believe with a perfect faith that the same law is never to be changed, nor an other to be given us of God, whose name be blessed. 10. " I believe, &c. that God (whose name be bless- ed) understandeth all the works and thoughts of men, as it is written in the prophets — He fashioneth their hearts alike ; he understandeth all their works. 11. "I believe, &:c. that God will recompense good to them that keep his commandments, and will punish them who transgress them. 12. ^^I beheve, he. that the Messiah is yet to come, and although he retard his coming, yet I will wait for him till he come. 13. " I beheve, &c. that the dead shall be restored to life, when it shall seem fit unto God the Creator, whose name be blessed and memory celebrated, world without end. Amen." Doddridge, Gill, Edwards, Bicheno, Winchester, and Wrangham, are of opinion that the Jews shall be restored to the land of Palestine. Winchester suggests that the large rivers in America were placed by the Creator on the eastern side, that the Jews may waft themselves down 39 10 the Atlantic, and then across that vast ocean to the Holy Land ; and Archdeacon Wrangham has these spir- ited lines on the subject : — And see they come ! survey yon sweeping- bands, Countless as Persian bowmen, who beset Freedom exulting- on her attic rock. When Asia rous'd her millons to the war, And sunk in all her pomp before the foe. With ranks as full. But with more prosp'rous fates and purer joys Than swell the warrior's breast, their destin'd march The Hebrews bend from where Hydasper rolls His storied tide, or cleaves with holy prow Th* Atlantic main, whose conscious surg-e reveres Its buoyant load Now call'd by God, or from the western stream Of Plata, or whei e Gang^es pours his urn. In love-knit league they throng ! With g^uardian hand Messiah, erst their nation's deadliest fate, Guide the returning" host ! * Lightfoot and Lardner are, however, of a contrary opinion, declaring that their call shall not cause them to change place, but condition. So various are the senti- ments of divines on this sudject. A Jew's hospital, entitled the Charity Workhouse, has been erected at Mile End, " for the reception and sup- port of aged men and women, as well as the education and industrious employment of youth of both sexes." This institution has been liberally and nobly supported by the very opulent family of the Goldsmids. An asylum for converted Jews has been raised at Beth- nal-green. The late truly-respectable Duke of Kent laid the foundation stone, and it is under the patronage of the church of England.f It is a little remarkable with respect to the exhibition of tlie Jewish character on the stage, that Shakspeare's Jew is represented as cruel and rapacious, whilst Cum- berland's Jew is, though characteristic in his manners, full of benevolence and humanity. * See a Map of Palesitne, or the Holy Land, just published by Leigh in the Strand, an elegant and accurate production, with vignettes beautifully illustrative of the events of Sacred History. t See the publications of the Rev. Lewis Way, on the Conversion of the Jews to Christianity 40 " The history of this people," says a modern writer, ^' certainly forms a striking evidence of the truth of di- vine revelation. They are a living and perpetual mira- cle, continuing to subsist as a distinct and peculiar race for upwards of three thousand years, and even in the midst of other nations, flowing forward in a full and con- tinued stream, like the waters of the Rhone, without mix- ing with the waves of the expansive lake through which the passage lie to the ocean of eternity !" In a Tract lately published at Paris, by M. Bail, the following calculation is given of the number of Jews in the different quarters of the globe. Poland, before partition, 1772 . 1,000,000 Russia 200,000 Germany 500,000 United Netherlands 80,000 Sweden and Denmark 5,000 France 50,000 England, London 12,000 .... 50,000 Italy and States 200,000 Spain and Portugal 10,000 United States 3,000 Mahomedan States, in Asia, Eu- > . ^^^ ^^^ rope, and Africa ) ' ' Rest of Asia, China, and India . 500,000 Total . .6,598,000 This article shall be closed with the recommendation of " Modern Judaism, or a Brief Account of the Opin- ions, Traditions, Rites, and Ceremonies of the Jews in Modern Times, by John Allen," who thus expresses hini- self on the subject: — '' Whatever contempt or abhorrence the author feels for errors or frauds, which appear to him contemptible or detestable, he neither feels, nor ever f^lt such sentiments towards the Jewish people. He has the satisfaction of remembering that he has always disapprov- ed and condemned the insults and injuries committed against them by multitudes wearing the Christian name ! 41 Blest with a parent, whose prudence and piety raised him above this vulgar error, the author's earhest impressions respecting this people, were those of benevolence, pity, and veneration, — benevolence due to all the descendants of our common Father, — pity excited by their moral degradation, — veneration inspired by the miracles of their ancient history, and the prophetic visions of their future glory !" MAHOMETANISM. Mahometanism is the religion of Mahomet, who was bom in 571, at Mecca, a city of Arabia, and died at ]\Ie* dina 631. Though Mahomet was descended from an honourable tribe and from the noblest family of that tribe, yet his original lot was poverty. Upon his father's death, five camels and an Ethiopian female constituted the en- tire property left for the support of the mother and her infant son. Under his uncle Abu-Taled he was employ- ed in commercial pursuits, and became acquainted with Asia, Syria, Palestine, and Egypt. He afterwards mar- ried a rich widow, and became equal to the most opulent citizens of Mecca. Fifteen years of his life were passed in the obscurest retirement, in a lonely cave, where his scheme of a new religion was no doubt planned, and which he afterwards so ably executed. His system is a com- pound of Paganism, Judaism, and Christianity ; and the Koran, which is their Bible, is held in great reverence« It is replete with absurd representations, and is supposed to have been written by a Jew, The most eloquent pas- sage is allowed to be the following, where God is introdu- ced, bidding the waters of the deluge to cease: — •" Earth, swallow up the waters ; heaven, draw up those thou hast poured out : immediately the waters retreated, the com- mand of God was obeyed, the ark rested on the moun- tains, and these words were heard — * Woe to the wick- ed !' " Lust, ambition, and cruelty, are the most promiuenf 4* 49 traits in Mahomet's conduct ; and Voltaire has written a fine tragedy on this subject. The great doctrine of the Koran is the unity of God, which, together with the mis- sion of Christ, is strongly insisted upon by the prophet. " There is no God but he the living, the self-subsisting ; neither slumber nor sleep seizeth him ; to him belongeth whatsoever is in Heaven and on earth." Indeed he per- suaded his followers that he was the Paraclete, or com- forter which Christ had promised his disciples. In this respect the Mahometan religion constitutes a powerful collateral proof of the truth of Christianity. Nor has this circumstance, suggested to me by a worthy friend, been sufficiently considered by Christians. Thus we may extract good from evil, and it is our duty to avail ourselves of every thing which tends to augment the evidence of our holy religion. It is remarkable that the Koran, or Alcoran, was dealt out slowly and separately during the long period of twenty-three years ! It was communica- ted, says Mahomet, iDy the ministration of the angel Ga- briel, who appears to have been liberal to him on these occasions. His angel of death ^ whose province it is at the hour of dissolution to free the departing spirit from its prison of flesh, and his vast ideal balance, in which at the last day the actions of all men shall be weighed, have in them a sort of romantic sublimity calculated to impress the fervid imagination of the eastern nations ; and his sensual paradise hereafter must, in their opinion, have im- parted to it the highest degree of perfection. The mean- est in paradise will have seventy-two wives, besides the wives he had in this world : he shall have a tent also as- signed him " of pearls, hyacinths, and emeralds !" Dean Prideaux has proved, in his letter to Deists, that there are seven marks of an imposture ; that these all belong to Mahometanism, and that not one of them can be char- ged on Christianity. See Sale's "Koran," Prideaux's " Life of Mahomet," Dr. White's " Sermons at the Bamp- ton Lecture," and Dr. Toulmin's " Dissertations on the Internal Evidence of Christianity," and on '^ The Char- acter of Christ compared with that of other Founders of Religion or Philosophy." Mr. Gibbon, in his Roman 43 Histoiy, gives the following curious specimen of Mahom- etan divinity — for the prophet propagated his religion by force of arms: — "The sword/' says Mahomet, "is the key of heaven and of hell ; a drop of blood shed in the cause of God, or a night spent in arms, is of more avail tlian two months of fasting or prayer. Whosoever falls in battle, his sins are forgiven at the day of judgment ; his wounds shall be resplendent as vermilion, and odori- ferous as musk ; the loss of his limbs shall be supplied by the wings of angels and cherubims 1" From a Catechism said to have been lately printed at Constantinople, I will present my readers with the young Mussulman's Creed : — " I believe in the books which hav© been delivered from Heaven and the prophets. In this manner was the Koran given to Mahomet, the Pentateuch to Moses, the Psalter to David, and the Gospel to Jesus. I believe in the prophets, and the miracles they ha\^ performed. Adam was the first prophet, and Mahomet was the last. I believe for the space of fifty thousand years the righteous shall repose under the shade of the terrestrial paradise, and the wicked shall be exposed na- ked to the burning rays of the sun. I believe in the bridge Sirat, which passes over the bottomless pit of hell I It is as fine as a hair, and as sharp as a sabre. All must pass over it, and the wicked shall be thrown off. I be- lieve in the w^ater pools of paradise. Each of the proph- ets has in paradise a bason for his own use ; the water is whiter than milk, and sweeter than honey. On the ridg- es of the pools are vessels to drink out of, and they are bordered with stars. I believe in Heaven and in HelL The inhabitants of the former know no want, and the houris who attend them are never afiiicted w^ith sickness. The floor of paradise is musk, the stones are silver,, and the- cement gold. The damned are, on the contrary tor- mented with fire and by voracious and poisonous ani- mals I" Mahometanism distributes itself into two general parts^ Faith and Practice ; the former containing six branches — belief in God, in his angels, in his scriptures, in his pro^ phets, in the resurrection and final judgment, in the di- 44 vine decrees : — the latter relating to prayer, with wash- ing, alms, fasting, pilgrimage to Mecca, and circumcision. Indeed the system of Mahomet has no symmetry or beau- ty of parts; it is a heterogeneous compound of the vari- ous rehgions then existing, and artfully accommodated to the prejudices and passions of the Eastern regions of the world. Dr. Joseph White thus concludes one of his discourses on Mahometanism : — " What raises Christ and his reli- gion far above all the fictions of Mahomet^, is that awful alternative of hopes and fears — that Iboking-for of judg- ment, which our Christian faith sets before us. At that day, when time, the great arbiter of truth and falsehood, shall bring to pass the accomplishment of the ages, and tlie Son of God shall make his enemies his footstool — then shall the deluded followers of the great Impostor, disappointed of the expected intercession of their proph- et, stand trembling and dismayed at the approach of the glorified Messiah. Then shall they say,' Yonder cometh in tlie clouds that Jesus whose religion we laboured to de- stroy — whose temples we profaned — whose servants and followers we cruelly oppressed 1 Behold, he cometh, but no longer the humble son of Mary — no longer a mere mortal prophet, the equal of Abraham and of Moses, as that deceiver taught us, but the everlasting Son of the everlasting Father — the Judge of mankind — tlie Sove- reign of angels — the Lord of all things, both in earth and in heaven !' " If we suppose, according to the usual estimate, that tlie inhabitants of the world amount to eight hundred millions, then the whole may be thus divided: — Jews, two millions and a half ; Pagans, four hundred and eigh- ty-two millions ; Christians, one hundred and seventy- five millions and a half, and Mahometans one hundred and forty millions. The Christians again may be thus distributed, into Greek and Eastern churches, thirty mil- lions ; Roman Catholics, eighty millions ; and Protes- tants, sixty-five millions and a half. Or thus, in round figures, which may make a more permanent irapressioo on the mind of the rising generation : 45 Jews 2,500,000 Pagans 482,000,000 Christians .... 175,000,000 Mahommedans . . . 140,000,000 Inhabitants of the world 800,000,000 Suhdivisons of Christians. Greek and Eastern churches 30,000,000 Roman CathoHcs . . . 80,000,000 Protestants 65,000,000 Total number of Christans . 175,000,000 CHRISTIANITY. A Christian is the highest style of man ; And is there who the cross wipes off, As a foul blot from his dishonoured brow ? If ang-els tremble — 'tis at such a sig-ht.——— Young. Christianity, to which Judaism was introductory, is the last and most entire dispensation of revealed religion with which God has favoured the human race. It was institu- ted by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who made his ap- pearance in Judea near two thousand years ago. He whs born at Bethlehem, brought up at Nazareth, and crucified at Jerusalem. His lineage, birth, life, death, and suffer- ings, were minutely predicted by a succession of the Jew- ish prophets, and his religion is now spread over a consid- erable portion of the globe. The evidences of the Chris- tian religion are comprised under historical testimony, prophecies, miracles, the internal evidence of its doctrines and precepts, and the rapidity of its first propagation among the Jews and the Gentiles. Though thinking Christians have in every age differed widely respecting some of the doctrines of this religion, yet they are fully agreed in the divinity of its origin, and in the benevolence of its tendency. 46 The believers in this religion, who had been denomin- ated by the Jews Nazarenes, or Galileans, and by each other, discijples, brethren, or saints, were first called Christians at Antioch, A. D. 43. Witsius thinks it a circumstance of remarkable wisdom that this celebrated name should arise from Antioch, a church consisting of a mixture of Jews and Gentiles, rather than from Jerusalem, dignified in so many other respects ; and that it was a kind of victory gained over Satan, who from An- tioch had, some ages before, raised so many cruel perse- cutors of the church of God. And Doddridge remarks — '' With pleasure let us reflect upon this honourable name which the disciples of Jesus wore at Antioch, and would to God that no other, no dividing name, had ever prevailed among them : as for such distinguishing titles, though they were taken from Apollos or Cephas, or Paul, let us en- deavour to exclude them out of the church as fast as we can, and while they continue in it let us take care that they do not make us forget our most ancient and most glo- rious title ! Let us take heed that we do not so remember our difference from each other in smaller matters as to for- get our mutual agreement in embracing the gospel of Christ." As to the progress of Christianity, it suflfered during the first three centuries some grevious persecutions, under which, however, it flourished after a wonderful manner, till the conversion of Constantine, 314 A. D. when it be- came the established religion of the Roman empire. The principal persecutions were those under Nero, A. D. 64; Domitian, 93; Trajan, 104; Hadrian, 125 ; M. Aurelius, 151; Severus, 197; Maximin, 235; Decius, 250; Va- lerian, 257 ; Aurelian, 272 ; Numerian, 283 ; Dioclesian, and Maximian, and Licinius, 303 — 313. It was rela- tive to these persecutions, that an ecclesiastical historian observes, that the blood of the martyrs became the seed of the church ! From the 6th to the 16th century was lit- tle else than one black record of ignorance, superstition, and tyranny. The Roman pontiff, by his monstrous usur- pations over conscience, disposed of the property and the lives of men. It cannot be expected that the reader should 47 be furnished with a detail of ecclesiastical history, but a subsequent article on the Reformationj to be found in this work, should be read with attention, because the reformed religion is indissolubly connected with the present happi- ness and eternal welfare of mankind. It would be as useless as it is impossible, to refer the read- er to all the principal treatises which have been written at different periods for the defence and illustration of the Christian religion. But a few ought to be mentioned, in justice to the subject, and those alone shall be specified which are easiest of access. The student may consult Lardner's " Credibility," Watson's " Theological Tracts," Priestley's '^ Institutes of Natural and Revealed Relig- ion," Butler's " Analogy," Chalmers's " Internal Evi- dence," and Paley's " View of the Evidences of Christi- ty." For the use of private Christians, read Doddridge's *' Thee Sermons on the evidences of the Christian Relig- ion, and Plain Reasons for being a Christian." Nor must I omit mentioning two works of eruditon, " An Intro- duction to the Critical Study and Knowledge of the Ho- ly Scriptures," by Thomas Hartwell Home, A, M., and " The Truth of the Christian Religion," by John Jones, LL. D. author of various publications illustrative of the ge- nius and tendency of Christianity, I shall present the young reader with my own " Epi- tome of the Evidences of Christianity," drawn up for my pupils for the ministry ; possessing some little degree of novelty, it may generate an impression upon the minds of the rising generation. Evidences of Christianity. Upon the immoveable pillars of testimony borne by well accredited witnesses, rests the simple but divine fabric of Christianity. " We have not followed cunningly-devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, ' This is my beloved Son, in 48 whom I am well pleased ;' and this voice which came from heaven we heard when we were with him on the holy Mount." Two qualifications attach to witnesses whose assertions are entitled to belief — competency and honesty. By competency is understood the possession of common sense, exercised by individuals upon objects which have been brought before them. To have seen and heard what they relate are indispensably necessary on such oc- casions. Thus seeing and hearing the subjects of their testimony, they have it in their power to communicate it to others. Indeed, without this personal knowledge, no sufficient evidence could be yielded, at least to such a degree as to produce a rational and peniianent con- viction. By honesty I would be understood to mean, character — on which due reliance might be placed. Hence I look for an individual whose motives are above suspicion ; who is under no temptation to employ his information for a sinister purpose. The human mind is capable of being impelled by considerations of a very various and even op- posite description. Vanity, interest, and ambition, exer- cise a powerful sway in the production of human aJSairs. In recieving the truth from others, it behoves us to in- stitute a rigorous scrutiny respecting the conduct of our fellow-creatures. Thus alone shall we avoid becoming a prey to imposition. The qualifications of competency and honesty will be found to distinguish the original witnesses of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hence this circumstance has been dwelt upon by the intelligent defenders of Christi- anity. The religion of the New Testament disdains the aid of implicit faith. It calls on individuals of every rank to ^' search the Scriptures ; to judge even of themselves what is right ;" and having made every proper inquiry into this most important of all subjects — to render unto others ^' a reason of the hope that is in them," neither rashly nor dogmatically, but " with meekness and fear." Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, were competent wit- nesses, because they were not only contemporaries, but 49 they were the associates and followers of Jesus Christ. Matthew w^as found ^' sitting at the receipt of customs," an office of respectability under the government of his country. Luke/' the beloved physician," must have pos- sessed some degree of education, as he filled up one of the liberal professions. Mark and John may have pos- sessed a certain portion of knowledge. All the original propagators of the Christian rehgion w^ere men of plain sense, and of uncorrupted understanding. They saw and heard what they testified. They were competent to form an accurate judgment. As Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were competent, so they were likewise honest witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ. Viewing them in every possible situation, there is no reason to suspect their integrity. Jesus was the re- puted son of a carpenter, and born in Nazareth, out of which obscure, as w^ell as despised place, no good was ex- pected. His followers were fisherman, men possessing neither rank nor consequence in society. In quitting their respective situations, they did not improve their circum- stances : they were insulted and reviled — they were thrown into fetters — consigned to the darkness of a dungeon — whilst some of them perished upon the ensanguined scaf- fold. The end also must be considered for which Jesus Christ came into the world. The Messiah employed himself in the dissemination of know^ledge — in the inculcation of re- pentance — in the bestow^ment of forgiveness — in the ex- emplification of every good work — as well as in the dis- closure of a future state, by his resurrection from the dead, and ascension up into heaven, accompanied by the sol- emn assurance of his " coming a second time without sin unto salvation !" Cunning and fraud would never have conspired to introduce such a system. The kingdom of Satan would be thus divided against itself It is the cause of God and of truth. Righteousness alone can have sug- gested, sanctioned, and established the reign of Jesus Christ. "Him hath God exalted (Acts v. 31, 32,) with his right hand, to be a Prince and Saviour, for to give re- pentance to Israel and forgivness of sins. And we are 5 50 his witnesses of these things, and so is also the Holy Spirit whom God had given to them that obey him." Having offered these preliminary remarks concerning the nature of testimony, upon which rests the entire gos- pel of Jesus Christ, I present you with a brief summary of the leading facts of the New Testament. And here I shall confine myself to the four Gospels, and to the Acts of the Apostles, as explanatory of these gospels. Paley remarks — " It hath been my care to preserve the separa- tion between the Evidences and Doctrines as inviolable as I could ; to remove from the primary question all con- siderations which have been unnecessarily joined with it, and to offer a defence of Christianity which every Chris- tian might read without seeing tenets in which he had been brought up attacked or denied. And it always af- forded a satisfaction to my mind to observe that this was practicable — that few or none of our many controversies with one another affect or relate to the proofs of our re- ligion — that the rent never descends to the foundation." Facts of the New Testament. These facts of the New Testament may be introduced by remarking, that, at the period of our Saviour's appear- ance, an expectation of the event prevailed throughout the Jewish nation. This arose from that long series of prophecies delivered by divine messengers at various times and on various occasions. The augustaera of prophecy commenced immediately after the fall of our first parents, when, distracted by remorse, and covered with shame, an assurance was given them, (Gen. iii. 15,) that "the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head !" Then followed intimations of the person, character, death, and sufferings of the Messiah, in whom all " the nations of the earth shall be blessed." Hence the expectation of such a personage prevailed. In him all the luminous prophecies of the Old Testament centred, and by his .advent they met their consummation. The Hebrew appellation Messiah, or anointed, alludes to a custom of the Jews, by which their kings, their high- 51 priests, and sometimes their prophets, were anointed and set apart to their several offices. The term is used twice respecting Jesus Christ in the New Testament. Both passages occur in the Gospel of John, and it is used also twice by Daniel in the Old Testament. They shall be here contrasted for the illustration of the subject. In Daniel ix. 25, 26, are these remarkable expressions : " Know, therefore, and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusa- lem unto the Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself; and the people of the Prince that shall come, shall destroy the city and the sanctuary ; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war, desolations are determined." And John i. 41 : " We have found the Messias, which is, being interpre- ted, the Christ ;" as well as John iv. 25, 26 ; " The wo- man (of Samaria) saith unto him, I know that Messias Cometh, which is called Christ ; when he is come he will tell us all things — Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am He," — are the corresponding passages of the New Testament. Birth of Christ. The first fact of the New Testament is the birth of Jesus Christ, which is thus circumstantially detailed : "And it came to pass in those days, (Luke ii. 1 — 13,) that there went out a decree from Cassar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governer of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Jo- seph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Naza- reth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem (because he was of the house and lineage of David,) to be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be de- 52 livered. And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him In swaddhng clothes, and laid him in a man- ger ; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo ! the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them ; and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not, for be- hold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people ; for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you — ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will towards men." Early History of Christ. A curious fact respecting the circumcision of Christ is added by Luke : " And, behold, there was a man in Jeru- salem, whose name was Simeon ; and the same was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel ; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Spirit, that he should not see death be- fore he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the Temple ; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said. Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word : for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people ; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel." And towards the middle of the chapter, we are told that " the child Jesus grew, and wax- ed strong in spirit filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him ;" and that his parents missing him, " they found him in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understand- 53 ing and answers." The chapter closes with the pleasing attestation, that " Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." Such is ihe account of the early history of the Saviour ; — its inimitable sim- plicity will win its way to every heart. Baptism of Christ by John. The next fact is the baptism of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist, who, agreealDly to ancient oriental custom, was the precursor or forerunner of Jesus Christ. " In those days came John the Baptist (Matt. iii. 1, 11, 12.) preaching in the Wilderness, saying, Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. — I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am nor worthy to bear ; he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit, and with fire ; whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner ; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." To this acr count is annexed the baptism of Jesus by John : — " Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me ? And Jesus answering, said unto him, Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized went up straightway out of the water : and, lo ! the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God de- scending (or hovering, (hf^st' nsQiaegav^ hke a dove, and lighting upon him ; and lo ! a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Divine Mission of Christ Soon after the opening of the ministry of Jesus Christ, he thus explicitly states the nature of his Divine Mission, involving the blessedness of belief and the evil consequen- ces of unbehef with respect to mankind. John (Chap. iii. 14 — 19.) has these passages, too remarkable to be omit- ted: " And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the Wilder- 5* 54 ness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up : that whosoever beheveth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the w^orld to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be sav^ed. He that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemed already ; because he hath not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evik" Sermon on the Mount. Jesus Christ having entered upon his ministry, the Ser- mon on the Mount is a fair sample of the instructions he gave his disciples. The commencement and conclusion shall be transcribed. — It begins in this strain, including w^hat are usually denominated the beatitudes^ fraught with wisdom and integrity : " And seeing the multitudes, (Matt. V. 1 — 1:2.) Jesus went up into a mountain, and when he was set, his disciples came unto him : and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righte- ousness, for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merci- ful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peace-mak- ers, for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all man- ner of evil against you, falsely, for my sake : rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven ; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you." The conclusion of this Sermon on the Mount is equally impressive: ''Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine 55 (Matt. vii. 24 to the end,) and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, who built his house upon a rock ; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, and it fell not ; for it was founded upon a rock And every one that heareth these saying of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man who built his house upon the sand ; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, and it fell ; and great was the fall of it. And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as tlie Scribes." Concerning these very practical instructions contained in the Sermon on the Mount, it has been beautifully re- marked — '•' Blessed Jesus 1 either these are not thy words or we are not Christians. Oh ! season our hearts more eftectually with thy grace ; pour out that divine oil on our lamps ! Then shall the flame brighten ; then shall the ancient honours of thy religion be revived, and multitudes be awakened and animated by the lustre of it to glorify our Father in heaven." Summary of Duty. The summary of our duty towards God and Man is thus explicitly portrayed by Jesus Christ in connexion with the unity and perfections of the deity : ''And one of the Scribes came, (Markxii. 28 — 34,) and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered tliem well, asked him which is the first commandment of all ? And Jesus ansv/ered him. The first of all the com- mandments is. Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord ; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength ; this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely, this — Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself; there is none other command- ment greater than these. And the Scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth, for there is One God, and there is none other but he ; and to love him 56 with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole-burnt offer- ings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answer- ed discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God." The final Judgment. As a confirmation of the decisive mode of teaching, which Jesus adopted, take his account of the Last Judg- ment : — " When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon tlie throne of his glory : and before him shall be gathered all nations : and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd divideth his sheep from his goats : and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand. Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the king- dom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." — But he shall say unto them on the left hand, ''Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. — And these shall go away into ev- erlasting punishment ; but the righteous into life eternal."* These instructions of our Saviour, be it remembered, were accompanied by the performance of miracles, in an ojDen and unreserved manner, before all the people. The lame, the halt, the blind, as well as the diseased of eve- ry description, were relieved by his divine operations. The energies of his supernatural power penetrated even to the regions of the dead. Those whose eyes were clos- ed in darkness, those whose tongues were sealed in si- lence, those whose bodies were consigned over to the disgusting processes of putrefaction, sprang back to the abodes of cheerfulness and activity ! Such was the nature ♦ As with several unbelievers the doctrine of the eternal torments of the wicked is a serious objection to Christianity, it is but justice to re- mark, that many intellig-ent Christians contend that this doctrine makes no part of the relig-ion of the New Testament. This was the opinion of Bishop Newton, who wrote on the Prophecies, and other eminent men among- the different Denominations of the Christian World, See Dr. T. Southwood Smith's "Illustrations of the Divine Government." 57 of those miracles, that Nicodemus (John iii. 2.) said unto Jesus, " Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher sent from God ; for no man can do these miracles that thou doest except God be with him." And so numerous were those supernatural acts, that we are assured by John, chap. xxL 25, speaking after the usual Eastern manner, " There are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written." Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Christ. After a life of fervid and indefatigable benevolence, Je- sus terminated his career by a public and ignominious crucifixion. His enemies seized him, dragged him before an unrighteous tribunal, and he expired suspended on a cross, a spectacle to an astonished universe ! His death, and burial, and his ressurrection, are thus recorded in the last chapters of Luke's Gospel : " And when they were come to the place which was called Calvary, there they cruci- fied Jesus." — " And it was about the sixth hour ; and there was darkness over all the earth (or land of Judea) until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the vail of the temple was rent in the midst. And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into tliy hands I commend my spirit ; and having said thus, he gave up the the ghost." Next follows his burial: ^' And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a coun- seller, and he was a good man, and just ; (the same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them ;) he was of Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who also himself waited for the kingdom of God. This man went unto Pilate and begged the body of Jesus; and he took it down and wrap- ped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein man never before was laid." His resur- rection is detailed with equal simplicity : '' Now, upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared and certain others with them. And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre ; and they 58 entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus. And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed there- about, behold, two men stood by them in shining gar- ments : and as they were afraid and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them. Why seek ye the living among the dead ? He is not here, but is risen : re- member how he spake unto you when he was yet in Gal- ilee, saying, the Sou of man must be dehvered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified; and the third day rise again." We may well add on this branch of my sub- ject : — " How certain is the truth of the Christian religion, and particularly of the Resurrection of Christ, which is a mat- ter of fact on which Christianity is built ! We have al- most all the concurrent evidences that can be derived from human testimony joining to confirm this glorious truth. The fact is not impossible; concurrent circum- stances cast a favourable aspect upon it ; it was foretold by one who wrought miracles, and, therefore, not unlike- ly nor unexpected ; the apostles and first disciples were eye and ear witnesses, for they conversed with their risen Lord ; they were the most plain, honest men in them- selves; the temptations of worldly interests did rather discourage their belief and report of it ; they all agreed in this matter, though they were men of different charac- ters, — Pharisees, and Fishermen, and Publicans, men of Judea and Galilee, and perhaps Heathens, who were ear- ly converted ; the thing might easily have been disprov- ed if it were false ; it hath been conveyed by constant tradition and writing down to our times ; those who at first doubted were afterwards convinced by certain proofs, nor have any pretended to give any proof to the contra- ry ; but merely denied the fact with impudence, in oppo- sition to all these evidences. How weak is the faith which is due to a multitude of things in ancient human history! For, though many of these marks of credibilty are found plainly in the more general and public facts, yet, as to a multitude of particulat facts and circumstan- ces, how deficient are they of such evidence as should de- mand our assent ! Perhaps there is nothing that ever was 59 done in all past ages, and which was not a public fact, so well attested as the Resurrection of Christ !"* ASCENSION AND SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. Of the reality of Christ's appearance after his Res- urrection, no doubt can be entertained, when it is recol- lected that he conversed with his disciples on various sub- jects and on divers occasions. — Thus w^e are informed, that " he opened their understandings, that they might understand the Scriptures ;" that is, the prophecies of the Old Testament, " And he said unto them. Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day ; and that repentance and re- mission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you ; but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be indued with power from on high. And he led them out as far as Bethany, and he lifted up his hands and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he bless- ed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven !" This latter passage, with which the Gospel of Luke concludes, is illustrated by the account which the same author gives of the ascension in the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, where an assurance is made that " this same Jesus, who is taken up into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." And the second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles de- scribes at large the effusion of the Spirit upon the Apos- tles on the day of Pentecost. Then it was that the mis- sionaries of the Gospel began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance ; thus empowering them to waft the glad tidings of great joy to the ends of the earth ? They promptly obeyed the mandate of their as- cended Lord : "Go ye and disciple all nations, bapti- zing them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of ♦ "Watt's Logicj" part ii. chap. 5. sect. 6. Principles and Rules ol Judgrnent in Matters of Human Testimony, 60 the Holy Spirit : teaching them to observe all things what- soever I have commanded you ; for lo ! I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." The rapid diffusion of the Gospel among Jews and Gentiles, and the miraculous conversion of the Apostle Paul, with his subsequent labours and writings, only tend to corroborate the truth of Revealed Rehgion. Hence Paul nobly declared — " I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ ; (Rom. i. 16,) for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that beheveth." And he has this passage, (Titus ii. 11 — 15,) which speaks volumes on the subject of its morality ; " The Grace God which bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men, teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world ; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works." Having stated these facts of the New Testament, ac- credited by competent and honest witnesses, I would ask — Can such a religion be pronounced a cunningly devi- sed fable, intended to delude and impose upon mankiud ? We have nothing to do with what has been added to the Chrirtian Religion, since the canon of Scripture hath clo- sed with the sublime and mysterious Book of the Rev- elations. From the preceding statement we have dedu- ced no system of theology, but enumerated facts common to all systems of theology. We are silent on the abu- ses, to purposes of ambition, of a religion whose Au- thor hath declared, " my kingdom is not of this world !" We are silent on the bloody persecutions instituted in di- rect oppositions to the mild and tolerant precepts of Christ. We are silent on the uncharitableness and bigotry of the several denominations towards each other, for charity surpasseth faith and hope, inasmuch as an apostle declares, *' the greatest of these is — Charity." " What is clear in Christianity (says Dr Paley)we shall find to be sufficient and to be infinitely valuable. What 61 is dubious, unnecessary to be decided, or of very subor- dinate importance, and what is most obscure, will teach us to bear with the opinions which others may have for- med upon the same subject. We shall say to those who the most widely dissent from us, what Augustine said to the worst heretics of his age — They rail against us, who know not with what labour Truth is found and Errors to be avoided !" At the same time it has been pertinently remarked, that "to reject the gospel because bad men pervert it, and weak men deform it, and angry men quarrel about it and bigoted men look sour on others, and curse them be- cause they do not agree in every title with themselves, displays the same folly as if a person should cut down a tree bearing abundance of dehcious fruit, and furnishing a refreshing shade, because caterpillars disfigured the leaves, and spiders made their webs among the bran- ches 1" Individuals who are conversant with the deistical con- troversy, must percieve that unbelievers are intent on attacking the corruptions and abuses of Revealed Reli- gion. But facts cannot be denied. The Credibility of the Gospel, by the accurate and laborious Lardner, to- gether W\i\\ his Jewish and Heathen Testimonies, sets at nought the stormy blusterings and bitter revilings of modern infidelity. The vagaries of fanaticism, as well as the follies of superstition, ever have, and ever will excite the contempt of men of understanding. These are the aliment of unbehef. Christ and his Apostles are those whom the humble disciple will follow. The New Tes- tament is the Magna Charta of our Christian profession. There and there alone we look for the doctrines we must believe, the precepts we must observe, and the institu- tions we must celebrate, imitating the consummately per- fect example left us by the Author and Finisher of our faith, with a persevering and indefatigable fidelity : — In his blest life I see the path, and in his death the price, 62 And in his great ascent the proof supreme Of Immortality ! * One trait in the conduct of unbelievers is de- serving of special reprehension. In assailing Revealed Religion they put forth their objections, as if they were perfectly new, and had never been urged on any former occasion. This is disingenuous in the extreme. The fact is that nothing fresh can be started on the subject. The same monotonous tone of complaint has been contin- ued from Celsus and Porphyry down to the present times. And what is most unfair, no notice is taken of the reiterated replies which have been made to these ob- jections. Each Deist has had his respective answerers. No labour has been spared, no erudition has been left un- employed, to set their querulous disposition at rest. Newton and Locke, Lardner and Priestley, Leland and Paley, Watson and Porteus, have done every thing ne- cessary to elucidate the genius,and establish the truth of Christianity.! Supposing, after all, that some difficulties remain which are inexplicable,ought this circumstance to shake your faith or excite astonishment ? This, indeed, is nothing but what might be expected in this present state of being. The abstruse nature of certain theological topics, and the narrowness of our intellectual vision, will account for this phenomenon. Are the appearances of nature fully explained, or the intricacies of science altogether devel- oped? We are encompassed with wonders. And why should religion be expected to be devoid of difficulties ? * To the honour of the ag-e, the works of Dr. Nathaniel Lardner have hccn recently published, in fi^e volumes quarto, price ten guineas. Catholics and Churchmen and Dissenters, ioc"ethcr with Unbelievers themselves, Morgan and Gibbon, have rendered "this prince of divines" the tribute of respect due to his industry, while they applaud his in- corruptible integ-rity. + See " Leland's View of the Deistical Writers, " a work of research and consumn)ate utility. " Pishop Butler's Analogy" also is a volume characterised by the profoundcst reasoning, and has never been noti- ced by the sons of infidelity. The style, indeed,' is rug-ged ; but the work contains a rich mine of sentiment, which will repay the closest at- tention that the young" reader may bestow upon it. 63 The antiquity of the Sacred Writings, the diversity of their contents, the mutabiUty of languages, ancient as well as modern, and the prejudices of education, will cause that motley variety of opinion that characterizes the professing world. But, blessed be God ? " the rent has not reached the foundation ;" whilst this dissonance is at once the ground, as well as motive, for the exercise of Christian charity. Finally, Christian brethren — thus it is that a series of well-attested facts relative to the birth, death and suffer- ings of a crucified, but ultimately triumphant Messiah, generating devotion towards God and benevolence to- wards man, constitutes the soul of Revealed Religion. " V>'e have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of his majes- ty." In a word, the Christianity of the New Testa- ment is impregnable and imperishable ! It is Indeed, a pyramid, whose base covers the earth — whose summit penetrates the skies, and upon whose sides stands enrol- led, in illumined characters, legible to all the inhabitants of the globe — ''The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God IS eternal life through our Lord JesusChrist !" The following valuable works have been published in behalf of Revealed Religion, since the last edition of the '' Sketch." 1. " Vindlciag Christlanae," a comparative estimate of the genius and temper of the Greek, the Roman, the Hindu, the Mahometan, and the Christian Religions, by the Rev. Jeerome Alley, LL.B., M.R.I. A., an Irish E- plscopalian. 2. " A Comparative View of Christianity, and of the other forms of religion which have existed and still exist in the world, particularly with regard to their moral ten- dency, " — ^by Wm. Laurence Brown, D.D., Principal of Marlschal College, Aberdeen, a Presbyterian of the Kirk of Scotland, 3. " Comparison of Heathenism, Mahometanism and Hinduism, with Christianity," by W. B. Collyer, D. D., 64 the last of a series of Lecturers delivered at Salters Hall. Thus an Episcopalian, Presbyterian, and Independent, unite hand and hand to arrest the progress of infidelity. — Besides these productions, there are two admirable pamphlets. 1. " The Historical Evidences of Christianity unaas- sailable," by J. R. Beard, Unitarian MinisterManches- ter. 2. '^ A Discourse on the Evidences of Revealed Re- ligion," delivered in the University of Cambridge, at the Dudleian Lecture, March 14, 1821, by William Ellery Channing, D. D., Minister of the Congregational Church. Boston, New England. — Sold by Hunter, St. Paul's Churchyard , London. From a survey of these publications, it appears that, dowered or undowered, there are not wanting able and impressive defences of Christianity, — and the Rev. Will- iam Jay, of Bath, has happily delineated in his Twelve Lectures, the obligations, duties, and prospects of the Christian in his progress from Earth towards Heaven. SKETCH OF THE DENOMINATIONS, Having given this preliminary account of Atheism, De- ism, Theophilanthropism, Judaism, Mahometanism, and Christianity, I proceed to the denominations of the Chris- tian world. In the first ages of Christianity there were various sects, which have long ago sunk into oblivion, and whose names exist only in the pages of ecclesiastical his- tory. It is not my purpose even to glance at these ancient sects, but only to notice those which in the present day attract our attention. The most distinguished may be in- cluded under the following three-fold arrangement : Opin- ions respecting the person of Christ; respecting the means and measure of God^s favour ; and respecting Church government, and the administration of ceremonies. 1. Opinions respecting the Person of Christ. Jesus Christ being the medium by which the Deity hath imparted a knowledge of his will to mankind, the person of Christ has been investigated, and the nature of God rendered the subject of rude and unhallowed controversy. This has filled the religious world with con- tentions, nor are they likely to be brought to a termina- tion. In the mean time, it would become us to discuss this topic with modesty and humihty. It is, however, my present province to state the existing opinions respecting this abstruse subject ; it shall be done in a few words, and I hope with accuracy. 6* 66 TRLMTARIANS. INCLUDING ATHANASIANS AND SABELLIANS. The Trinitarians believe the doctrine of a Trinity, by which is generally understood, that there are three dis- tinct PERSONS IN ONE UNDIVIDED GODHEAD the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. The word Trin- ity is not to be found in the Bible, but is a scholastic term, derived from the Latin word Trinitas, denoting a three- fold unity, and was (some say) introduced into the church during the second century. Calvin himself reprobates the term, as being barbarous, and of human invention ! The learned entertain such various and contradictory sentiments respecting this mystery, that it is difficult to know to whom the term Trinitarian is justly applicable. Waterland, Howe, Sherlock, Pearson, Burnet, Beveridge, Wallis, and Watts, have each of them separate opinions on this subject. Some think Trinitarians reducible to two class- es ; those who beheve that there is no proper divinity in Christ, besides that of the Father ; and the class of Tri- theists, who maintain that there are three equal and dis- tinct Gods. This representation, however, has been call- ed in question by the opposite party ; but the truth is, that being professedly a mystery, there appear to be no definite ideas on the subject. ATHANASIANS. Nearly allied to this latter class are the Athanasians, a name derived from Athanasius, a father of the Christian church, who lived in the fourth century. The creed which bears his name in the Common Prayer-Book, is not of his composition ; and so little attached was Arch- bishop Tillotson to it, that, in writing to Dr. Burnet, the historian, he says, '' I wish we were well rid of it." The episcopal church in America has rejected it. As to the history of this creed, it is supposed to have been written originally in Latin for the use of some part of the west- 67 em church. Common report attributes it to Virgilius the African ; but Dr. Waterland gives it to Hilary, Bish- op of Aries about the year 430, who composed it for the use of the Galilean clergy. It obtained in France about the year 850 ; was received at Rome about 1014 ; and it is said was used in the British churches in the 10th cen- tury. It does not appear to have received the sanction of any council, and, though admitted into the Greek church, is not read in public. The history of this singu- lar confession of faith was written by Dr. Waterland, of orthodox memory. Were the account of the Trinity con- tained in this creed ever so just, yet its damnatory clauses are highly exceptionable, and have given just offence to some of the more sensible and worthy members of the established church. On this subject. Dr. Prettyman, (the present Bishop of Winchester, who has changed his name to that of Tomline,) in his " Elements of Theology," speaks v/ith candour and moderation : — " Great objection has been made to the clauses of this creed, which denounce eternal dam.nation against those who do not believe the Catholic faith, as here stated ; and it certainly is to be lamented, that assertions of so peremptory a nature, un- explained and unqualified, should have been used in any human composition." The prelate then endeavours to account for the introduction of such clauses into the creed ; and adds, — " We know that different persons have dedu- ced different and even opposite doctrines from the words of Scripture, and consequently there must be many errors among Christians ; but since the Gospel no where Informs us what degree of error will exclude from eternal happi- ness, I am ready to acknowledge that, in my judgment, notwithstanding the authority of former times, our church would have acted more wisely and more consistently with the general principles of mildness and toleration, If it had not adopted the damnatory clauses of the Athanasian creed ! Though I firmly believe that the doctrines of this creed are all founded In Scripture, I cannot but conceive it to be both unnecessary and presumptuous to say, that ' except every one do keep them whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.' " 68 This creed has been recently defended by the Rev. T. Hartwell Home, m " The Scripture Doctrine of the Trin- ity, briefly stated and defended, and the Church of Eng- land vindicated from the charge of uncharitableness in retaining the Athanasian Creed," &c. Many clergymen, notwithstanding, deem it at variance with common sense and charity. It is, however, singular that the author of this creed should, after all its strange mysteries, conclude with de- claring, that when Christ shall appear to raise the dead, '" all men shall give account of their works ; they that have done good shall go into life everlasting, and they that have done evil into everlasting fire 1" So that, even in the opinion of the author of this creed (wdioever he was), it is not Faith, but practice, that will determine the happiness or misery of the eternal world. Mr. Broughton, in his " Dictionary of all Religions," under the article Trinity, has the following paragraph, which may assist the reader on this most abtruse subject : " The doctrine of the Trinity, as professed in the Chris- tian church, is briefly this : that there is one God in three distinct persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost : person signifying here the same as e^^ence, with a particular man- ner of subsistence, which the Greek fathers called hypo- stasis, taking it for the incommunicable property that makes a person. The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are believed to be three distinct persons in the Divine nature, because the Holy Scriptures, in speaking of these three, so distinguish them from one another, as we use in common speech to distinguish three several persons. There are many instances to this purpose, particularly the form of administering the sacrament of baptism, which runs, ' In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost;' and that solemn benediction with which St. Paul concludes his Second Epistle to the Corinthians : * The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,' &ic. ; and the ^ three witnesses in heaven,' mentioned by St. John." This passage has for some time been deemed an interpolation, and Dr. Tom- line gives it up in his " Elements of Theology." The late Mr. Person, a profound Greek scholar, has, it is 69 thought, in his controversy with Archdeacon Travis, set- tled the subject. Dr. John Jones, author of an excellent English and Greek Lexicon, has, however, written a pamphlet in behalf of the authenticity of the passage, and contends that it is the grand basis of Unitarianism in the New Testament. He challenges his opponents to come forward to confute him, but they observe a profound silence. The attempt is assuredly perfectly novel, but the erudite author declares that his position is " as clear as the sun at noonday in the firmament." Every lover of truth should read the pamphlet with attention. " Each of these three persons is affirmed to be God, because the name, properties, and operations of God are, in the Holy Scriptures, attributed to each of them. The Divinity of the Father is out of the question. That of the Son is proved from the following texts, among many others : St. John says, ^ The word was God ;' St. Paul, that ' God was manifested in the flesh ;' that ^ Christ is over all, God blessed for ever.' Eternity is attributed to the Son : ' The Son hath life in himself Perfection and knowledge : ' As the Father knoweth me, so know I the Father.' The creation of all things : ' All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.' And we are commanded ^ to honour the Son as we honour the Father.' The Divini- ty of the Holy Ghost rests upon the following proofs, among others : ' Lying to the Holy Ghost' is called Ly- ing to God.' Because Christians are the ' temples of the Holy Ghost,' th6y are said to be the ' temples of God. His ' teaching all things,' his ' guiding into all truth,' his ' telling things to come,' his ' searching all things, even the deep things of God,' &:c., are alleged as plain characters of his Divinity. Besides, he is joined with God the Father, as an object of faith and worship, in baptism, and the apostolical benedicton. This doctrine is called a mystery, because we are not able to compre- hend the particular manner of the existence of the three pei-sons in the Divine Nature." Bishop Taylor remarks, with great piety, that '' He who goes about to speak of the mystery of the Trinity, and does it by words and 70 names of man's invention, talking of essences and exis- tences, hypostases and personalties, priorities in co-equal- ities, and unity in pluralities, may amuse himself and build a tabernacle in his head, and talks something he knows not what : but the good man who feels the power of the Father, and to whom the Son is become wisdom, sanctification, and redemption, and in whose heart the love of the Spirit of God is shed abroad — this man, though he understands nothing of what is unintelligible, yet he alone tiiily understands the Christian doctrine of the Trinity." It were well if, before we made up our minds on this intricate article of faith, we were carefully to read Dr. Watts's " Essay on the importance of any Human Schemes to explain the Doctrines of the Trinity." This Essay shows, first, that no such scheme of explication is neces- sary to salvation ; secondly, that it may yet be of great use to the Christian church ; and, thirdly, that all such explications ought to be proposed with modesty to the world, and never imposed on the conscience. Dr. Pye Smith's " Scripture Testimony to the Messiah, or an En- quiry into the Person of Christ," in two octavo volumes, is among the recent publications in favour of the Trinity. Bishop Burnet tells us, that before the Reformation it was usual in England to have pictures of the Trinity. God the Father was represented in the shape of an old man with a triple crown, and rays about his head ! The Son, in another part of the picture, looked like a young man, with a single crown on his head, and a radiant coun- tenance. The blessed Virgin was between them, in a sitting posture, and the Holy Ghost, under the appear- ance ol a dove, spread his wings over her ! This picture, he tells us, is still to be seen in a prayer-book printed in the year 1526, according to the ceremonial of Salisbury; Skippon also tells us, there is at Padua a representation of the Trinity, being the figure of an old man, with three faces and three beards ! And, lately reading Thoresby's "History of Leicester," I met with a curious representa- tion of the Trinity copied from an ancient painted window, the date of which was not ascertained. How contrary are these absurd representations of the Deity to the sub-' 71 lime declaration of our Saviour, John iv. 24 : " God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." SABELLIANS, . The Sabellian reduces the three persons in the Trinity to three characters or relations. This has been called by some a model Trinity, and the persons who hold it, Modalists. Sabellius, the founder of the sect, espoused the doctrine in the third century. Of his tenets the ac- counts are various. Some say he taught that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were one subsistence, and one per- son with three names ; and that in the Old Testament the Deity delivered the law as Father, in the New Tes- tament dwelt among men as the Son, and descended on the apostles as the Holy Spirit. This opinion gains ground in the Principality of Wales. " The SabelHans (says Mr. Bioughton) made the word and the Holy Spir- it to be only virtues, emanations, or functions of the Dei- ty. They held, that he who in heaven is the Father of all things, descended into the Virgin, became a child, and was born of her as a Son ; and that having accomplished the mystery of our salvation, he diffused himself on the apostles in tongues of fire, and was then denominated the Holy Ghost. They resembled God to the sun, the illu- minative virtue or quality whereof was the Word, and its warming virtue the Holy Spirit. The Word, they taught, W'as darted hke a Divine ray, to accomplish the work of redemption ; and that being re-ascended to heaven, as the ray returns to its source, the warmth of the Father was communicated after a like manner to the apostles. Such was the language of Sabellians." Mosheim says likewise, that " Sabellius maintained that a certain energy only proceeded from the Supreme Pa- rent, or a certain portion of the Divine nature was united to the Son of God, the man Jesus, and he (that is, Sa- bellius) considered, in the same manner, the Holy Ghost as a portion of the everlasting Father," 72 These various explications are given, that the reader may have a consistent view of the subject. It is a curi- ous circumstance with respect to this system, that whilst one party pronounce Sabellianism to be no other than Unitarianism in a fog, another party charges it with con- founding the persons of the ever blessed Trinity. Between the system of Sabellianism, and what is term- ed the inchvelling scheme, there appears to be a consider- able resemblance, if it be not precisely the same, differ- ently explained. The indwelling scheme is founded on that passage in the New Testament, where the apostle, speak- ing of Christ, says, '^In him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily." Dr. Watts, towards the close of his life, became a Sabelhan, and wrote several pieces in defence of it. His sentiments on the Trinity appear to have been, that '^ the Godhead, the Deity itself, person- ally distinguished as the Father, was united to the man Christ Jesus, in consequence of which union or indwelling of the Godhead, he became properly God." The Rev. Mr. Palmer, in his edition of " Johnson's Life of Watts," observes that Dr. Watts conceived this union to have sub- sisted before the Saviour's appearance in the flesh, and that the human soul of Christ existed with the Father from before the foundation of the world ; on which ground he maintains the real descent of Christ from heaven to earth, and the whole scene of his humilliation, which he thought incompatible with the common opinion concern- ing him. See Dr. Watts's " Last Thoughts on the Trin- ity," in a pamphlet republished by the Rev. Gabriel Watts. It was printed by the Doctor in the year 1745, three years only before his death. It is on this account valuable, and ought, in justicce to that great and good man, to have been inserted in the last edition of his works. Indeed, the reader is referred to a piece published by the Rev. S. Palmer, entitled, ^' Dr. Watts no Socinian," in reply to the Rev. T. Belsham, who, in his ''Life of the Rev. T. Lindsay," had intimated that Dr. Watts had be- come a modern Unitarian. There can be no doubt, how- ever, that Dr. W. had discarded the common notion of the Trinity, though he was not an Unitarian, in the modern 73 sense of the word. Dr. Doddridge also is supposed to have been a Sabellian, and also Mr. Benjamin Fawcett, of Kidderminster, who published a valuable piece, enti- tled, " Candid Reflections concerning the Doctrine ofthe Trinity." It is a pity that this work is not republished, and circulated throughout the religious world. Robin- son's " Plea for the Divinity of Christ" is a most ingeni- ous tract on the subject. UNITARIANS. INCLUDING ARIANS AND HUMANITARIANS. ARIANS. The Arian derives his name from Arius, a presbyter of Alexandria, who flourished about the year 315, and the propagation of whose doctrine occasioned the famous council of Nice, assembled by Constantine, in the year 325. The origin of Arianism has been thus accounted for. Alexander, bishop of Alexandria, discoursing one day too curiously concerning the doctrine of the Trinity in Unity, in the presence of his presbyters and the rest of his clergy, Arius, one of the presbyters, supposed his bishop to advance the doctrine of Sabellius, and dis- liking that he went, into a directly opposite opinion. However, whatever may have been the opinion or conduct of Arius, the system spread, and eflbrts were made for its extinction. It was for a time in the east the reigning re- ligion. After all, Arius fell a victim to the fury of his per- secutors. Dr. Maclaine, in his Translation of Mosheim, remarks, " It appears to me extremely probable that this unhappy man was a victim to the resentment of his enemies, and was destroyed by poison, or some such violent meth- od. A blind and fanatical zeal for certain systems of faith has in all ages produced such horrible acts of cruelty and injustice." Arius owned Christ to be God in a subordinate sense, and considered his death to be a propitiation for sin. 7 74 The Arians acknowledge that the Son was the Word, though they deny its being eternal : contending, that it had only been created prior to all other beings. Christ, say they, had nothing of man in him, except the flesh, with which the Logos, or Word, spoken of by the apos- tle John, was united, which supphed the rest. The Arians, though they deny that Christ is the eternal God, yet they contend against others for his pre-existence. His pre-existence they found on the two following pas- sages, among many others : — " Before Abraham was I am." And the prayer of Jesus — '' Glorify me with that glory which I had with thee before the world began." These and other texts of a similar kind are, in their opin- ion, irrefragable proofs that Christ did actually exist in another state before he w^as born of the Virgin Mary, in the land of Judea. This matter has been argued by va- rious writers, and names of the first character have dis- tinguished themselves in the Arian controversy. It has also been urged by the advocates of Arianism, that the pre-existe7it dignity of Christ accounts for that splendid apparatus of prophecies and miracles, with which the mission of the Messiah was attended! In modern times, the term Arian is indiscriminately applied to those who consider Jesus simply subordinate to the Father. Some of them believe Christ to have been the creator of the world, but they all maintain that he existed previous to his incarnation, though in his pre-existent state they as- sign him different degrees of dignity. Hence the appel- lation High and Loiv Arian. That valuable practical writer, Mr. Job Orton, though he never published any thing explicitly on the Trinity, is supposed, during the latter period of his life to have entertained these sentiments of the peson of Christ. He used to recommend the two following tracts, as having giv- en him the most satisfaction on that subject : " A Sober and Charitable Disquisition on the Importance of the Doctrine of the Trinity," by Simon Brown ; and " An Essay towards a Demonstration of the Scripture Trinity," by Dr. Scott, a new edition of which was published by Samuel Goadby, brother to the author of *' Illustrations 75 of the Bible." Of the system of Arianism, Dr. Clarke, in his '' Scripture Doctrine of the Trinity," Mr. Henry Taylor (for many years vicar of Portsmouth) , in his learn- ed work, entitled, " Ben Mordecai's Apology," Mr. Tomkins, in his " Mediator," and Mr. Hopkins, in his "Appeal to the Common Sense of all Christian People," have been deemed able advocates. Mr. Whiston, the astronomer and translator of Josephus, revived this contro- versy in the beginning of the last century. Soon after, Dr. Clarke published his celebrated treatise, entitled, "The Scripture Doctrine of the Trinity," which was dis- approved of by the convocation, and answered by Dr. Waterland, who had been charged with verging towards Tritheism. " Erasmus (says the Encyclopaedia Britan- nica) seemed to have aimed in some measure to restore Arianism at the beginning of the 16th century, in his Commentaries on the New Testament. Accordingly he was reproached by his adversaries with Arian in- terpretations and glosses, Arian tenets, &ic., to which he made little answer, save that there was no heresy more thoroughly extinct than that of the Arians." But Eras- mus is known to have been timid in his disposition, and confessed in one of his letters to a friend, that he posses- sed not the spirit of a martyr. Of the truth of this dec- laration there were many proofs. The Rev. Dr. Bruce, of Belfast, has just published a second edition of his " Sermons " for the elucidation and confirmation of the truth of the system of Arianism, as taught in the New Testament. It first appeared in Ire- land ; and is now re-published in this country. The in- troductory discourses on the Scriptures are inimitable ; and the latter, or more controversial portion of the vol- ume is penned with liberahty. The history of the Arian controversy, in modern times, may be found in a pamphlet, entitled " An Ac- count of all the considerable Books and Pamphlets that have been wrote on either side, in the controversy con- cerning the Trinity, from the year 1712: in which is al- so contained an Account of the Pamphlets written this last year on each side by the Dissenters, to the end of the year 1719:" published at London, 1720, 76 Thomas Emlyin, a pious and learned divine, should be mentioned here, since he has been rendered memo- rable for his sufferings in the cause of Arianism. He was a dissenting minister in Dublin, and there shamefully- persecuted on account of his religious sentiments. He rejected the common notion of the Trinity, but firmly maintained the pre-existence of Christ. He died in Lon- don, 1741 ; and his works were published by his son, an eminent counsellor, in three volumes ; to which are pre- fixed memoirs of the author. Dr. Richard Price, in his incomparable Sermons on the Christian doctrine, has taken much pains in explain- ing and defending the principles of Arianism. He states at large the nature of the doctrine, and enumerates the advantages arising from it in the explication of the Scrip- tures. To these discourses the reader is referred : and whatever he may think of the arguments urged in favour of that system, he must admire the Christian spirit with which they are impregnated The reader is also referred to the work of John Mil- ton, lately found among the State Papers at Whitehall, after 150 years' concealment. Dr. Sumner, prebendary of Canterbury, has ably translated it from the Latin, and published it in a quarto volume, by the express order of his IMajesty. It is intitled, " A Treatise on Christian Doctrine, compiled from the Holy Scriptures alone, by John Milton." This truly interesting work, divided into two books, — on the Jconwledge of God, and on the ser- vice of God — is expressly Arian respecting the person of Christ. Bishop Newton has pronounced, that Milton "was generally truly orthodox ;" though Warton says, that, in " Paradise Lost," not a word is said there of the Son of God but what a Socinian, or at least an Arian, would allow. In this new work, according to its transla- tor, it is asserted, that " the Son existed in the beginning, and was the first of the whole creation, by whose delega- ted power all things were made in heaven and earth ; be- gotten, not by natural necessity, but by the decree of the Father, within the limits of time, endued with the divine nature and substance, but distinct from and inferior to 77 the Father — one with the Father in love and unanimity of will, and receiving every thing in his filial as well as in his mediatorial character — from the Father's gift. This summary will be sufficient to show that the opinions of Milton were nearly Arian, ascribing to the Son as high a share of divinity as was compatible with the denial of his self-existence and eternal generation, but not admitting his co-equality and co-essentiality with the Father. That he entertained different views at other periods of his life is evident from several expressions scattered through his works." The volume abounds with a constant reference to Scripture, even to profusion. And in an admirable prefatory address, alike indicative of his sincerity and piety, he declares, *' It was a great solace to me to have compiled, by God's assistance, a precious aid for my faith, or rather to have laid up for myself a treasure, which would be a provision for my future life, and would remove from my mind all grounds for hesitation, as often as it be- hoved me to render an account of the principles of my belief" This work well repays its perusal, and has ex- cited great and merited attention in the religious world. It is a precious theological relic, and its publication re- dounds highly to his Majesty's good sense and liberality. HUMANITARIANS. *' Unitarian is not opposed to Tritheist or Polytheist, it does not denote a believer in one God, as contradistin- guished from a believer in three Gods, or more Gods than one : it is opposed to Trinitarian, Tri-uni-tarian only, and signifies a believer in, and a worshipper of one God, in one Person, as contradistinguished from a believer in, and a worshipper of one God in three Persons." Bailey gives this explanation of the terms Unitarian and Trini- tarian in his well-known Dictionary, and Dr, Berriman, a clergyman, in his " Historical Account of Controversies on the Trinity," in eight Sermons at Lady Meyer's Lec- ture, 1725, acknowledges this distinction when he remarks, 7* 78 " Antitrinltarians, usually denominated Socinians, chose rather to distbgush themselves by the name of Unitari- ans, to import their assertion of the numerical unity in such a sense as excludes all plurality of Persons in the Godhead, as well as essences." Unitarian has a gener- al, Socinian a specific meaning ; every Socinian is an Uni- tarian, hut every Unitarian is not a Socinian. An Unita- rian is a believer in the personal unity of God, a Socinian is a believer in the personal unity of God, who also holds Jesus Christ to be both a man and an object of religious worship. I know not a single Socinian in England, and to continue the term w4ien the character is gone, is an im- propriety of speech, if it imply nothing more." See "A Plea for Unitarian Dissenters, in a Letter of Expostula- tion to the Rev. H. H. Norris, M. A., on that part of his work against the Hackney Bible Society, which relates to Unitarians. By Robert Aspland." The Socinian takes his name from Faustus Socinus, who died in Poland, 1604. There were two who bore the name Socinus, uncle and nephew, and both dissemin- ated the same doctrine. The Socinian asserts that Christ had no existence until born of the Virgin Mary ; and that being a man like ourselves, though endowed with a large portion of the Divine wisdom, the only objects of his mis- sion were to teach the efficacy of repentance without an atonement, as a medium of the Divine favour — to exhib- it an example for our imitation — to seal his doctrine with his blood — and, in his resurrection from the dead, to in- dicate the certainty of our resurrection at the last day. The simple humanity of Christ, w^hich forms a principal article of their creed, is founded on the passages of Scrip- ture, where the Messiah is spoken of as a man, particu- larly the following; Acts ii. 22. "Ye men of Israel, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a Man approved of God among you," ^&ic.— Acts xvii. 31. "Because he hath ap- pointed a day in which he w^ill judge the world in righte- ousness by that Man, whom he hath ordained," &c. — 1 Tim. ii. 5. " There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus." At the same time it must be acknowledged that neither the Trinitarian, nor 79 Sabellian, or Arian, denies his humanity ; though they do not hold it in that exclusive and simple sense of the word, for which the Humanitarian contends. On this account it is, that the Socinians have received the appellation of Humanitarians. Between ancient and modern Humanitarians, however, a difference obtains. The miraculous conception, and the worship of Christ, both allowed by Socinus, are reject- ed by most of the modern Humanitarians. Dr. Priestley distinguished himself in a controversy on this subject with Dr. Horsley, the late Bishop of St. Asaph. Dr. Priest- ley had published his two principal theological works : the one to prove that the first Christians were Unitarians, entitled " The History of Early Opinions concerning Christ :" the other to account for the origin and spread of what is commonly called the orthodox doctrine, entitled " A History of the Corruptions of Christianity." On one or both of these publications the Bishop animadverted ; and to these animadversions Dr. Priestley made several rephes. The controversial pieces of Bishop Horsley with Dr. Priestley have lately been republished in one large vol- ume by his son, the Rev. Heneage Horsley of Dundee in Scotland, who, in the preface, indulges himself in remarks on the issue of the controversy. On this preface the Rev. T. Belsham has animadverted — observing that Hors- ley retired with a mitre, and Priestley with the palm of victory ! It is difficult to trace the origin of the Socinian contro- versy. John Campanus is said to be the first of the Re- formers who distinguished himself on this side of the ques- tion. ■ Next Michael Servetus, a Spanish physician, whom Calvin persecuted even to death; for in the year 1553 he was committed to the flames, by persons who had themseves just escaped the fangs of the Romish church, and w^ho at least had nominally erected the stand- ard of religious liberty : " It is impossible (says Dr. Mac- laine) to justify the conduct of Calvin in the case of Ser- vetus, whose death will be an indelible reproach upon the character of that eminent Reformer. The only thing that can be alleged, not to deface, but to diminish his 80 crime, is, that it was no easy matter for him to divest him- self at once of that persecuting spirit which had been so long nourished and strengthened by the Popish religion, in which he was educated. It was a remaining portion of the spirit of Popery in the breast of Calvin, that kindled this unchristian zeal against the wretched Servetus." See the '' Life of Servetus," lately published by Mr. Richard Wright, of Wishbeach, where the tragedy is detailed with all its circumstances of brutality; also an ''Account of Servetus," by the late Rev. W. Richards, of Lynn — where the conduct of Calvin is treated with a merited severity. It is inserted in his valuable " Welch Biogra- phy, or the Cambro-british Noncomformist's Memorial," given by the author of this " Sketch," to the world. It is a rich mine of religious Biography, illustrative of the ecclesiastical history of the Principality. Having mentioned the persecution of Severtus by Cal- vin, truth, on the other hand requires it to be stated that Socinius has been accused of persecuting Francis David, who, on account of his rejecting the worship of Christ, was cast into prison, where he died. The persecuting spirit discoverable in some of the Reformers diminishes the respectability of their characters ; and the only apol- ogy that can be made for them is what has been already mentioned, that the nature and foundation of religious lib- erty were not then fully understood. The Socinians flourished greatly in Poland about the year 1551 ; and J. Siemienius, Palatine of Podolia, built purposely for their use the city of Racow. A catechism was published by them, called "The Racovian Cate- chism ;" and their most able writers are known among the learned by the title of the Polones Fraters, or Polonian Brethren. "Their writings were (says Dr. Maclaine) republished together in the year 1656, in one great col- lection, consisting of six volumes of folio, under the title of ' Bibliotheca Fratrum.' There are, indeed, in this collection many pieces wanting, which were composed by the most eminent leaders of the sect ; but what is there brought together is nevertheless sufficient to give the at- tentive reader a clear idea of the doctrine of the Socini- 81 ans, and of the nature of their institution as a rehgious community." An account of these several authors, as well as of the persecution of Francis David, will be found in " Dr. Toulmin's Life of Socinus." See " Lindsey's Historical view of Unitarianism," Dr. Jones's Ecclesiasti- cal Researches," Hopton Hayne's "Scripture Account of the Attributes of God, and of the Character and Offices of Jesus Christ," and j\lr. Belsham's "Calm Inquiry into the Scriptural Doctrine respecting the Person of Christ." Mr. Belsham has also published " The Bampton Lectur- er reproved, being a reply to calumnious charges of tho Rev. Dr. Moysey," with a Letter to Dr. Magee, on his work relative to the Atonement. Of this latter work, Dr. Lant Carpenter has given an elaborate examination. Dr. Carpenter, indeed, not only notices Dr. Magee, but also the Bishop of St. David's Dr. Hales, Dean Graves, Dr. Nares, Dr. Pye Smith, Mr. Rennel, he. promising anoth- er volume by way of completion. There are Lectures on Unitarianism, the one series by the Rev. George Har- ris, of Glasgow ; and the other by the Rev. W. J Fox, London. See also the Rev. R. Apsland's "Three Ser- mons on Blasphemy ;" and Wright's Unitarian publica- tions. The Unitarians in London, besides having a Society for promoting Christian knowledge and the practice of virtue, by the distribution of books, have established a fund which sends forth Missionaries to preach in various parts of the kingdom. Both of these, together with the Society for the protection of their Civil Rights, are incorporated un- the name of the British and Foreign Unitrian As- sociation. The Unitarians have Annual Sermons on the Wednes- day and Thursday in Whitsun week at South street Chap- el, Finsbury-square, attended by numerous friends from the country. The Unitarians are sanguine in the expec- tation of the final triumph of their principles. The Rev. T. Lindsey, speaking of Unitarians, says, " Its deep and concealed root hath begun to put forth vigorours branch- es, which are extending themselves in all directions, and unquestionably will, in time, cover the earth." And the Rev. T. Belsham declares, " We do not despair of the 82 advent of a glorious period in the revolution of ages, when the Unitarian Church shall comprehend in its ample in- closure the whole christianised world 1" Antitrinitarians have also differed respecting the per- sonality of the Holy Spirit. Much has been said on both sides of this intricate question. Dr. Lardner's "Letter on the Logos" may be consulted ; and also Mr. Marsom's little piece, entitled " The Impersonality of the Holy Ghost," published in 1787. In "Doddridge's Lectures," information is given respecting this and almost every oth- er article of the Christian faith. Dr. Kippis published an edition of this valuable work, with additions and improve- ments, as did also the late Dr. Williams, of Rotheram. The private Christian, as well as the theological student, will derive much knowledge from the perusal of it. A note added to this publication by Dr. Kippis, appli- cable to this first division of religious opinions is of so ex- cellent a nature, that I am tempted to transcribe it : — " When it is considered, how extremly difficult many questions in themselves are, and wdiat different conclu- sions have been drawn concerning them by men of the profoundest knowledge and deepest reflection, there is a modest scepticism which it will become young students to preserve, till time shall have given them the opportu- nity of wider inquiry and larger observation. This re- mark would not have been made, if instances had not oc- curred, of youth who have eagerly, and even arrogantly adopted an hypothesis on one side or the other, without sufficiently exercising that patience of thinking, and that slow progress of examinations, which are likely to be the most favourable to the acquisition of truth." The account of Unitarians may be concluded, by a re- ference to "The Racovian Catechism," translated, with a valuable introduction and notes, by the the Rev. Thomas Rees, LL. D., F.A.S. — also to the new edition of Dr. Joseph Priestley's Theological Works, by John Towell Rutt, Esq. which he has superintended with a commen- able industry. Memoirs of Dr. Priestley are prefixed, which incorporate every interesting particular which can illustrate his character and enbalm his memory. Infidels 83 and bigots have recently attempted to make the pubHc beheve that the terms Deist and Unitarian are synon- ymous ; but there is an essential difference. The Deist rejects, and the Unitarian admits the Divine Mission of Christ ! In other words the former pronounces him an impostor ; the latter, with Lardner at their head, have written most ably in behalf of the evidences of Christiani- ty. Unitarians of every description believe Jesus to be the Son of God, the accredited organ of heavenly com- munication—the Saviour of Mankind ; For a confirmation of this statement, see a variety of papers in the " Chris- tian Reformer," and in the " Monthly Repository." This latter journal is commencing a Neiv Series from Jan- uary 1, 1827; with the addition of a Review, which the editors promise to conduct with impartiality. It is to be no longer under the care of a single individual, who has superintended it since its commencement in 1805 — but it will be brought out under the inspection of a committee appointed by the British and Foreign Unitarian Asso- ciation, in Walbrook. This is deemed an improvement. Reviews and magazines in the rehgious world are too sec- tarian : enamoured of party, they are forgetful of the en- larged and generous spirit of our common Christianity. NECESSARIANS. Some few Arians, and most Anti-trinitarians, add to their creed the doctrines of Necessity, Materialism, and Universal Restoration, though these tenets are by no means peculiar to them. Towards the close of this Sketch will be found an explanation of Universal Restoration ; some account shall be here given of Necessity and Ma- terialism. The doctrine of Necessity regards the origin of human actions, and the specific mode of the divine government. It teaches that all actions, both good and bad, are strictly necessary — thus every circumstance cannot be otherwise than it is throughout the creation of God. Much contro- versy has there been on this abtruse subject. Collins, 84 Priestley, Toplady, and Crombie ; Palmer, Price, and Gregory, are authors most distinguished in the controver- sy, the four former being for, and the three latter against Necessity. The opponents of Necessity strenuously maintain that it destroys all virtue and vice, whilst its ad- vocates declare it to be the most consistent mode of ex- plaining the divine government. Dr. Crombie, in an able treatise on this subject, thus states the scheme of philo- sophical necessity : " that every thing \s predetermined by the Divine Being — that whatever has been must have been — and that v/hatever will be must be ; that all events are preordained by infinite wisdom and unlimited good- ness — that the will in all its determinations is governed by the state of mind — that the state of mind is in every instance determined by the Deity — and that there is a con- tinued chain of causes and effects, of motives and actions, inseparably connected, and originating from the condition in which w^e are brought into existence by the the author of our being." But Dr. Doddridge remarks, that " those who believe the being and perfections of God, and a state of retribution, in which he will reward and punish man- kind, according to the diversity of their actions, will find it difficult to reconcile the justice of punishment with the necessity of crimes punished ! And they that believe all that the Scripture says on the one hand, of the eternity of future punishments and on the other, of God's compas- sion to sinners, and his solemn assurance, that he desires not their death, will find the difficulty greatly increased." It should be remembered, however, that the Necessari- ans do not believe in the eternity of future punishments, but in the doctrine of universal restoration ; and so far they are to be commended for their consitency. But it is not for us to determine, on so profound a topic, where the truth lies ; and it is remarkable, that the perplexity of the theme harrassed angelic minds, according to the representation of Milton : — Others apart, sat on a hill retir'd In thoughts more elevate, and reason' d Of providence, fore-knowledge, will, and fate ; Fix'd fate, free-will, fore-knowledge absolute ; And found no end — in wandering mazes lost ! 85 MATERIALSTS. The doctrine of Materialism respects the nature of the human soul, and the mode of its existence. It teaches that the soul is not a principle independent of the body, but that it results from the organization of the brain, though in a manner which will not admit of explication. This doctrine is thought by its advocates to be not only more philosophical, but to point out more fully the necessity and value of a resurrection form the dead — which is a leading doctrine of Christianity ; and they contend that on this alone the sacred waiters (1 Cor. xv. 15, 16, 32, &c.) build all their hopes of a future life. Materialists deny any intermediate state of consciousness between death and the resurrection. Drs. Price and Priestley had a friendly correspondence on this article ; and though Dr. Price was no materialist, yet he did not hold with an in- termediate state. Those who deny the existence of an intermediate state, are sometimes called Soul-sleepers. Mr. Locke suggests the idea of a certain unknown sub- stratum that may be capable of receiving the properties both of matter and of mind, viz. extension, solidity, and cogitation ; for he supposes it possible for God to add cogitation to what is corporeal, and thus to cause matter to think. But, in spite of these philosophical speculations, the common man will exclaim with the singular Sterne, " I am positive I have a soul, nor can all the books with which Materialists have pestered the world ever convince me to the contrary !" See Archdeacon Blackburn's "His- torical View" of this controversy,and Dr. Law's Appendix to his " Theory of Natural and Revealed Religion." "The Light of nature Pursued," by Edward Search, Esq. is a curious work relationg to the subject, and has been repub- lished, as well as an abridgment of it, by Mr. William Hazlitt. The author's real name was Tucker ; he died in 1775, at his seat near Dorking, Surrey. Had not Necessity and Materialism been more of a phi- losophical than of a theological nature, they should have received minuter explication. 8 86 II. Opinions eespecti^g the Means and Measure OF God's Favour. Christians having ascertained whether Christ be equal with God or an angel, possessing an existence previous to being born of the Virgin Mary — or a human being, under the the guidance of inspiration — next proceed to consider the extent of the blessings of the Gospel, and the manner in which they have been conveyed to us. This circum- stance also has been the source of endless contentions. Even the Methodists themselves split into two great par- ties concerning it, and the controversy between their re- spective leaders, conducted with acrimony, has scarcely subsided. We shall attempt the dehneation of this class of opinions with brevity. CALVIMSTS. The Calvinist adheres to the doctrines which Calvin taught at Geneva, about 1540, where he was professor of divinity. His real name was Cauvin, but, putting the term Calvini to his " Commentary on Seneca," publish- ed at Paris, 1532, he was thence denominated Calvin. And it appears, from Bishop Jewel's " Defence of his Apology for the Church of England," that the term Cal- vinist was, in the first instance, applied to the reformers and the English Protestants as a matter of reproach by the church of Rome. The tenets of Calvinism are, pre- destination, original sin, particular redemption, irresistible grace, and the perseverance of the saints. These, in the theological world, are termed the Five Points; and fre- quent have been the controversies agitated respecting them. As the Calvinists differ among themselves in the explication of these tenets, it would be difficult to give a specific account of them. Generally speaking, however, they comprehend the following propositions: 1st. That God has chosen a certain number in Christ to everlasting glory, before the foundation of the world, according to his 87 immutable purpose, and of his free grace and love, with- out the least foresight of faith, good works, or any condi- tions performed by the creature : and that the rest of mankind he was pleased to pass by, and ordain them to dishonour and wrath for their sins, to the praise of his vindictive justice. 2dly. That Jesus Christ, by his death and sufferings, made an atonememt only for the sins of the elect. 3dly. That mankind are totally depraved, in consequence of the fall ; and, by virtue of Adam's being their public head, the guilt of his sin was imputed, and a corrupt nature conveyed, to all his posterity, from which proceed all actual transgression ; and that by sin we are made subject to death, and all miseries, temporal, spiritu- al, and eternal. 4thly. That all whom God has predes- tined to life, he is pleased, in his appointed time, effectu- ally to call by his word and spirit out of that state of sin and death, in which they are by nature, to grace and sal- vation by Jesus Christ. And 5thly. That those whom God has effectually called, and sanctified by his spirit, shall never finally fall from a state of grace. Some have supposed that the Trinity was one of the five points, but this is a mistake, since both the Calvinists and Arminians, who formed the synod of Dort (where this phrase. Jive joints, originated) were on the article of the Trinity gen- erally agreed. The prominent feature of this system is, the election of some, and reprobation of others, from all eternity. The Calvinists found their sentiments of election on the expression of the Saviour, respecting his having cAo5- e?i his disciples OM^ 0/ Me ivorld ; and more particularly on certain terms used by the apostle Paul, in his Epistle to the Romans. To the epistolary writers, indeed, they more frequently refer than to any other part of the New Testament. The chief advantage of this system, in the opinion of its advocates, is, to produce in us a reverential awe when we look up to God, and a profound humility when we look down upon ourselves. To the Calvinists also belong more particulary the doctrine of atonement, or that Christ, by his death, made satisfaction to the divine justice for the elect, appeasing 88 the anger of the Divine Being, and effecting on his part a reconcihation. Thus Jesus Christ had the sin of the elect laid upon him ; and, in this sense ; Luther said that Jesus Christ was the greatest sinner in the world ! This doctrine, however, is reprobated by some of their divines, who consider the death of Christ as simply a medium through which God has been pleased to exer- cise mercy towards the penitent. Thus Dr. Magee, arch- bisop of Dublin, in his work on the Atonement, says, " The sacrifice of Christ was never deemed by any, who did not wish to calumniate the doctrine of atonement, to have made God placable, but merely viewed, as the means appointed by divine wisdom by which to bestow forgive- ness. But still it is demanded, in what way can the death of Christ, considered as a sacrifice of expiation, be conceived to operate to the remission of sin, unless by the appeasing a Being who otherwise would not have for- given us ? To this the answer of the Christian is, I know not, nor does it concern me to know, in what man- ner the sacrifice of Christ is connected with the forgive- ness of sins ; it is enough that this is declared by God to be the medium through which my salvation is effected ; I pretend not to dive into the councils of the Almighty. I submit to his wisdom, and I will not reject his grace, because his mode of vouchsafing it is not within my com- prehension." It will be observed, that Dr. Magee thus disclaims the doctrine of satisfaction, commonly deemed the only true doctrine of the atonement. And the late Mr. Andrew Fuller observes, "If we say, a way was opened by the death of Christ for the free and consistent exercise of mercy, in all the methods w^hich sovereign wisdom saw fit to adopt, perhaps we shall include every material idea which the Scriptures give us of that impor- tant event." Hence it has been remarked, that God is represented as reconciling, by the death of Christ, not himself to man, but man to himself " God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their tres- passes unto them," 2 Cor. v. 19. See Mr. Fuller's pub- lication, entitled, " The Calvinistic and Socinian Sys- tems Compared," which is admired by some Religionists, 89 but condemned by others, as not coming up to the full standard of orthodoxy. The late Dr. Toulmin and the Rev. J. Kentish replied to this work, whilst Dr. Priestley and Mr. Belsham, against whom It was written, did not think proper to notice It. But to ascertain the real sentiments of this body of Christians, recourse should be had to the Assembly's Catechism, which is taught their children, and may be supposed to contain a just account of their religious opin- ions. The reader is here referred to tw^o small volumes on the subject, the one by Dr. Pye Smith, in favour of Cal- vanlsm : the other by the Rev. T. Belsham, as a reply to it. Dr. W. B. Collyer, in a continued series of Lectures" at Salter's-hall, especially In his volume on " Doctrines/' has vindicated the Calvlnistic system with candour and ability. SUBLAPSARIANS AND SUPRALAPSARIANS. Among the refinements of Calvanism are to be ranked the distinctions of the Sublapsarlans and Supralapsarlans. The Sublapsarlans assert, tjiat God had only permitted the first man to fall Into transgression, without absolutely pre-dete rmlning his fall : whereas the Supralapsarlans maintain that God had from all eternity decreed the trans- gression of Adam, In such a manner that our first par- ents could not possibly avoid this fatal event. Dr. Dod- dridge, In his Lectures, has thus stated these abstruse dis- tinctions :-''^The Supralapsarian and Sublapsarian schemes agree in asserting the doctrine of predestination, but with this difference, that the former supposes that God Inten- ded to glorify his justice In the condemnation of some, as well as his mercy in the salvation of others ; and for that purpose decreed that Adam should necessarily fall, and by that fall bring himself and all his offspring Into a state of everlasting condemnation: the latter scheme sup- poses that the decree of predestination regards man as fallen by an abuse of that freedom which Adam had, into a state in which all were to be left to necessary and 90 unavoidable ruin, who were not exempted from it by predestination.*' Recent divines, who have gone to the height of Supralapsarianism, are Mr. Brine and Dr. Gill, were any thing more necessary to elucidate this sub- ject, it might be added, that the term Supralapsarian is derived from two Latin words, supra, above, and lapsus, the fall ; and the term Sublapsarian, from sub, below or after, and lapsus, the fall. Calvin, in his " Institutes," states and defends at large the principles of the system. It is dedicated to Francis 1. king of France, in a strain admired for its boldness and magnanimity. The work has been translated by Mr. Allen into English, comprising three octavo volumes, with a portrait. Calvin was educated for the church, but conceiving a dislike to popery, he applied himself to the law. He, however, afterwards resumed his original studies, was an eminent reformer, and died in 1564. He was a man of great talents and learning, writing both French and Latin with equal purity. His works amount to nine folio volumes ! Bishop Horsley says, " The opinions of Austin, which are the basis of Calvinism, have had their strenuous assertors in the church of Rome itself; indeed, for a long time, they were the prevailing opinions of the Latin church. For professed defences of Calvinism, see Edwards on the Will, Brine's Tracts, Dr. Gill's " Cause of God and Truth," and Toplady's " Historic Proof of the Cal- vinism of the Church of England," a new edition of which has been published. The works of Jonathan Edwards are jeckoneda standard as to Calvinism; he was an American divine of extraordinary ability. "Es- says on the Religion of Mankind," by the late Rev. Mr. Burnside, of recent appearance, espouse the same system of theology. ARMINIANS The Arminian favours the tenets of Arminius, the dis- ciple of Beza, and latterly professor of divinity at Leydeu, 91 who flourished about the year 1600. Thinking the doc- trine of Calvin, with regard to freewill, predestination, and grace, contrary to the mild and amiable perfections of the Deity, he began to express his doubts concerning them in the year 1591 ; and upon further inquiry, adop- ted sentiments more nearly resembling those of the Lu- therans than of the Calvinists. After his appointment to the theological chair at Leyden, he thought it his duty to avow and vindicate the principles which he had embra- ced ; and the freedom with which he published and de- fended them, exposed him to the resentment of those that adhered to the theological system of Geneva. The controversy, thus begun in the lifetime of Arminius, en- ded not with his death, and for a long time roused the vi- olence of contending passions *. His tenets include the five following propositions : 1st, That God has not fixed the future state of mankind by an absolute, unconditional decree, but determined, from all eternity, to bestow sal- vation on those whom he foresaw would persevere to the end in their faith in Jesus Christ, and to inflict punish- ment on those who should continue in their unbelief, and resist to the end his divine assistance. 2dly. That Jesus Christ, by his death and sufferings, made an atonement for the sins of all mankind in general, and of every individ- ual in particular : that, however, none but those who be- lieve in him can be partakers of this divine benefit. 3dly. That mankind are not totally depraved, and that deprav- ity does not come upon them by virtue of Adam's being their public head, but that mortality and actural evil only are the direct consequences of his sin to posterity. 4thly. That there is no such thing as irresistable grace in the conversion of sinners. And, Sthly, That those who are united to Christ by faith may fall from their faith, and for- feit finally their state of grace. Thus the followers of Ar- minius believe that God, having an equal regard for all his creatures, sent his Son to die for the sins of the whole ivorlcl ; that men have the power of doing the will of God, otherwise they are not the proper subjects of approbation * Arminius's motto was a remarkable one — "A g-ood coscieuceisa paradise." 92 and condemnation ; and that, in the present imperfect state, behevers, if not particularly vigilant, may, through the force of temptation, fall from grace, and sink into final per- dition. The Arminians found their sentiments on the ex- pressions of our Saviour, respecting his willingness to save all that come unto him ; especially on his prayer over Jerusalem, his Sermon on the Mount, and, above all, on his delineation of the process of the last day, where the salvation of men is not said to have been procured by any decree, but because they had done "the will of their Father, who is in heaven." This last argument they deem decisive, because it cannot be supposed that Jesus, in the account of the judgment day, would have deceived them. They also say, the terms in the Romans respec- ting election, are applicable only to the state of the Jews as a body, without reference to the religious condition of individuals, either in the present or future world. The reader is referred to " A Refutation of Calvinism," in which the doctrines of original sin, grace, regeneration, justification, and universal redemption are explained, &c., by George Tomline, D. D., late Bishop of Lincoln, but now of Winchester. This work, howev^er, has been ani- madverted upon by the late Dr. Williams, and other di- vines of the Calvinistic persuasion. Dr. Whitby, the commentator, who was originally a Calvinist, has written an elaborate defence of Arminian- ism ; and the reader should consult Dr. Taylor's " Key to the Epistle to the Romans," which has been admired on this subject. Since the days of Laud, who w^as arch- bishop of Canterbury in the reign of Charles I., by far the majority of the English clergy have taken this side of the question. Bishop Burnet has given a full account of tlie opinions of this sect, in his Exposition of the Seven- teenth Article. In the 17th century, disputes ran very high in Holland between the Calvinists and the Arminians. On each side talents and learning were displayed ; but some called in the interference of the civil power ; and thus terminated a controversy, which for some years had agitated the re- ligious world. For this purpose the famous synod of Dort 93 was held, 1618, where the Armlnians were scandalously- treated, Moshelm is of opinion, that even before the meeting of the synod, it was agreed upon, that, on account of their religious opinions, they should be deemed ene- mies of their country, and accordingly be exposed to ev- ery species of persecution. A curious narrative of its proceedings may be seen in the series of letters written by the ever-memorable John Hales, who was present on the occasion. This synod was succeeded by a severe perse- cution of the Arminians. The respectable Barnevelt lost his head on a scaffold, and the learned Grotius, condemn- ed to perpetual imprisonment, escaped from his cell, and took refuge in France. The storm some time after abat- ed ; and Episcopius, an Arminian minister, opened a sem- inary in Amsterdam, which produced able divines and excellent scholars. The Arminian writers are, Episcopius, Vorstiuus, Gro- tius, Limborch, Le Clerc, Wetstein ; not to mention ma- ny others of modern times, particularly Mr. John Wes- ley, in his numerous works, and Dr. Fellowes, in his " Religion without Cant," and in in his elegant work, en- titled, " Christian Philosophy." The works of Arminius have been announced for publication in this country, in three volumes, with memoirs illustrative of his theology. The Arminians are sometimes called the Remonstrants, because they, in 1611, presented a Remonstrance to the States-general, wherein they pathetically state their griev- ances, and pray for relief. See an interesting work, en- titled, "An Abridgement of Gerard Brandt's History of the Reformation in the Low Countries," 2 vols. 8vo. Dr. Maclaine says " it is certain that the most eminent phi- losophers have been found, generally speaking, among the Arminians. If both Calvinists and Arminians claim a King, it is certain that the latter alone can boast of a Newton, a Locke, a Clarke, and a Boyle." Archbishop Usher is said to have lived a Calvinist and died an Ar- minian. The members of the Episcopal Church in Scot- land, the Moravians, the General Baptists, the Wesleyan Methodists, the Quakers, or Friends, &:c., are Armini- ans ; and it is supposed that a large proportion of the 94 clergy of the kirk of Scotland teach the doctrines of Ar- minlus, though they have a Calvinistic confession of faith. What a pity it is that opinions, either Calvinistic or Ar- minian, cannot, in the eye of some persons be held with- out a diminution of Christian charity.* BAXTERIANS. The Baxterian strikes into a middle path between Ar- miniasnism and Calvinism, and thus endeavours to unite both schemes. With the Calvinist, he professes to be- lieve that a certain number, determined upon in the di- vine councils, will be infallibly saved ; and with the Ar- minian he joins in rejecting the doctrine of reprobation as absurd and impious ; admits that Christ, in a certain sense, died for all, and supposes that such a portion of grace is allotted to every man, as renders it his own fault if he does not attain to eternal life. This conciliatory system was espoused by the famous nonconformist Richard Bax- ter, who died in the year 1691, and who was celebrated for the acuteness of his controversial talents, and the utility of his practical WTitings. Most of his pieces, excepting his " Saint's everlasting Rest," and '' Call to the Uncon- verted," are now little read, or rather they are sunk into oblivion. Among Baxterians are ranked both Watts and Doddridge. Dr. Doddridge indeed has this striking re- mark — " That a Being who is said not to tempt any one, and even sw^ears that he desires not the death of a sinner, should irresistahly determine millions to the commission of every sinful action of their lives, and then with all the pomp and pageanty of an universal judgment condemn them to eternal misery, on account of these actions, that hereby he may promote the happiness of others who are, or shall be, irresistahly determined to virtue, in the like manner, is of all incredible things to me the most incredi- ble !" See Two Hundred and Twenty-third Lecture of *Dr. Hammond mentions a ludicrous instance of Big-otry, assuring" us, that when a Dutchman's horse does not go as he would have him, he calls him in a great rag-e an Arminian. 95 Doddridge's ^'Lectures on Pneumatology, Ethics, and Divinity." In the scale of rehgious sentiment, Baxterianism seems to be, with respect to the subject of divine favour, what Arianism is with respect to the person of Christ. It ap- peal^ to have been considered by some pious persons as a safe middle way between two extremes. Baxter was an extraordinary character in the religious world. He wrote about one hundred and twenty books, and had above six- ty WTitten against him ! Though he possessed a meta- physical genius, and sometimes made a distinction with- out a difference, yet the object of most of his productions was peace and amity. Accordingly, his system was form- ed, not to inflame the passions and widen the breaches, but to heal those wounds of the Christian church, under which she had long languished. As a proof of this asser- tion, take the following affecting declaration from the ^' Narrative of his own Life and Times :" — " I am deep- lier afflicted for the disagreements of Christians than I was when I was a younger Christian. Except the case of the infidel world, nothing is so sad and grevious to my thoughts as the case of the divided chuches ! And, therefore, I am the more deeply sensible of the sinfulness of those who are the principal cause of these divisions. O ! how many millions of souls are kept by their ignorance and ungodli- ness, and deluded by faction, as if it were true religion. How is the conversion of infidels hindered, Christ and re- ligion heinously dishonoured ! The contentions between the Greek church and the Roman, the Papists and the Protestant, the Lutherans and the Calvinists, have woe- fully hindered the kingdom of Christ." For a detail giv- en of the Calvinistic and Arminian sentiments, see a brief history of the Christian church, in two vols., by Dr Gre- gory. The best ecclesiastical history is Mosheim's in six vol- umes, translated from the Latin into English by the late Dr. Maclaine, who has enriched it with valuable notes. The last edition of this work has a continuation to the end of the eighteenth century, by Dr. Charles Coote, and an additional Appendix to the first book, by the Right Rev. 96 Dr. George Gleig, of Stirling, Dr. Priestley also pub- lished, in six octavo volumes, "A History of the Chris- tian Church," from the birth of the Messiah down to the present time. Milner's " Ecclessiastical History," a cler- gyman lately deceased, has been brought down to the Re- formation by another clergyman, the Rev. Mr. Scott, son of the late Rev. Thomas Scott, of evangelical celebrity. The "History of the Church," by John Wesley, has much merit for its clearness and brevity. ANTINOMIANS. The Antinomian derives his name from two Greek words, yifTi, against, and No^og, a law, his favourite tenet being, that the law is not a rule of life to believers. It is not easy to ascertain what he means by this position. But he seems to carry the doctrine of the imputed righteous- ness of Christ, and of salvation by faith without works, to such lengths as to injure, if not wholly destroy, the obligation to moral obedience. In controversial tracts they are sometimes denominated Solifidians, a term com- posed of two Latin words, solus, alone, and fides, faith, contending for faith alone without the necessity of good works. Antinomianism may be traced to the period of the Reformation, and its promulgator was John Agricola, originally a disciple of Luther. The Catholics, in their disputes with the Protestants of that day, carried the merit of good works to an extravagant length, and this induced some of their opponents to run into the opposite extreme. Justification by faith, not necessarily produc- tive of good works, and righteousness imputed to such a faith, are the doctrines by which Antinomians are chiefly distinguished. This sect sprung up in England during the protectorate of Oliver Cromwell, and extended their system of libertinism much further than Agricola, the dis- ciple of Luther. Some of their teachers expressly main- tained, that, as the elect cannot fall from grace, nor forfeit the divine favour, the wicked actions they commit are not really sinful, nor are they to be considered as instances of 97 their violation of the divine law ; consequently, they have no occasion either to confess their sins, or to break them off by repentance. According to them, it is one of the essential and distinctive characters of the elect, that they cannot do any thing displeasing to God, or prohibited by the law. Luther, Rutherford, Sedgwick, Gataker, Wit- sius. Bull, &ic., have written refutations, whilst Crisp, Richardson, and Saltmarsh, put forth defences of Anti- nomianism. The late Rev. Mr. Fletcher, vicar of Made- ly, in Shropshire, pubhshed '' Four Checks to Antinom- ianism," which have been much admired. But Dr. To- bias Crisp, a clergyman of the established church who flourished during the reign of the Stuarts, was the cham- pion of Antinomianism ; — his doctrines were confuted in the amplest manner by Dr. Daniel Williams, founder of the Dissenter's Library, in Redcross-street. His defence of " Gospel Truth," against Crisp, was received by those of his brethren who laid any claim to good sense and mod- eration with high satisfaction*. The term Aritinomian has been frequently fixed on persons by way of reproach, and therefore many who have been branded with this name have repelled the charge. There are many Antinomians, indeed, of a singular cast in Germany, and other parts of the continent ; they con- demn the moral law as a rule of life, and yet profess a strict regard for the interests of practical religion. Some persons, however, pronounce Antinomianism to be noth- ing more than Calvinism run to seed ; or, as Mosheim de- clares, that the Antinomians are a more rigid kind of Cal- vinists, who pervert Calvin's doctrine of absolute decrees to the worst purposes, by drawing from it conclusions highly detrimental to the interests of true religion and virtue. The late singular and eccentric William Hun- tington was deemed an Antinomian of this description, but he himself disclaimed it. And it is curious that when the Rev. R. Adam made an application to him for an ac- count of the Antinomian sect in England, he never repli- ed to him on the subject. But speculative sentiments of any kind ought not to be carried to a degree which might endanger, even in appearance, the sacred cause of moral- 9 98 ity. See a Tract against Antinomianism, by the Rev. S. Chase, with a Prefatory Introduction, by the Rev. Robert Hall, highly creditable to his good sense and piety. See " An Account of Plymouth Antinomians," by Joseph Cottle, of Bristol. This is an interesting pamphlet, and should be read by all who want an insight into Antinomi- anism. The author took down from Dr. Hawker some of the choicest portions of his Pulpit Addresses, which savour of Hyper-Calvinism, and has accompanied them with remarks, counteracting their tendency. Mr. Cottle is well known as a poet, and is a respectable man. He w^ould not willingly libel any one class of the professors of Christianity. m. Opinions respecting Church Goverment, and the Administration of Ceremonies. The Christian world, usually denominated Christen- dom, consists of religious societies, which are called churches. A Christian church is a society called out from the vicious world, by the preaching of the gospel, and regulated in all parts by the plain rules of the New Tes- tament. The ministers of the Christian church, in its primitive state, were extraordinary or ordinary. The Ex- traordinary were chiefly three: 1. Apostles, who were delegated by Christ with a commission to preach the gos- pel, and a power to work miracles in its confirmation, among all nations. 2. Prophets, who were not such as simply foretold things, but those to whom God was j^leas- ed to reveal his more secret counsels and designs. 3. Evangelists, such as were assistants to the apostles in preaching the gospel, and were endued with many extra- ordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit, as of languages and in- terpretations, &LC. But these extraordinary offices have ceased. The Ordinary ministers of the Christian church are principally three : 1. A Bishop, who had the over- sight of the flock of Christ ; to him pertained the preach- ing of the word, and regulation of the church ; and this 99 precedence of the bishop is called Fpiscojmcy. 2. Pres- byters, or Elders, or Priest : these were such as preach- ed the word, and administered the sacraments, under the inspection of the bishop. But it is a controversy, wheth- er the scripture doth not intend the same person by the appellations Bishop and Presbyter. The power of the Presbyter is called Presbytery. 3. Deacons ; whose bu- siness was to take the collections of money made in the church, and to distribute it to the poor ; and their office, properly speaking, is called the Ministry, or Deaconship. After this introductory explanation of the Christian church, I proceed to the Opinions respecting Church Government, and the Administration of Ceremonies. ROMAN CATHOLICS. This body of Christians have been usually denomina- ted Papists. This is an appellation derived to them in consequence of their acknowledging the spiritual supre- macy of the Bishop of Rome, who, for many centuries, was distinguished in the western church by the denomin- ation of Pope, and, from their remaining in his commun- ion, contradistinguishing themselves from Protestants, who are so called from protesting against his supremacy. In the act passed for their relief, 1791, an oath and declara- tion are proposed to them, in which the party is made to avow that he is Roman Catholic. This makes Roman Catholic their legal appellation. Catholics having com- plained of the erroneousness of the statements of their tenets, I have thought proper to state them from their own writers. The following account is extracted from a work written by a Priest of talents and learning, and which was sent to me by a very respectable lay gentleman of the Roman Catholic profession. The work is anonymous, but its title is, " The State and Behaviour of the English Catholics, from the Reformation to the year 1780, with a view of their present Number, Wealth, Character," he. It was written by the Rev. J. Berrington. 100 " the following rule is the grand criterion by which each article of our faith may be distinctly ascertained. " This rule is — All that, and only that, belongs to Cath- olic belief, which is revealed in the word of God, and which is proposed by the Catholic Church to all its mem- bers, to be believed with divine faith. ^' Guided by this certain criterion, we profess to be- lieve : — " 1. That Christ has established a church upon earth, and that this churcli is that which holds communion with the see of Rome, being one, holy, Catholic, and apos- tolical. " 2. That we are obliged to hear this Church ; and therefore that she is infalHble, by the guidance of Almighty God, in her decisions regarding faith. "3. That Saint Peter, by divine commission, was ap- pointed the head of this church, under Christ its founder ; and that the Pope, or Bishop of Rome, as successor to Saint Peter, has always been, and is at present, by divine right, head of this church. " 4. That the canon of the Old and New Testament, as proposed to us by this church, is the w^ord of God ; as also such traditions, belonging to faith and morals, which being originally delivered by Christ to his Apostles have been preserved by constant succession. " 5. That honour and veneration are due to the Angels of God and his saints ; that they offer up prayers to God for us ; that it is good and profitable to have recourse to their intercession ; and that the relics or earthly remains of God's particular servants are to be held in respect. '' 6. That no sins ev^er were, or can be remiited, unless by the mercy of God, through Jesus Christ; and there- fore that man's justification is the work of divine Grace. " 7. That the good works, which we do, receive their whole value from the grace of God ; and that by such works we not only comply with the precepts of the divine law, but that we thereby likewise merit eternal life. " 8. That by works done in the spirit of penance we can make satisfaction to God for the temporal punishment, which often remains due, after our sins, by the divine goodness, have been forgiven us. lOI '^■'' 9. That Christ has left to his church a power of grant- ing indulgences, that is, a relaxation from such temporal chastisement only as remains due after the divine pardon of sin y and that the use of such indulgences is profitable to sinners. " 10. That there is a purgatory or middle state ; and that the souls of imperfect Christians therein detained are helped by the prayers of the faithful. " 11. That there are seven sacraments, all instituted by Christ ; baptism, confirmation, eucharist, penance, ex- treme unction, holy order, matrimony. " 12. That in the most holy sacrament of the eucharist, there is truly, really, and substantially, the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. " 13. That in this sacrament there is, by the omnipo- tence of God, a conversion, or change, of the whole sub- stance of the bread into the body of Christ, and of the wdiole substance of the wine into his blood, which change we call Transubstanttation. ^^ 14. That under either kind Christ is received whole and entire. *' 15. That in the mass or sacrifice of the altar, is of- fered to God a tn,ie, proper, and propitiatory sacrifice for the living and the dead. " 16. That in the sacrament of penance, the sins we fall into after baptism are, by the divine mercy, forgiven us. '^ These are the great points of Catholic belief, by which we are distinguished from other Christian societies ; and these only are the real and essential tenets of our re- ligion. We admit also the other grand articles of reveal- ed and natural religion, which the gospel and the light of reason have manifested to us. To these we submit as men and as Christians, and to the former as obedient chil- dren of the Catholic Church." The persecuting and domineering spirit of our fore- fathers must not be imputed to their reformed posterity. All churches, having power, are too apt to abuse it in matters of religion. Mr. Pitt, in the year 1788, reques- 9* 102 ted to be furnished with the opinion of the Catholic cler- gy and foreign universities on certain important points. Three questions sent to the universities of Paris, Louvain, Alcala, Douay, Salanianca.and Valladolid, were thus unan- imously answered — 1. That the Pope, or cardinals, or any body of men, or any individual of the church of Rome, has not any civil, authority, power, jurisdiction, or pre-eminence whatsoever within the realm of England. 2. That the Pope or cardinals, &c. cannot absolve or dis- pense with his majesty's subjects from their oaths, al- legiance, upon any pretext wdiatsoever. 3. That there is no principle in the tenets of the Catholic faith, by which Catholics are justified in not keeping faith with heretics , or other persons differing from them in religious opinions, in any transactions either of a public or private nature. To these replies must be added, that the declaration sign- ed by the English as well as Scotch Catholicsj in 1789, is to the same purpose, and most unequivocally expressed. The present Roman Catholics, also, disavow all manner oi liersecution; indeed, they profess to acknowledge the principles, and to admit, in its full extent, the claims of religious liberty. Some Roman Catholics, renouncing the supremacy of the Pope, distinguish themselves by the name of Catholics, and sometimes of Catholic Dissen- ters. Of this number was the ingenious and learned Dr. Alexander Geddes, who having translated a large part of the Old Testament, died, and lies buried in Paddington churchyard. His Patron was Lord Petre, and he wrote a curious tract, entituled " A modest Apology for the Ro- man Catholics of Great Britain, addressed to all mode- rate Protestants, particularly to the Members of both Houses of Parliament." There have been seventeen general councils, and to these is attached, by Roman Catholics, infallibility. la the council of Trent, the last of them, held 1549, the te- nets of their religion were embodied, and the summary exhibited in Pope Pius' Creed containing the substance of the decrees and canons of this council. Father Paul gave a curious history of this council, which was compos- ed of 196 bishops. Bellarmine, an acute Jesuit, and Bos- 103 suet, the subtle Bishop of Meaux, are the two most pop- ular defenders of the Catholic religion. Massillon, Bour- daloue, and Flechier, were deemed models of pulpit elo- quence. A list of the Popes h-om St. Peter down to Pi- us the Seventh, will be found in the Rev. R. Adam's ^' Religious World displayed." Many of these spiritual fathers were men of learning and piety, whilst others, by their ambition and tyranny, proved themselves the pests of the world. Ganganelli was a most honourable excep- tion ; he w^as known to the public under the title of Cle- ment the Fourteenth. It was his common saying, that " we too often lay aside charity to maintain faith, without reflecting, that if it be not allowed to tolerate men, it is forbidden to hate and persecute those who have unfortu- nately embraced heresy .'" He died in 1775, not without suspicion of being poisoned. As to his far-famed Letters, there are doubts of their authenticity. Archbishop Fen- elon was also distinguished for his benevolence and piety. His Life and that of Bossuet have lately appear- ed from the pen of Charles Butler, Esq., well known by his learned and liberal productions. An eloquent delinea- tion of the Catholic religion in its glory will be found in Goodwin's Life of Chaucer, the Father of English Poe- try ; in which work are described the mannersof our fore- fathers in the 14th century, a period not long antecedent to the reformation. Among the Roman Catholics are several monastic orders, the Augustines, Benedictines, the Carmelites, the Dominicans, the Franciscans, &c., and also a variety of sects, the Jesuites, the Jansenists, the Molinists, and others of celebrity. Pascal, in his '' Provincial Letters," famed for their sarcastic severity, aimed an effective blow at the order of Jesuits, and it was abolished in France, 1762, being suspected of practices inimical to the country. For further information the reader is referred to a little volume intitled, ^' A Papist misrepresented,and represent- ed, or a twofold character of Popery," by John Gother ; an edition of which has been recently published. The writings of Challoner, Milner, Hay, Troy, O'Leary, and Berrington, should be also consulted. See Bishop Mil- 104 ner's Work, singularly intituled, " An end to all contro- versy," with a ludicrous schedule, or an immense Vine of the Popes in apostolic succession, with Heretics as a rotten branch, WicklifFe, Luther, he, falling off in to perdi- tion ! ! The Roman Catholics, though more than once re- lieved in the course of the late reign, complain of the pe-^ nal statutes now in force against them ; and their last ap- plication for their repeal was negatived by a small major- ity. A similar effort, in the year 1780, produced the Protestant Association headed by Lord George Gordon, whose followers, inflamed with un outrageous zeal, burnt the houses of the Roman Catholics, and threatened the metropolis with extinction ! Since that period the temper of the nation is ameliorated. Men of every description begin to perceive that whatever absurd tenets or ridicu- lous practices attach to any party, they are not on this ac- count to be deprived of their religious freedom. Indeed, the time is at length come when Catholic and Protestant are agreed, that the spirit of persecution is not the spirit of Christianity. See "Historical Memoirs of the Catholics," by C. Butler, Esq., of Lincoln's Inn, a curious work, in four volumes — abounding with in- formation. But it must not be omitted that a con- troversy has taken place between Robert Southey, Esq., Poet Laureat, and Charles Butler, Esq., which seems to have no termination. The former has publish- ed "A Book of the Church," and " A Defence of the Book of the Church," which the latter has replied to with avidity. Both contend for m.astery, and each boasts of victory ! Southey advocates the Reformed religion, and Butler is the advocate of Popery. Other writers have pressed forward, and the contest is still before the world. The Rev. Blanco White, a ci-devant Popish Priest, has written most earnestly for his new Faith, and reprobates every species of Popery. Dr. Milner, the Catholic Pre- late, wielded his able pen in behalf of his religion in a va-^ riety of publications — but he is deceased and gone to his final account : — peace be to his memory ! 105 GREEK, OR RUSSIAN CHURCH. The Greeic, or Russian Church, which now spreads it- self over the Eastern part of Europe, is ancient, and bears a resemblance to the church of Rome, though in commu- nion with the patriarch of Constantinople. It agrees how- ever with the refomed church, in disavowing tlie supre- macy and infallibility of the Pope, and the church of Rome as the true Catholic church ; also in rejecting purgatory by fire, graven images or statues, and the celibacy on the secular clergy, and administering the sacrament in both kinds ; but it differs from it in the number of the sacra- ments, in usm^ pictures, in admitting the invocation of saints, in transubstantiation, or rather consubstantiation, and of course the adoration of the host ; and, though it rejects purgatory, it has something that may be said to re- semble it ; and it admits masses and services for the dead. But, as this church has no public or established articles of faith like those of the united church of England and Ire- land, we can only collect what are its doctrines from the councils whose decrees it receives, from the different offi- ces of its liturgies, and from the catechisms which it au- thorizes to be taught. The Greek church equals the Romish church in the number of ceremonies and superstitious customs ; some of which are thus described in Chantreau's Travels into Russia : — " At the beginning of the year, the king's day is a singular festival, which the Russians call the Bene- diction of Waters ! On the Neva, then frozen, there is raised for the ceremony, a kind of temple of an octagonal figure, on the top of which is a St. John the Baptist, and the inside is decorated with pictures, representing the bap- tism of Jesus, his transfiguration, and some other parts of his life. There your attention is drawn to an enormous Holy Ghost, appearing to descend from heaven : a deco- ration common in the Greek churqh, which introduces the Holy Ghost every where ! In the middle of the sanctu- ary is a square place, where the broken ice leaves a coni- munication with the waters running below, and the rest is ornamented with rich tapestry. Around this temple there 106 is erected a kind of gallery which communicates with one of the windows of the imperial palace, at which the em- press and her family come out to attend the ceremony, which begins as soon as the regiment of the guards have taken post on the river. Then the archbishop, at the sound of the bells, and of the artilery of the fortress, comes out of the palace, and walks in procession, with all his clergy, to the little temple we have just mentioned. When arrived at the place where the ice is broken, he descends, by means of a ladder, to the side of the water. There he dips his cross three or four times, afterwards says some prayers, an orison to the great St. Nicholas, and the waters are then thought blessed. The prelate sprinkles the water on the company around him and on the colours of all the regiments that happen to be at St. Petersburgh. After this benediction the archbishop re- tires. Then the people crowd towards the hole by which this prelate has blessed the waters. They drink of them with holy avidity. Notwithstanding the cold, the moth- ers plunge their infants, and the old men their heads, into them. Every body makes it a duty to carry away some for the purification of their houses, and curing certain dis- tempers, against which the good Russians pretend this holy water is a powerful specific. While every one pro- ceeds to this useful provision, four popes who are at the four corners of the sanctuary, sing a kind of litany, in which they rehearse all the titles of the empress, and to which the people answer by these words, Pameloi-Bog ! — May God take pity on her !" Efforts have been made to join the Greek to the Re- formed church ; but they have failed of success. The Rev. Dr. John King published an account of the doctrine, worship, and discipline of the Greek church in Russia. There are several particulars to be found in the "Rus- sian Catechism," composed by the Czar, and which was published in London, 1725, in Robinson's " Ecclesiasti- cal Researches ;" and in a work entitled " Secret Me- moirs of the Court of Petersburg." The administration of baptism by the Greek church is truly curious and worthy of attention. According to Dr. 107^ King they baptize by immersioUj and they use the trine immersion, or form of dipping the child in water thrice, which is the most ancient manner ; but previous to bap- tism, the child, though not two months old, must be sol- emnly initiated into the church as a Catechumen, through the medium of its sponsors, when exorcism is used on the occasion, when the child is baptized, the priest im- mediately proceeds to anoint it with the holy chrism ; for this, though reckoned a distinct mystery, is inseparable from baptism. Previous to baptism the child was anoin- ted with oil, which was likewise used in the consecration of the baptismal water ; but this chrism is very different from it, and consists of various oils and other precious in- gredients, which, in different proportions, are all boiled together, and afterwards solemnly consecrated by a bish- op. It can be prepared only by a bishop, and only on Maunday Thursday, i. e, Thursday in Passion w^eek. This anointing, the Greeks call " the seal of the gift of the Holy Ghost," which words the priest repeats while he applies the crhism or holy oil to the forehead, eyes, nos- trils, mouth, ears, breast, hands, and feet of the child. Immediately after, or some days after, as ordered, the child is again brought to the church, when the priest, after praying for it, unties its girdle and linen clothes, and taking a new sponge, moistened with clear water, he washes its face breast, &c. saying," Thou hast been bap- tized, enlightened, anointed, sanctified, and washed, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, now and for ever, even unto ages of ages. Amen !" Dr, King assures us, that the more learned of the Rus- sian clergy ''would willingly allow no picture or represen- tation of God the Father — for the fisiure of the Ancient o of days, from Daniel, 'whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool,' is by them interpreted to be the second person in the Trinity, who so appeared to the prophet : yet it must be confessed that the common practice is so contrary to their opinions, that in a great number of churches, as well ancient as modern, this figure and Jesus and the Bove are painted 108 together to signify the Trinity ! Nay, there is now in the church of St. Nicholas at Petersburg, a picture of an old man holding a globe, and surrounded with angels, on which God the Father is inscribed !" It is however added, that during the reign of Peter the Great, the holy synod censured the use of such pictures, and Peter would have had them taken down, but was fearful of an insurrection of the people. In Russia, aZZ nations have the free exercise of their religion ; and it is worthy of remembrance, that Peter the Great did much for the ecclesiastical, as well as civil government of that partially civilized country. During the attack, and upon the repulse of the French Emperor, their strange and semi-barbarous superstitions appeared ; but their present connection with Great Britain will, it is to be hoped, conduce to their essential improvement. PROTESTANTS Under the appellation of Protestants, we include all who dissent from Popery, in whatever country they re- side, or in whatever sects they have been since distrib- uted. Abroad they are divided into two sorts — the Lu- therans, who adhere to Luther's tenets ; and the Refor- med, who follow the discipline of Geneva. They were called Protestants, because, in 1529, they protested against a decree of the Emperor Charles the Fifth, and declared, that they appealed to a general council. At 2:)resent this vast class comprehends those whom Papists •used contemptuously to style Hugonots in France ; the * Refugees in Holland, who fled thither upon the revoca- tion of the edict of Nantz, 1685; the Presbyterians in Scotland ; the Episcopalians and Nonconformists in Eng- land ; together with a numerous body of Christians in America. As the Protestants originated at the Reformation, it will be proper to give an account of this illustrious period of Ecclesiastical History. 109 The Reformation in Germany. For the three first centuries the Religion of Jesus Christ stood on its own basis, was rapidly propagated among Jews and Gentiles, and suffered severe persecu- tions from the Roman emperors. At the commencement of the fourth century Constantine became a convert to Christianity, and incorporated it with the state. " It was not till the fifth, or near the sixth century, that the Bish- op of Rome arrogantly assumed an illegal supremacy over his fellow pastors, and in process of timiC aimed at a sec- ular government of princes as w^ell as subjects. Though several emperors embraced and defended Christianity, yet the gradual decay of the Roman empire w^as a seri- ous impediment to the rising preachers of the newly-es- tablished religion. Those accomplishments which ador- ned the conquests of the Romans, and the perfection of science which had dignified their state to such an ex- tent, were gradually swept away by the barbarous nations w^hich defeated them, and the close of the sixth century could not trace a vestige of that exalted nation's govern- ment, or its laws. Between four and five hundred years was the glorious luminary of the gospel eclipsed by the dismal return of ignorance and of superstition.'.' The Crusades, commonly called the Holy Wars, were expeditions undertaken by the Catholics to drive the Turks from Palestine, or the land of Judea, and thus to rescue the holy sepulchre out of the hands of Infidels. There were eight of these crusades ; the first in the year 1096, the last'in 1270, assisted by prince Edward, af- terwards Edward I., King of England. The number of lives lost is incredible. See '' Mill's History of the Cru- sades," two volumes, " Robertson's Charles the Fifth?* and Hume's " History of England." Tasso's ''Jerusalem Delivered," difHisely translared by Hoole, is founded on the crusades, and affords considerable amusement. The reader is referred to " The Itinerary of Archbishop Bald- win through Wales, 1188," by Giraldus. The object the good Archbishop had in view when he traversed the Principality, was to enlist young persons for this under- 10 110 taking. According to this account miracles were worked : particularly when his Grace wanted a pulpit — the ground kindly rose underneath him, and gave him a command- ing view of his audience, which he no doubt eloquently improved ! The work affords an interesting picture of our Catholic ancestors, and should excite in usy their Protestants descendants, gratitude that we are freed from the yoke of Anti-christian tyrrany. The Inquisition was a tribunal erected by the popes for the examination and punishment of heretics. It was founded in the twelfth century, by Father Dominic and his followers, who were sent by Pope Innocent the Third to inquire into the number and quality of heretics, and then to send an account to Rome. Hence they were termed inquisitors, and their court the Inquisition. Its cruelties were indescribable. See " Dr. Chandler's History of the Inquisition," which is full of information on the subject. Mr. Butler, the Catholic writer, announ- cing to his readers the recent abolition of the Inquisition in Spain, adds, in the true spirit of Christianity, " so per- ish evei'y mode of religious persecution, by whom or against whomsoever raised !" To the dark ages, (as they are by some justly termed, and by others, called the night of time,) are to be at- tributed the doctrine of indulgences, partial absolution, transubstantialion, the creation and worship of saints, purgatory, monastic seclusion, he. So swift was the ex- tinction of knowledge, and its revival so impeded, that persons of eminence in point of station could scarcely read or write. The clergy themselves, who engrossed what little science was remaining, could scarcely trans- late the liturgy ; and when ordained, were obliged to affirm, that they could read the Gospels and Epistles, and explain them. The corrupt state of the church prior to the Reforma- tion, is acknowledged by an author who was both able to judge concerning this matter, and who was not over- forward to confess it. For some years (says JSellarmine) before the Lutheran and Calvinistic heresies were pub- lished, there was not, as contemporary authors testify, HI any severity in ecclesiastical judicatories, any discipline with regard to morals, any knowledge of sacred literature, and reverence for divine things ; there was not almost any rehgion remaining." Such a confession, made by the avowed champion of popery, should not pass unno- ticed by Protestants ; and before the enemies of Protes- tantism inveigh against the Reformation, let them con- sider its necessity, and contemplate the innumerable advantages with which it was attended. A curious symbolical representation of the Reforma- tion was exhibited before Charles V. and his brother Ferdinand, at Augsburg, in 1530, at the time when the Lutherans presented their confession of faith to that as- sembly. As the princes were at table, a company of persons offered to act a small comedy for the entertain- ment of the company. They were ordered to begin ; and first entered a man in the dress of a doctor, who brought a large quantity of small wood, of straight and crooked billets, and laid it on the middle of the hearth, and retired. On his back was written Reuchlin. When this actor went off, another entered, apparelled also like a doctor, who attempted to make fagots of the wood, and to fit the crooked to the straight ; but having laboured long to no purpose, he went away out of humour, and shaking his head. On his back appeared the name of Erasmus, A third, dressed like an Augustinian monk, came in with a chafing-dish full of fire, gathered up the crooked wood, clapped it on the fire, and blew it till he made it burn, and went away ; having upon his frock the name of Luther. A fourth entered dressed like an emperor, who seeing the crooked wood all on fire seemed much concerned, and to put it out, drew his sword and poked the fire with it, which only made it burn the brisk- er. On his back was written Charles V. Lastly, a fifth entered in his pontifical habit and triple crown, who seem- ed extremely surprised to see the crooked billets all on fire, and by his countenance and attitude betrayed exces- sive grief. Then looking about on every side to see if he could find any water to extinguish the flame, he cast his eyes on two bottles in a corner of the room, one of which 112 was full of oil and the other of water, and in his hurry he inadvertently seized the oil, and poured it on the fire, which unfortunately made it blaze so violently that he was forced to walk off! — on his back was written Leo X. The reader who is acquainted with the history of the Reformation, will perceive the propriety of the represen- tation here given of those several characters, who were instrumental in bringing about that memorable event. Nothing more shall be added but the testimony of Mo- sheim respecting the happy consequences with which it was attended. Speaking of the Reformation (which a deceased friend, the Rev. H. Worthington, happily term- ed the second redemption of mankind), it is remarked, " the true nature, genius and design of the Christian Re- ligion, which even the most learned and pious doctors of antiquity had but imperfectly comprehended, were now unfolded with evidence and drawn like truth from an abyss in which they had hitherto lain concealed. It is true the influence of error was far from being totally suppressed, and many false and absurd doctrines are still maintained and propagated in the Christian world. But it may nev- ertheless be affirmed, that the Christiafi societies, whose errors at this day are the most numerous and extravagant, have much less absurd and perverse notions of the nature and design of the Gospel, and the duties and obligations of its votaries, than were entertained by those doctors of antiquity, who ruled the church with an absolute author- ity, and were considered as the chief oracles of theology. The Reformation also contributed much to soften and civilize the manners of many nations, who, before that happy period, were sunk in the most savage stupidity, and carried the most rude and unsocial aspect. It must in- deed be confessed, that a variety of circumstances not im- mediately connected with religion, combined to produce that lenity of character and that milder temperature of manners, maxims, and actions, that gradually appeared in the greatest part of the Europeans after that period, which was signalized by the reformative exertions of Luther ! It is, nevertheless, evident, beyond all contradiction, that the disputes concerning religion, and the accurate and ra- 113 tional inquiries into the doctrines and duties of Christi- unity, to which those disputes gave rise, had a greater tendency to eradicate from the minds of men the ferocity that had been so long nourished by the barbarous sugges- tions of unmanly superstition. It is also certain that at the very dawn of this happy revolution in the state of Christianity , and even before its salutary effects were manifested in all their extent, pure religion had many sin- cere and fervent votaries, though they were concealed from public view by the multitudes of fanatics with which they were surrounded." The Tricentennlal Anniversary of the Reformation was in 1817, celebrated by Churchmen and Dissenters, when some excellent sermons were preached and published, illustrative of the blessings of Religious Liberty. As we quit the subject of the Reformation, it may not be improper to add and account of the Lutherans. It lias already been said, that the Protestants were at first divided into the Lutherans, who adhere to Luther's te- nets, and the Reformed, who follow the doctrine and dis- cipline of Geneva. In other words, Luther was at the head of one party ; Calvin the chief of the other. The tenets of the latter have been specified ; those of the former, therefore, are the present subject of inquiry. ^ LUTHERANS. The Lutherans, of all Protestants, are those wiio differ least from the Romish church, as they affirm that the body and blood of Christ are materially present in the sacra- ment of the Lord's Supper, though in an incomprehensi- ble manner ; they likewise represent some rites and insti- tutions, — as the use of Images In churches, the vestments of the clergy, the private confession of sins, the use of wafers in the administration of the Lord's Supper, the form of exorcism in the celebration of baptism, and other ceremonies of the Hke nature, as tolerable, and some of them useful. The Lutherans maintain, with regard to the Divine decrees, that they respect the salvation or mis- 10* 114 ery of men in consequence of a previous knowledge of their sentiments and characters, and not as founded on the mere will of God, which is the tenet of the Calvin- ist?. Towards the close of the last century, the Luther- ans began to entertain a greater liberality of sentiment than they had before adopted, though in many places they persevered longer in despotic principles than other Prot- estant churches. Their public teachers now enjoy an unbounded liberty of dissenting from the decisions of those symbols of creeds, w^hich were once deemed almost infal- lible rules of faith and practice, and of declaring their dis- sent in the manner they judged most expedient. Moshe- im attributes this change in their sentiments to the maxim which they generally adopted, that Christians were ac- countable to God alone for their religious opinions ; and that no individual could be justly punished by the magis- trate for his erroneous notions, while he conducted him- self like a virtuous subject, and made no attempts to dis- turb the peace of civil society. Luther's works, collect- ed after his decease, were published at Wittemberg, in seven folio volumes. It may be added, that Luther's opinion respecting the sacrament, is termed Consubstantiation ; and he suppos- ed that the partakers of the Lord's Supper received, along with the bread and wine, the real body and blood of Christ. This, says Dr. Mosheim (himself an eminent Lutheran divine), was, in their judgment, a mystery, which they did not pretend to explain. But his translator, Dr, Mac- laine, justly remarks, " That Luther was not so modest as Dr. Mosheim here represents him. He pretended to ex- plain this doctrine of the real presence, absurd and con- tradictory as it is, and uttered much se.iseless jargon on the subject. ' As in a red-hot iron,^ said he, * two distinct substances, viz. iron -dnd fire, are united, so is the body of Christ joined with the bread in the eucharist.' I men- tion this miserable coinparison, to show into what absurd- ities the towering pride of system will often betray men of deep sense and true genius." Such is the account given of the Lutherans, and it ap- pears to be founded in truth. I shall only remark, that, 115 according to the above sketch, Luther differed considera- bly from Calvin respecting election and reprobation ; and as to the principle, that Christians are accountable to God alone for their religious opinions, it is a sentiment wor- thy of a great and elevated mind. It is the corner-stone on which the Reformatoin has been raised. It is the true foundation of religious improveinnnt, and wherever it is embraced, will check uncharitableness and persecution, and forward the blessed reign of love and charity amongst the professors of Christianity. • In Swift's well known " Tale of a Tub," he satirizes three distinct classes of religious professors — the Church of Rome, under the appellation of Peter, whose keys for an admission into heaven are supposed to be in their pos- session — the Church of England, under the name of Jiar- tin, because its reformation orignated with Martin Luther — and the Dissenters under the name of Jack, on account of the principles of John Calvin being so prevalent amongst them. It is fraught with that sarcastic wit for which the writings of the Dean of St. Patrick's are distinguished. A volume appeared some time ago in vindication of Luther and the Reformation, written with candour and ability. It is entitled '' An Essay on the Spirit and Influ- ence of the Reformation by Luther." The author of the work, C. Villers, obtianed the prize for it from the Na- tional Institute of France. It closes with a note by Dr. Maclaine, taken from the fourth volume of Mosheim's Ecclesiastical History, who shows that the reflections on the selfish and ignoble motives of Luther, made in Hume's "History of England," must be pronounced a calumny in- vented by the enemies of the Reformation. HUGONOTS. The appellation Hugonots was given to the French Potestants in 1561. The term is (by some) supposed to be derived from a gate in Tours, called Hugon, where they first assembled. According to others the name is 116 taken from the first words of their original protest, or con- fession of faith — Hucnos venimus, he. During the reign of Charles IX., and on the 24th of August, 1572, hap- pened the massacre of St. Bartholomew, when 70,000 Protestants throughout France were butchered, with cir- cumstances of aggravated cruelty. It began at Paris in the night of the festival of St. Bartholomew, by secret orders from Charles IX., at the instigation of his mother, the Queen Dowager Catherine de Medicis. See Sully's Memoirs, and also a fine description of it in the second canto of Voltaire's " Henriade." In 1598, Henry IV. passed the famous Edict of Nantz, which secured to his old friends the Protestants the free exercise of their religion. This edict was cruelly revok- ed by Louis XIV. Their churches were then razed to the ground ; their persons insulted by the soldiery, and, after the loss of innumerable lives, 500,000 valuable members of society were driven into exile ! In Holland they built several places of worship, and had amongst them some distinguished preachers. Among others were Superville, Dumont, Dubosc, and the eloquent Saurin — five volumes of whose select sermons were translated into our language by the late Mr. Robinson of Cambridge, a sixth by the late Dr. Hunter, and a seventh as well as eighth by Mr. Sutclifi:', of the Wesleyan connexion. In one of these sermons Saurin makes the following fine apos- trophe to the tyrant, Louis XIV., by whom they were driven into exile ; it breathes the noble spirit of Christi- anity : — " And thou, dreadful Prince, whom I once hon- oured as my king, and whom I yet respect as a scourge in the hand of Almighty God, thou also shalt have a part in my good wishes ! These provinces, which thou threat- enest, but which the arm of the Lord protects ; this coun- try, which thou fillest with refugees, but fugitives anima- ted with love ; these walls, which contain a thousand martyrs of thy making, but whom religion renders victo- rious, all these yet resound benedictions in thy favour. God grant the fatal bandage that hides the truth from thy eyes m.ay fall of! May God forget the rivers of blood with which thou hast deluged the earth, and which thy 117 reign hath caused to be shed ! May God blot out of his book the injuries which thou hast done us, and while he rewards the sufferers, may he pardon those who exposed us to suffer ! O may God, who hath made thee to us, and to the whole church, a minister of his judgments, make thee a dispenser of his favours, and an administra- tor of his mercy !" See '' An History of the late sufferings of the French Protestants in the South of France," by the Rev. Mark Wilks — and the " History of the Albigenses and Wald- enses," with an account of the Christian Church in gene- ral, published by Mr. William Jones, written with neat- ness and accuracy. About the time of the Revolution, 1688, there were many controversies between the Protestant and Catholic divines. Tillotson and Burnet, two clergymen of the church of England, rendered Ptotestantism great service by their waitings ; and were, on that account elevated to the bench by King William. There are also two excellent volumes of Sermons against Popery, preached in the early part of the last century, by Dissenting Ministers, at Salter's Hall. Dr. Chandler's Discourse on the Notes or marks of the Church of Rome, to be found in this collection, is deem- ed a masterly production. Burnet's '' History of the re- formation," and the " History of his Own Times," pub- lished after his death by his son, throw light on the state of religion in the last and preceding centuries among Catholics, Chucrhmen, and Dissenters. The merit of these publications, particularly the latter, is appreciated by Dr. Kippis, under the article Burnet, in the " Bio- graphia Britannica." To these may be added a " De- fence of Protestantism," by the late Dr. Sturges, in his answer to the late Dr. Milner, (a Catholic bishop,) who, in his History of Winchester, takes every opportunity of reprobating Protestantism, and of erecting on its ruins the edifice of his own religion. Dr. S. animadverts with a spirit on the calumnies by which his antagonist had en- deavoured to blacken the characters of the Reformers ; and proves the Protestant religion, by its honourable views of the Divine Being, and by its sacred regard for the rights 118 of mankind, to be the only true and primitive Christiani- ty. Dr. Mihier replied at length to Dr. Sturges, who only noticed it in the preface to the subsequent edition of his own work, content to share the obliquy cast upon him in conjunction with some of the most learned, and pious characters that ever adorned the Christian world. EPISCOPALIANS; OR, CHURCH OF ENGLAND. The Episcopalians, in the modern acceptation of the term, belong more especially to the Church of England, and derive this title from Ejjiscopus, the Latin word for bishop; or, if it be referred to its Greek origin, from ^Tti, over, and ^xoneoi to look, implying, the care and dil- igence with which bishops are expected to preside over those committed to their guidance and direction. They insist on the divine origin of their bishops, and other church officers, and on the alliance between church and state. Respecting these subjects, however, Warburton ■and Hoadley, together with others of the learned amongst them, have different opinions, as they have also on their thirty-nine articles, which were established in the reign of Queen EHzabeth. They are to be found in most Com- mon Prayer-Books ; and the Episcopal church in Amer- ica has reduced their number to twenty. By some these articles are made to speak the language of Calvinism, and by others have been interpreted in favour of Arminian- ism. Even lately the controversy was agitated — and the publications of Overton, Kipling, and Daubeny, together with the recent Charge of the Bishop of Winchester, may be consulted on the subject. The doctrines and discipline of the Church of England are nearly connected with the reformation of Luther in Germany, and also with the state of ecclesiastical affairs for a considerable time before that reformation commenced. Eusebius positively asserts, that Christianity was first introduced into South Britain by the apostles and their disciples ; and it is supposed that the Apostle Paul visited 119 this country, whose zeal, diligence, and fortitude, were abundant. It is also said, that numbers of persons pro- fessed the Christian faith here about the year 150; and, according to Usher, there was, in the year 182, a school of learning, to provide the British churches with proper teachers. On this subject of the first introduction of Christianity into this Island, the reader is referred to the first volume of Henry's " History of Great Britain," and to Dr. Richard's " Cambro-British Biography," where his curiosity will be grattified. John Wickliffe, educated at Oxford in the reign of Edward the Third, w^as the first person in this country who publicly questioned, and boldly refuted the doc- trines of Popery. He left behind him many followers, who were called Wickliffites and Lollards ; the latter be- ing a term of reproach taken from the Flemish tongue. In the council of Constance, 1415, the memory and opin- ions of Wickliffe (who died peaceably at Lutterworth, 1384,) were condemned, and soon after his bones were dug up and burnt, and the ashes thrown into a brook. This impotent rage of his enemies served only to promote the cause of reform which Wickliife had espoused. " Thus," says Fuller, " this brook conveyed his ashes into Avon, Avon into Severn, Severn into the narrow seas, they into the main ocean ; and thus the ashes of Wick- liffe are emblem of his doctrine, which now is dispersed all the world over." Some remains of his old pulpit, m which he first uttered his doctrine, are said to be still seen at Lutterworth, and are beheld by strangers with vene- ration. Nor were the early efforts of this eminent Reformer, Wickliffe, usually denominated the morning star of the reformation, in vain. The Church of England broke off from the Romish church in the time of Henry the Eighth, when (as has been already related) Luther had begun the Reformation in Germany. During the earlier part of his reign, Hen- ry was a bigoted Papist, burnt William Tyndal, (who made one of the first and best English Translations of the New Testament,) and wrote fiercely in defence of the seven sac- 120 raments against Luther, for which the Pope honoured him with the title of Defender of the Faith ! This title is re- tained by the kings of England even to the present day, though they are the avowed enemies of that Faith, by contending for which he acquired that honourable distinc- tion. Henry falling out with the Pope, took the govern- ment of ecclesiastical affairs into his own hands ; and hav- ing reformed many enormous abuses entitled himself Su- preme Head of the Church. When the Reformation in England first took place, ef- forts were made to promote the reading of the Scriptures among the common people. Among other devices for the purpose, the following curious one was adopted : Bonner, Bishop of London, caused six Bibles to be chained to certain convenient places in St. Paul's church, for all that were so well inclined to resort there ; together with a cer- tain admonition to the readers, fastened upon the pillars to which the Bibles were chained, to this tenor: — "That whosoever came there to read, should prepare himself to be edified, and made the better thereby ; that he bring with him discretion, honest intent, charity, reverence, and quiet behaviour ; that there should no such number meet together there as to make a multitude ; that no such ex- position be made thereupon but what is declared in the book itself; that it be not read wuth noise in time of di- vine service, or that any disputation or contention be us- ed about it; that in case they continued their former mis- behaviour, and refused to comply with these directions, the king would be forced against his will to remove the occasion, and take the Bible out of the church." — See Johnson's "Historical Account of the several English Translations of the Bible," and the opposition they met w^ith from the church of Rome. The Church of England is governed by the King, who is supreme head ; by two archbishops, and by twenty- four bishops. The benefices of the bishops were con- verted by William the Conqueor into temporal baronies ; so that every prelate has a seat and a vote in the House of Peers. Dr. Benjamin Hoadley, however, in a sermon preached from this text, " My kingdom is not of this 121 world," insisted that the clergy had no pretensions to tem- poral jurisdictions ; which gave rise to various publications, termed, by way of eminence, the Bangorian Controver- sy, for Hoadley was then bishop of Bangor. The me- mory of this eminent prelate has been abused by Dr. Milner, in his ''History of Winchester," but Mr. Hoad- ley Ashe and Dr. Sturges have amply vindicated it. His writings, in three large folio volumes, constitute a vast mass of religious information, communicated in a strain that shows his ardent love both of civil and religious liberty. There is a bishop of Sodor and Man who has no seat in the House of Peers ; and a prelate of this see was the amiable and learned Dr. Wilson. Since the death of the intolerant Archbishop Laud, men of moderate principles have been raised to the see of Canterbury, and this hath tended not a little to the tranquillity of church and state. Such is the character of the present Archbishop Sutton, who, on the rejection of Lord Sidmouth's Bill, May 21, 1811, bore his testimony against intolerance, and in fa- vour of the inalienable rights of conscience. His words were these, and spoken with a fervour that evinced his sincerity : " However he might lament what he conceiv- ed to be the errors of Protestant Dissenters, it was to be recollected that the Bible was the fountain of their relig- ious belief, as well as that of the established church, and was, or might be, in the hands of every member of the empire ; and it was to be recollected also, that the best of interpretations were but the interpretations of men, and that the best of men were liable to error !" Had his predecessor Laud uttered and pi actised this apostolic sen- timent, he would not have lost his own head, nor brought his master after him to the scaffold. Kings find tolera- tion the best safeguard of the throne ; and the ministers of Jesus ought to know, that a meek and quiet spirit is the lovHest ornament of Christianity. The established church of Ireland is similar to the church of England, and at the union of England and Ire- land the two became one united Church. It is governed by four archbishops and eighteen bishops. Since the union of Ireland with Great Britain, four only of these 11 122 spiritual lords sit in the House of Lords, assembled at Westminster. The Irish established church is far more liberally endowed than the church of England. Its abus- es also are much greater, and call loudly for amendment. In the course of the last century disputes arose among the English clergy respecting the propriety of subscribing to any human formulary of religious sentiments. An ap- plication for its removal was made to Parliament in 1772, by the petitioning clergy, and received, as it deserved, the most public discussion in the house of Commons. It was negatived by 219 against 73, a large majority. The third edition of Archdeacon Blackburn's " Confessional" was published in 1770, two years previous to the pre- sentation of this clerical petition, when the long contro- versy, in consequence of the work, was closed, and indeed introductory to the application to Parliament pending, by \^iich the controversy was renewed. Mr. Dyer's Trea- tise against Subscription appeared many years afterwards. Some respectable clergymen, impressed with the impro- priety of subscription, resigned their livings, and publish- ed reasons for their conduct. Among these, the names of Robertson, Jebb, Matty, Lindsey,and Dinsey, will be long remembered. Several others, indeed, resigned pre- ferments held by the same tenure for similar reasons, without giving such reasons to the public as Mr. Tyrwhitt, Mr. Wakefield, he; and it has been said that many more reluctantly continue in their conformity, under the con- test between their convictions and their inability from va- rious causes to extricate themselves, but who will never repeat their subscriptions. The late Rev. T. Lindsey, however, withdrew from the church, because he objected to the Trinity ; professing to worship the Father only as the one true God, to the exclusion of Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit, as objects of worship. See ''The Book of Common Prayer Reformed," used at Essex-street chapel ; and also at York-street chapel, Piccadilly, lately opened for Unitarian worship at the west end of the town. The Articles of the church of England were originally 42 in number, drawn up by Cranmer, assisted by Bishop Ridley. Ten years after, 1562, they were revised and 123 reduced to 39, their present number. The articles omit- ted referred to the resurrection of the dead, the unperish- ahle nature of the soul, the Millenarian heretics, and uni- versal salvation. The articles were originally published in the Latin and English languages, and the original manuscript of them, it is said, may be seen in the libra- ry of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. It is a curious circumstance, that whilst the church requires subscription to these articles of all who are to be admitted members of any of the universities, and of all who are admitted into holy orders or to ecclesiastical benefices ; yet in Ireland it is not necessary either at ordination, institu- tion, or taking degrees, to subscribe the 39 articles, or any of them. Nor is it unworthy of remark, that the 20th article is deemed a forgery. Burnet allows, that " the words * the church hath power to decree rites and cere- monies,' &c., are not in the original of the articles signed by both houses of convocation, that are yet extant." And the celebrated Anthony Collins hath proved them an interpolation, in an " Historical and Critical Essay on the Articles, 1724." A singular controversy hath been agitated of late years, whether these thirty-nine articles be Calvinistic or Arminian. For the Calvinistic sense Mr. Overton strenuously contends, in his " True Church- man ascertained ;" whilst Dr. Kipling, Dean of Peter- borough, in his ''Articles of the Church of England proved not to be Calvinistic," and Mr. Daubeny, in his " Vindsciffi Ecclesias Anglicanse," maintain their Armm- ian interpretation. The Bishop of Winchester appears to adopt a middle course, for he says, "Our church is not Lutheran, it is not Calvinistic, it is not Arminian, it is SCRIPTURAL, it is built upon the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone." But Burnet, Waterland, he, seem to have thought it more natural to believe, that as the reformers were inch- ned, some to Calvinism and others to Arminianism, so the articles are framed with comprehensive latitude ; that neither Calvinism nor Arminianism was meant to be ex- clusively established. See Shepherd's ''Elucidation," and Wheatley's " Illustrations of the Liturgy and Pray- ers of the Church of England !" 124 Attempts have been made to amend the Articles, the Liturgy, and some things which related to the internal government of the Church of England. The late Dr. Watson wrote a "Letter to the Archbishop of Canter- bury," in the year 1781, in which he argues for the pro- priety of a more equal distribution of salary among the different orders of the clergy. But this plan projected by the worthy prelate, together with the preceding pro- posals for reform, by the authors of the ''Free and Can- did Disquisitions," and of the ^' Appeal to Reason and Candour," have been suffered to sink into oblivion. The church of England has produced a succession of eminent men. Among its ornaments are to be reckoned Usher, Jewel, Hall, Taylor, Stillingfleet, Cudworth, Willkins, Tillotson, Cumberland, Barrow, Burnet, Pear- son, Hammond, Whitby, Clarke, Hoadley, Jortin, Seek- er, Butler, Warburton, Home, Lowth, Hurd and Porteus. In the appendix to Mosheim, will be found a circumstan- tial account of the correspondence carried on in the year 1718, between Dr. William Wake, Archbishop of Can- terbury, and certain doctors of the Sorbonne of Paris, relative to a project of union between the English and Gallican churches. " Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity," ''Pearson on the Creed," "Burnet on the Thirty-nine Articles," and the Bishop of Winchester's " Elements of Theology," are the best defences of Episcopacy. In Scotland, and other parts, since the Revolution, there existed a species of Episcopalians called Nonjurors, because, being inflexibly attached to the Stuarts, who were driven from the throne, they refused to take the oath of allegiance to the Brunswick family. They are the remains of the ancient Episcopal church of Scotland, which was, after various fluctuations, abolished at the Rev- olution. " In consequence of this abolition, (says Bish- op Skinner, in his ' Primitive Truth and Order,') which was followed the year after by the establishment of the Presbyterian form of church government, the bishops were deprived of every thing connected with their office which the civil power could take from them. They lost their revenues and temporal jurisdiction, but their spirit- 125 ual authority still remained, and that ' gift of God,' which they had received by the imposition of Episcopal hands, they considered themselves bound to exercise for pro- moting that Episcopal work in the church of God which had been committed to them." On the decease of the Pretender, whom the Nonjurors styled Prince Charles, and who died at Rome, 1788, they. complied with the requisition of government, and the distinction is abolished. Their tender of loyalty, it is said, was graciously received, and in 1792, those penal laws which had been enacted', against them at various periods, but especially after the rebellions of 1715 and 1745, were repealed. At Lawrence-kirk, in the county of Kincardine, 1804, their bishops and clergy swore to the Articles of the United Church of England and Ireland, and then became a branch of that church, being acknowledged as such by the English and Irish prelates, whilst some English cler- gy have joined their Communion. Mr. Adam says. ^'Her clergy subscribes the Articles, I believe to a man, in the Anticalvinistic sense ; so that whatever weight their opinion may be allowed to have in the scale, it is added to that of the Anticalvinists in England." The Scotch Episcopal church is governed by eight bishops, one of whom is always Primate, being a kind of Arch- bishop under the title of Primus, or Maximus Scotice Ejjiscopus, Their dioceses are those of Aberdeen, Ross, Glasgow, Moray, Edinburgh, Dunkeld, and Brechin. Their places of worship are generally well attended. See Skinner's " Ecclesiastical History," in two volumes, and his son the late Bishop Skinner's " Primitive Truth and Order vindicated from modern Misinterpretation, with a Defence of Episcopacy, particularly that of Scotland. 1803." These Scotch Episcopalians complain, that noiv they have abjured the House of Stuart, the other Episcopal- ians in North Britain will not put themselves under their jurisdiction. See Archdeacon Daubeny's " Letter to a Scotch Nobleman on the Subject of Ecclesiastical Unity," subjoined to '^ a Layman's Account of his Faith and Prac- tice, as a Member of the Episcopal Church in Scotland." 11* 126 A fund has been formed to increase the income of their clergy by subscriptions in England and Scotland, which has been attended with success. They hope for a favour- able introduction of their representations to the clergy and laity of Ireland. Bishops Horsley and Home were attached to this branch of the Episcopal church ; the lat- ter even declaring, that " If the great Apostle of the Gentiles were upon earth, and it were put to his choice with what denomination of Christians he would commu- nicate, the preference would probably be given to the Episcopalians of Scotland !" The good bishop must have forgotten the transactions of this pure and apostolical church from the restoration to the revolution. Its rulers were most bloody persecutors ; and the truly pious Arch- bishop Leighton resigned his office rather than counte- nance such diabolical measures. (See article Jcirli of Scotland.) The Rev. R. Adam, who has given a flat- tering account of this church, has, with a deficiency of his usual regard to truth and candour, omitted this part of her history. The reader will perceive, by the perusal of the above article, that I am willing to do them justice. The same justice, however, requires that this church, with the foul blot of persecution upon her, should not be extolled at the expense of all the other denominations, both church- men and Dissenters ; though the sins of the fathers ought not to be imputed to their posterity. The Reformation in England, began under the auspi- ces of Henry the Eighth, was checked by IMary, who proceeded like a fury to re-establish Popery. In her sanguinary reign were burnt one archbishop, four bishops, twenty-one divines, eight gentlemen, one hundred and eighty-four artificers, and one hundred husdandmen, ser- vants, and labourers ; twenty-six wives, twenty widows, and nine virgins, two boys, and two infants ! Bishop Burnet says, that two hundred and eighty-four perished in the flames ; but Archbishop Grindal, who lived at the time, declares that eight hundred were burnt in this ex- ecrable reign, whilst many died amidst the horrors of in- carceration. On the death of Mary, 1558, Elizabeth ascended the throne, repealed the laws which had been 127 established in favour of the Catholic religion, and restor- ed her supremacy. In these matters she succeeded, since of 9,400 beneficed clergymen, about 120 only refused to comply with the Reformation. The establishment of Protestantism in England underwent fluctuations, till the glorious Revolution under William, in 1688, placed it on a permanent foundation. With respect to the dignitaries of the church of Eng- land, the archbishop of Canterbury is metropolitan, or primate of all England, whilst the archbishop of York is simply styled primate of England. The bishops take precedence of all temporal barons, and the bishops of London, Durham, and Winchester, take the precedence of the other bishops, who rank after them according to their seniority of consecration. They visit their dioceses once in three years ; but the Irish prelates every year — archidiaconal visitations being there unknown. Beside this visitation of their dioceses, the duties of bishops are to assist at the consecration of other prelates, for which three are required, to ordain priests and deacons, to con- secrate churches and burying-grounds, and to administer the right of confirmation to the rising generation. A per- son must be twenty-three years of age before he is ordain- ed deacon, the deacon twenty-four before he be ordained priest, which enables him to administer the Lord's Sup- per, and the priest must be thirty years of age before he can be raised to the mitre ; diudi priests must be ordained by the bishop with the laying on of hands of other priests, though this is only a mark of assent not essential to due ordination. Magistracy is not deemed incompatiple with the Clerical office ; but, by a late act of parliament (made in the case of the famous Home Tooke), persons in holy orders are ineligible to seats in parliament. The clergy are supported by tithes, which often occasion bitter alter- cations between them and their parishioners, so as to de- stroy the efficacy of their spiritual labours towards moral improvement. This wants greatly to be remedied. The tithe, or tenth part of certain property, is assigned for clerical maintenance. The rector enjoys the prandial or great tithes ; if these be appropriated or converted into 128 secular hands, the priest is termed vicar, implying that he was vicarius or deputy of the rector. The vicar has only the small tithes of the parish ; hence rectories generally surpass vicarages in point of emolument. Tithes are di- vided into jjrcedial, as corn, grass, hops, and wood : mixed, as of wool, milk, pigs, natural productions matured by the care of man ; and personal, as of manual occupations, fish- eries, &ic. A more usual distribution is into great, as corn, hay, and wood ; and into small, consisting of all the rest. The clergy, however, in general do not take their tithes in kind, but accept a commutation, or sum of money. The Discipline of the church of England may be seen in a work entitled " Constitutions and Canons Ecclesias- tical treated upon by the Bishop of London, President of the Convocation, &ic., and agreed upon, with the King's Majesty's licence, in their Synod begun at London, 1603." They are founded on the canons of ancient councils, and being authorized by the king's commission according to the form of the statute of the 25th of Henry VIII., they were warranted by act of parliament, and became part of the law of the land. The offences of fornication, adul- tery, incest, &c. are cognizable in the ecclesiastical court. We now seldom hear of its proceedings, but there are on record some odious instances of excessive severity. The revision of these canons is talked of; they are suscepti- ble of great improvement. The Convocation have met only formally since the reign of Queen Anne. They last met November 15, 1826, when they proceeded from the Chapter House to St. Pual's Cathedra], in grand procession. After prayers and an anthem, Dr. Monk, the Dean of Peterborough, delivered from 2 Tim. i. 6th and 7th verses, in classical Latin, a discourse against Catholic Emancipation! The archbishop pronouced the apostolic benediction, when the procession returning to the Chapter-house in the same order, the Convocation was opened and adjourned. The inhabitants of England amount to 11,500,000; one-fifth or more are said to dissent from the Establish- ed church. The number of parishes is 10,000 and of all 129 ranks and orders 18,000 clergy.— Church livings of all descriptions about 11,755, viz. rectories 5,098 ; vicarages, 3,687 ; Hvings of other descriptions, 2,970. These are in the gift of the king, the bishops, the two universities, the cathedrals, the nobility and gentry. The revenues of the church, including the universities, amount to 3,000,000/. per annum. Of these hvings 1,000 are in the gift of the king, to 780 of which, under the value of 20/. in the king's book, the lord chancellor presents, and ministers of state have the disposal of the rest 1,600 in the gift of bishops, 600 in the presentation of the univer- sities, 1000 in the gift of cathedrals and clerical institu- tions, and 5,700 in the nomination of nobility and gentry. Livings of 10/. and 20/. in the king's book are sincel714, augmented by Queen Anne's bounty, which is about 13,000/. per annum, taken from the first-fruits and tenths of church livings above a certain value, which used to go to the Pope, before the Reformation. The "Book of the Church," by Dr. Southey, Poet Laureat, has obtained great eclat, and enjoys a large circu- lation. It is an epitome of Ecclesiastical history, bearing hard alike on the Puritans and Papists. He has taken every opportunity of vilifying the former and reprobating the latter — witness his excessive panegyric of Laud, of cruel and persecuting memory. The book has been at- tacked in various ways, and vindicated by its author with his usual learning and ability. The controversy has not been conducted with temper or charity. PROTESTANT DISSENTERS. Dissenters from the church of England made their ap- pearance in Queen Elizabeth's time, when, on account of the extraordinary purity which they proposed in religious worship and conduct, they were reproached with the name o^ Puritans. They were increased by the act of uniform- ity, which took place on Bartholomew-day, 1662, in the reign of Charles the Second. By this act 2000 ministers were obliged to quit the Established Church, refusing to 130 conform to certain conditions, whence they were called Nonconformists. Beside the penal laws made against them in Elizabeth's time, which were confirmed in the subsequent reigns, one of which was no less than hanish- ment, and another inflicting a mulct or fine upon every one not coming to church, the following Acts were passed: 1. The Corporation Act, in 1661, incapacitated the Dis- senters form serving their country in the lowest offices of trust. 2. The Act of Uniformity, in the year 1662, which silenced all the Noncomformist ministers throughout Eng- land, and deprived them of their maintainence. 3. The Conventicle Act, in 1663 and 1670, forbade all persons going to any separate places of religious worship, when more than five were present beside the family, under se- vere fines to be levied by seizure of goods, or so many months imprisonment, to be determined, not by a jury, but by a justice of the peace. 4. The Oxford Act, 1665j banished Nonconformist ministers five miles from every corporation that sends members to parliament. And, 5. The Test Act, this year, made them incapable of all places of profit or trust under government. The Puritans objected to the order of bishops, the liturgy, the clerical dress, the sign of the cross at baptism, &;c. These things being arbitrarily imposed upon them, they as firmly resist- ed them. It is not a little remarkable that Dr. Edwards, a clergyman of the Established Church, should have con- fessed in his celebrated work, styled " The Preacher," — " If we would but open our eyes, we should see that we are beholden to the Dissenters for the continuance of a great part of our theological principles ; for if the high churchmen had no checks, they would have brought in popery before this time by their over-rulling pomp and ceremony in divine worship; so that, if there had been no Dissenters, the church of England had been long since ruined !" And it is no less singular that David Hume, the apologist for the tyranny of the Stuarts, should, speaking of the Puritans, acknowledge that it was by their firm and persevering conduct that " the precious spark of liberty was kindled and preserved." An account of their lives, literature, and piety is to be found in Brooks's " History 131 of the Puritans." Their descendants are known by' the name of Protestant Dissenters, and rank under the three denominations Presbyterians, Independents and Baptists. An account of the Welch Nonconformists will be found in the '^ Cambro-British Biography," by the late Rev. William Richards of Lynn, with an introductory " Essay on Druidism," and smaller Tracts in an appendix pub- hshed by the Author of this Work. It is a very inter- esting publication, and a most acceptable present to the Principality. The principal Life is that of Vavasor Powell, (the Cambrian TVhitefield,) to whom the in- habitants of Wales are under the greatest obligations for the revival of religion amongst them. The volume is in- deed an Apendix to "Palmer's Noncomformists' Memo- rial," a work well known amongst the Dissenters. Of the origin and progress of the Dissenters, a full ac- count is contained in '' Neal's History of the Puritans," an improved edition of w^hich work, in five volumes, has been published by the late Dr. Toulmin, of Birmingham, who has accompanied it with notes, in which are obvia- ted the objections w^iich have been made to it by Grey, Maddox, Warburton, and others. Here the historian traces, step by step, the differences which occasioned the separation, and an affecting narrative is given of the suf- ferings which the Puritans underwent in the cause of re- ligious liberty. The Rev. T. Parsons, of Leeds, made, in two octavo volumes, an abridgment of this work. Dr. Toulmin published '' An Historical View of the State of the Protestant Dissenters in England, and of the Progress of Free Inquiry and Religious Liberty, from the Revolution to the Accession of Queen Anne." Dr. Toulmin justly remarks, " The revolution under William HI. introduced a new order of things in the ecclesiastical state of this country, and a new era in the history of the Dissenters from our establishment. The affairs of this large body of Protestants have since that time worn anew aspect. New questions in theology have been brought into discussion. New sects have sprung up. And under the different succeeding reigns new attempts have been made to extend the blessings of religious liberty and es- 132 tablish it on a firmer basis. These events are interesting to Dissenters, and are also connected with the history of the human mind, of the change of opinions, of the progress of reUgious truth and national felicity." A brief history of the Puritans was also published in 1772, by the Rev. J. Cornish, of Culliton. The principles on which the Dissen- ters separate from the church of England are much the same with those on which she separates herself from the church of Rome. They may be comprehended in these three : — 1 . The right of private judgment. 2. Liberty of Conscience. And 3. The perfection of Scripture as a Christain's or?/v/ rule of faith and practice. The Dissen- ter beheves that these principles are violated by the church of England, and by the church of Rome. — It is remarka- ble, that the Rev. Mr. Wix, a minister of the former re- ligious body, has proposed the Union of both Churches^ which has exposed him to the animadversion of almost all parties in the Christian world. The rights of Toleration (a term which might not have been used if, in fact, it had not been preceded by prohi- bition of religious acts interfering with the universality of the establishment) were not allowed till the Revolution of 1688, when the Act of Toleration passed. It enacted that the statutes of Queen Elizabeth and King James I. concerning the discipline of the church, should not extend to Protestant Dissenters, or that they should be exempt- ed from suffering the penalties the law inflicted, and per- mitted (on certain conditions, to which they in general consented) to worship God according to their own con- sciences. The conditions by which the act was limited are, that all Dissenting ministers are required not only to take the oaths of allegiance and supremacy, and to make the declaration against popery, but also to subscribe the doctrinal articles of the church of England. Beside, their places of worship must be registered, and their doors kept unlocked during the time of worship. But a fine of 20/. is incurred by any one who molests their devotions, by a statute of William and Mary, thus nobly securing the free exercise of their religion. Attempts, however, were made in the subsequent reign to abridge these liberties in 133 two instances. In the latter end of Queen Anne's reign, the Jacobite party had influence to get an act of parha- ment passed, called ^'The Occasional Conformity Bill," which forbade any person in any office under government to enter a meeting-house. Another bill also, denomina- ted the Schism BUI, had obtained the royal assent, which suffered no Dissenters to educate their own children, but required them to be put into the hands of Conformists, and forbade all tutors and schoolmasters being present at any dissenting place of worship. But providentially the Queen died August 1, 1714, the very day this iniquitious act was to have taken place ; and George the First being then elevated to the throne, a firm friend to civil and re- ligious liberty, he, in the fifth year of his reign, got the Schism Bill repealed. In his illustrious race, the Bruns- wick FAMILY, the sceptre has since continued under whom our legal rights have been preserved and augmen- ted. May it continue to latest posterity ! The Test Act excludes Dissenters from filling public offices, unless they take the sacrament at the Established Church, which some think cannot be honestly done by any conscientious Dissenter. Hence loud complaints have been raised respecting this exclusion, since, as mem- bers of the civil community, they are entitled to all the common privileges of that community. The Test Act was originally levelled against the Roman Catholics. The Dissenters have made several unsuccessful applica- tions for its repeal. The question was warmly agitated in the House of Commons, 1787, and on each side nu- merous publications issued from the press. The chief ar- gument urged for the continuance of the Test Act is, the safety of the Established Church. The principal argu- ments alleged for its repeal are, that it is a 'prostitution of the Lord's Supper, and that to withhold civil rights on account of religious opinions, is a species of persecu- tion. To the former circumstance Cowper the poet, a devout member of the church of England, alludes when he exclaims — Hast thou by statute shov'd from its dcsig-n The Saviour's feast, his own blest bread and wine,, 12 134 And made the symbols of atoning" grace An office-key, a picklock to a place. That infidels may prove their title g-ood. By an oath dipt in sacramental blood 7 A blot that will be still a blot, in spite Of all that g-rave apologists may write ; And thoug-h a Bishop toil'd to cleanse the stain. He wipes and scours the silver cup in vain. An application to the Legislature for the repeal of the Test Act is still in agitation, and it will have the good wishes of every friend of religious liberty. Equal rights belong to the members of a well-constituted community. Though the Dissenters made an unsuccessful applica- tion for rehef in the year 1773, yet in 1779 an act of parliament w as passed without any further application on their part, '' whereby the benefits of the Toleration Act were granted to Protestant Dissenting ministers and schoolmasters, upon condition of their taking the oaths of allegiance and supremacy, making the declaration against popery, and declaring their belief of the Holy Scriptures as containing a divine revelation." Before this period all Dissenters who kept public schools or taught youth in any private house, were liable, beside the forfeiture of their schools, to a fine of 40/. and to suffer three months' imprisonment. Nor could any person be legally qualifi- ed to keep a school or instruct youth without a license from the bishop, and a declaration of absolute conformity to the church of England. The Dissenters, as a body, have not been unfruitful of great and learned men. Among their ornaments are to be ranked Baxter, Bates, Howe, Owen, VVilhams, Neal, Henry, Stennet, Evans, Gale, Foster, Leland, Grosvenor, Watts, Lardner,Abernethy,Doddridge,Grove, Chandler, Gill, Orton, Furneaux, Farmer, Towgood, Robinson, Price, Kippis, Priestley, and Rees, &c. * Though among Dissenters sufficient encouragement is not * A neat edition of the works of Robert Robinson was published by Mr. Benjamin Flower, for which he deserves the thanks of the relig-ious world. Robinson was the apostl e of Christian liberty. His prefixed Memoirs by Mr. Flower, are an instructive piece of biography. Some of Mr. Robinson's MSS. have been just found, and will it is hoped, be g-iven to the world. He died at Birmingham 1791, ag-ed 54,— where a neat monument is erected to his memory. 135 given in certain cases to men of talents and integrity, yet among their more liberal denominations, it must be confessed, that a Dissenting minister may, unawed by a conclave of cardinals — a bench of bishops — or a board of ministers — exercise, in its fullest extent, the right of private judgment, which is the pride and pleasure of the human mind. In Pierce's " Vindication of the Dis- senters," Towgood's " Letters to White," and Palmer's *^' Protestant Dissenters' Catechism," (of which a much improved edition has been published by Dr. William Newman, of Bow,) — are stated the grounds on which their dissent from the Established Church is founded. This Catechism declares that there are seven principal things in the church of England on which the dissent from it is founded : — 1. Its general frame and constitu- tion as national and established. 2. The character and authority of certain officers appointed in it. 3. The im- position of a stated form of prayer called the Liturgy, and many exceptionable things contained therein. 4. The pretended right of enjoining unscriptural ceremo- nies. 5 The terms on which ministers are admitted into their office. 6. The want of liberty in the people to choose their own ministers ; and, 7. The corrupt state of its discipline. The author of the Catechism (since deceased) says, in the preface of the last edition, that Bishop Horseley declared, that it inculcates " no one principle of the Christian Religion, or of any Religion under the sun ;" but the author replies, that " it strong- ly inculcates, among other principles of Christianity, peaceableness, loyalty to the king, subjection to govern- ment, obedience to the laws, and charity." It is with things, and not with persons, that Christians have to do in religious matters, and dissent may be consistent with an enlightened and diffusive liberality. See Worsley's "Lectures on Nonconformity," of which an improved edition has been recently published ; also " Brookes's History of Religious Liberty," and Dr. Robert Winter's " Letters to a Young Person on Nonconformity," breath- ing the spirit of Christianity. Nor should we omit to state, that the Unitarian Dls- 136 senters have been relieved from certain penalties attach- ing to those denying the doctrine of the Trinity. Some individuals have suffered grievously on account of their Unitarian sentiments. These statutes are abolished, and it is hoped, for the honour of religion, of human nature, and of the country, that all penal statutes in matters of religion, will soon be annihilated. See the statute of re- peal at the close of " A Sketch of the History and Pro- ceedings of the Deputies appointed to protect the Civil Rights of the Protestant Dissenters ; to which is annexed a Summary of the Laws affecting Protestant Dissenters." The abolition of the above statute appears to have met the approbation, not only of the bench of bishops, but also of every churchman of good sense and piety. Protestant Dissenters, even of the most rigid descrip- tion, rejoice in this instance of a progressive advance towards entire Religious Liberty. KIRK OF SCOTLAND The word Kirk, signifying church is of Saxon original, though some consider it as a contraction of two Greek words, Kvoiov oizog, the House of God, and is still used in Scotland. The members of the Kirk of Scotland were, strictly speaking, originally the only Preshyteriam in Great Britian. Their mode of ecclesiastical government was brought thither from Geneva by John Knox, the celebrated Scotch Reformer, who has been styled the Apostle of Scotland, for the same reason that Luther was called the Apostle of Germany. The Presbyterians maintain that the church should be governed by Presbyteries, Synods, and General Assem- blies. The title Presbyterian comes from the Greek word Ilgsa^vrsgog, which signifies senior or elder. In the Kirk of Scotland there are fifteen synods and sixty-nine pres- byteries. Their articles are Calvinistic, and their Gene- ral Assembly is held annually in the Scotch metropolis. In 1581 the Presbytery of Edinburgh was erected — the first In Scotland ; but those courts called Presbyteries were not generally agreed to by the king till 1586, nor ratified by act of parhament until 1592, when Presbyte- rianism became the establishment of Scotland. At the Revolution, 1688, the Westminster Confession of Faith was received as the standard of the national faith, ordain- ing that " no person be admitted or continue hereafter to be a minister or preacher within this church, unless that he subscribe to this confession of faith, declaring the same to be the confession of his faith." And by the act of Union, 1707, the same is required of all "professors, principals, regents, masters, and others bearing office" in any of the four universities of Scotland. In the church of Scotland there are two parties, the one for confirming and extending the rights of patronage, the other for ex- tending the influence and securing the consent of the peo- ple in the settlement of ministers. The former party had, for a long period, Dr. William Robertson, the celebrated 12* 138 historian, at their head ; they designated themselves the moderate men, strenuously opposing what they called the wildness of orthodoxy, the madness of fanaticism^ and the frenzy of the people ! Dr. Witherspoon was at that time the leader of the other party, which he keenly sat- irizes in his " Ecclesiastical Characteristics, or the Arcana of Church Policy, being an humble attempt to open the Mystery of Moderation, wherein is shown a plain and easy Way of attaining to the Character of a Moderate Man, at present in repute in the Church of Scotland." The Kirk has no liturgy, no altar, no instrumental music ; and with respect to the latter, violent as well as effective was the opposition to a late proposal of its introduction at Glasgow. The sacrament, which, by law, should be ad- ministered four times, but is more generally administered only once or twice a-year is conducted with great solem- nity. The people are prepared for the ordinance by a fast on some day the preceding week, and by a sermon on Saturday, whilst they meet again on Monday morning for public thanksgiving. Logan's " Sermons" will furnish the reader with the form which accompanies the administra- tion. It is a singular circumstance that this church has no kind of ceremony in the interment of the dead ; the friends accompany the corpse to the grave, where it is laid without uttering a single word I The version of the Psalms which they sing in public worship, is wretched doggrel, but lately, under the title of " Translations and Paraphrases," they use a better kind of poetical compo- sitions, which, together with some Hymns, have been in- troduced by permission of the General Assembly. Dr. Beattie was anxious for the amendment of their psalmo- dy. His fine taste would have produced great improve- ment. As to discipline, it is not particularly severe, ex- cepting the Stool of Repentance on which Fornicators are obliged to sit for three successive Sundays in the pres- ence of the whole church. This is disused in the towns, but still practised in many of the country parishes in Scotland. The gradation of ecclesiastical government is Kirk Session, which consists of the minister, and elders, who are respectable laymen, somewhat like to (though 139 having a spiritual jurisdiction) churchwardens in England. The next court is Presbytery, then Provincial Synod, and, lastly, the General Assembly, which consists of 361 members, in the following proportion : 200 ministers rep- resenting Presbyteries, 89 elders representing Presbyte- ries, 67 elders representing royal boroughs, and 5 minis- ters, or elders, representing universities. They are chos- en annually, and meet in the month of May ; it has a president to represent the king, in the person of a noble- man, who is denominated the Lord High Commissioner, with a salary of 1500/. per annum, but he has no voice in their deliberations. Their clergy (with near 900 par- ishes) amount to near 1000, and their salaries from 100/. up to 500/. free from taxes. They maintain a respectable character for talents, learning, and piety. Dreadful scenes took place in Scotland previous to the establishment of Presbyterianism in its present form at the Revolution, and its confirmation in 1706, by the Act of Union between the two kingdoms. During the Common- wealth, Presbyterianism was the estabhshed religion, but, on the Restoration, Episcopacy was introduced in its room. So averse, however, were the Scotch to Episco- palians, and so harsh were the measures of the Episco- palian party, that the whole country was thrown into con- fusion. Leighton, the most pious and moderate prelate amongst them, disgusted with the proceedings of his breth- ren, resigned his archbishopric of Glasgow, and told the king " He would not have a hand in such oppressive measures, were he sure to plant the Christian Religion in an infidel country by them ; much less when they tend- ed only to alter the form of church government." On the other hand. Sharp, Archbishop of St. Andrew's (who had been an apostate from the Presbyterians), adopted violent measures, which terminated in his death : for in 1679, nine ruffians stopped his coach near St. Andrew's, assassinated him, and left his body covered with thirty- two wounds ! On the monument of this unfortunate pre- late, in one of the churches of St. Andrew's, I have seen an exact representation in sculpture of this tragical event. See Cruikshank's " History (in two volumes) of the State 140 and Sufferings of the Church of Scotland from the Re- formation to the Revolution,with an Introduction,contain- ing the most remarkable occurrences relating to that church from the Reformation." The ear tingles and the heart is agonised by the recital of the dreadfnl scenes which took place during this period of Scottish history, but ref- ernce has been already made to this horrible business in the article of the Episcopal Church of Scotland. Two poor women condemned to die for their religion were fas- tened down to a stake in the river when the tide was at its lowests ebb ; the weaves then gradually returned to suffocate their cries against this new species of the inhu- manity of their prosecutors. They gravely determined (it is said), on this mode of capital punishment, because burning at the stake was adopted by the Papists ; for they abhorred the most distant approach towards the prac- tices of Popery ! It was in these troubled times that the Presbyterians drew up their famous solemn League and Covenant, whereby they bound themselves to effect the extirpation of Epis- copacy ; and however useful they have found it, yet, as- suredly it was not dictated by the spirit of true religion. The Scotch church, however, is now improved in senti- ment and liberality, whilst some of their clergy stand fore- most in the departments of literature. Robertson, Hen- ry, Leechman, Blacklouk, Gerard,Campbell, Blair,Mack- night,Erskine, Hunter, and Ogilvie, are among its principal ornaments. In a selection of sermons,entitled "The Scotch Preacher," will be found a pleasing specimen of the pul- pit compositions of the Scotch clergy, delivered on par- ticular occasions, with an introductory Discourse by Mr. Bonar, which explains " the nature and tendency of the Ecclesiastical Constitution in Scotland." Dr. M'Cree's " IMemoirs of John Knox," and of " Andrew Melville," as well as Dr. Cook's "Account of the Scotch Church," in three volumes, written with a free and liberal spirit, are works of sterling merit, illustrative of the history of the Kirk of Scotland. 141 SECEDERS. Dissenters from the Kirk or Church of Scotland, call themselves Sececlers ; for as the term Dissenter comes from the Latin word dissentio, to differ, so the appella- tion Seceder is derived from another Latin word, seccdo to separate or withdraw from any body of men with which we may have been united. The secession arose from circumstances which were conceived to be great defections from the established church of Scotland. The Seceders are rigid Calvinists, rather austere in their manners, and severe in their discipline. Through a difference as to civil matters, they are broken down into Burghers and Anti-burghers. Of these two classes the latter are the most confined in their sentiments, and associate therefore the least with any other body of Christians. The Sece- ders originated under two brothers, Ralph and Ebenezer Erskine, of Stirling, about the year 1730. The Rev. George Whitefield, in one of his visits, to Scotland, was solemnly reprobated by the Seceders, because he refused to confine his it inerant labours wholly to them. The reason assigned for this monopolization was, that they were exclusively God's People ! Mr. Whitefield replied, that they had therefore the less need of his services, for his aim was to turn sinners from the error of their ways by preaching among them glad tidings of great joy ! The Burgess oath, concerning which the Seceders dif- fered, is administered, in several of the royal boroughs of Scotland, and thus runs ; '' I protest before God and your lordships, that I profess and allow with my heart the true religion presently professed within this realm and author- ised by the laws thereof; I shall abide thereat and de- fend the same to my life's end, renouncing the Roman re- ligion called Papistry." The Messrs. Erskine and others maintained there was no inconsistency in Seceders taking this oath, because the established religion was still the true religion in spite of the faults attaching to it, and hence were called Burghers. Messrs. MoncriefF and others thought the swearing to the religion as professed and au- thorised was approving the corruptions ; therefore the 142 oath was inconsistent and not to be taken — hence Anti- burghers. The kirk of Scotland, both parties say, still perseveres in a course of defection from her professed principles, and therefore the secession continues, and is increasing to the present day. See an '' Historical Ac- count of the Rise and Progress of the Secession," by the late Rev. John Brown, of Haddington. The Seceders ai-e strict Presbyterians, having their respective Associate Synods, and are to be found not only in Scotland, but also in Ireland and in the United States of America. Both classes have had amongst them ministers of learning and piety. Much to their honour, the Burghers and Anti- Burghers have recently dropped these invidious distinc- tions, and are united. There is also a species of dissenters from the church of Scotland called Relief, whose only difference from the Kirk is, the choosing of their own pastors. They arose in 175-2, and are respectable as to numbers and abili- ty. See a " Compendious View of the Religious System maintained by the Synod of Relief," by P. Hutcbinson, and also "Historical Sketches of the Relief Church, "&ic. by J. Smith. The Relief ^re Calvinists as well as Pres- byterians, but liberal in their views, admitting to their communions pious Christians of every denomination. REFORMATION IN SCOTLAND, The Reformation in Scotland, like that of Endand and Germany, struggled with a long series of opposition, and was at length triumphant. Dr. Thomas M-Cree, (a Scotch Seceder of Edinburgh,) in his able and interesting "Life of John Knox," in two volumes, has illustrated the character of this eminent reformer, and thrown much light on the rise and progress of the Reformation in Scotland. "Knox," says Dr. M., "bore a striking resemblance to Luther in personal intrepidity and in popular eloquence. He aproached nearest to Calvin in his religious sentiments, in the severity of his manner, and in a certain impressive air of melancholy which pervaded his character. And he 143 resembled Zuinglius in his ardent attachment to the prin- ciples of civ il hberty and in combining his exertions for the reformation of the church with uniform endeavour to improve the political state of the people. Not that I would place our reformer on a level with this illustrious triumvirate. There is a splendour which surrounds the great German reformer, partly arising from the intrinsic heroism of his character, and partly reflected from the in- teresting situation in which his long and doubtful struggle with the court of Rome placed him in the eyes of Eu- rope, which removes him at a distance from all who start- ed in the same glorious career. The Genevan reformer surpassed Knox in the extent of his theological learning, and in the unrivalled solidity and clearness of his judg- ment. And the reformer of Switzerland, though inferior to him in masculine elocution and in daring courage, ex- celled him in self-command, in prudence, and in that spe- cies of eloquence which steals into the heart, which per- suades without imitating, and governs without assuming the tone of authority. But, though he attained not to ' the first three,' I know not among all the eminient men who appeared at that period any name which is so well entitled to be placed next to theirs as that of Knox, wheth- er we consider the talents with which he was endowed, or the important services w^hich he performed." ENGLISH PRESBYTERIANS. The appellation Presbyterian is in England appropria- ted to a large denomination of dissenters, who have no at- tachment to the Scotch mode of church government, any more than to episcopacy amongst us, and therefore to this body of Christians the term Presbyterian in its original sense is improperly applied. This misapplication has oc- casioned many wrong notions, and should be rectified. English Presbyterians, as they are called adopt nearly the same mode of church government with the Independents. Their chief difference from the Independents is, that they are less attached to Calvinism, and consequently admit a 144 greater latitude of religious sentiment. It may be added, that their mode of admitting members into communion differs from that commonly practised among the Presby- terians. Dr. Doddridge in his *' Lectures" has this paragraph on the subject : " Those who hold every pastor to be as a bishop or overseer of his own congregation, so that no other person or body of men have by divine institution a power to exercise any superior or pastoral office in it, may, properly speaking, be called (so far at least) congre- gational ; and it is by a vulgar mistake that any such are called Presbyterians, for the Presbyterian discipline is ex- ercised by synods and assemblies, subordinate to each other, and all of them subject to the authority of what is commonly called a General Assembly.'^ Kippis, Price, Priestley, and Rees, names well known in the literary and scientific world, belonged to this por- tion of the religious community. IRISH PRESBYTERIANS. This denomination of Christians \sstnct\y Presbyterian, — their worship, disciplne, and government being similar to those of the Church of Scotland already detailed. They are indeed a portion of that church, separated by emigration, and planted in the north of Ireland so early as the reign of James the First. This monarch, when he ascended the throne of England, found Ireland in a wretched state of confusion and distraction. The province of Ulster, in particular, had been nearly depopulated by the repeated rebellions of its rival chieftains, and had al- most entirely reverted by forfeiture to the crown. Here King James wisely determined to plant Protestant colo- nies from Britain, who might not only strengthen his au- thority, but also extend the reformed faith through that unsettled and unenlightened country. From the proxim- ity of Scotland to Ulster most of the colonists were of that nation, to whom every encouragement was afforded tore- move thither. The ministers who accompanied the emi- 145 grants, though Presbyterians, were received on the same terms with the Prelatical clergy : they enjoyed the tithes and glebes of their respetctive parishes, met the bishop at his visitations, and occasionally sat in convocation at Dublin. They lived within the bosom of the Establish- ment in mutual peace and security, presenting a rare ex- emplification of Christian charity, and a happy proof how practicable it is for churches actuated by that divine spirit to live in undisturbed harmony. This comprehension, however, was broken up so soon as the spirit of forbearance deserted the hierarchy. On the appointment of the intolerent but unfortunate Strafford to the government of Ireland, incited by Laud, he urged the northern prelates to bring their clergy into exact and unsparing conformity to the ceremonies of the church. For this purpose, the English articles and canons were adopted by the Irish convocation, in 1634, though con- trary to the wishes of the mild and tolerent Primate Ush- er. Armed with these canons, and supported by the tre- mendous powers of a High Commission court at Dublin, the Presbyterian ministers were quickly deposed, and vig- orously persecuted by the bishops. Some died in their troubles, a few fled to Scotland, and others embarked for New England, at that time the asylum for all persecuted Protestants. Nor were the severities of Strafford and his partisans confined to the ministers. The nonconforming laity also suffered by fines, imprisonments, and confisca- tions. They were especially urged to take an oath, which went to bind them to pay unlimited obedience to all the royal commands ; and on refusing this, which the vast majority of the people did, they were subjected to heavy penalties. These intolerent measures, however, which were inconsistent equally with Christian charity as with sound policy, contributed to the ultimate safety and se- curity of the Presbyterians in the Ulster. They were the means of sending them in great numbers to Scotland during the year immediately preceding the rebellion of 1641 ; and thus were they saved from its horrors, and preserved to return after it had spent its force, and to re- 13 146 establish their church on still firmer foundations than be- fore. In 1642, many of the ministers returned to Ireland with the Scotch army which was at that time sent over to quell the rebellion. These ministers established the reg- ular discipline of Preshytery both in the army and coun- try, and diligently plied every effort to advance the inter- ests of religion in the province, now derserted by the its bishops, and with few of their clergy remaining. Their efforts were crowned with success ; and from this period we may date the commencement of that system of relig- ious instruction which has elevated Ulster so far above the other provinces of the kingdom ; which has made it the strong-hold of the reformed religion, the seat of manu- factories, the abode of peace, industry, and civilisation. During the civil war which so longdistractpd Britain, and through all the fluctuation of parties that characterized that period, the Presbyterians of Ireland preserved the steady and consistent course of their brethren in England — hostile to the abuses, but firmly attached to the inter- ests of a limited monarchy. They were opposed and per- secuted both by the royalist and republican parties that for some time successfully bore the sway in Ulster. With the one they could not join because they proclaimed Charles without any restrictions as to religion : to the oth- er they were obnoxious, because they condenmed the murder of the king, reprobated the abolition of the House of Lords. During the sway of the parliamentary party in the north, which continued from 1650 till the Restora- tion, they suffered many privations. They lost their benefices and legal m.aintenance, the tithes and glebes having been appropriated by commissioners appointed by parliament ; they were frequently imprisoned, and many banished to Scotland on account of the firmness and intre- pidity with which they maintained the cause of the exil- ed king. The restoration of Charles, however, which they con- tributed to promote, and to which they had anxiously looked forward as to the period of their deliverance, brought them no relief On the contrary, a sharper per- 147 secution than any they had hitherto experienced arose. They were again deposed from the ministry by the bish- ops, though the king himself, on whom two of their num- ber waited in person at Whitehall,had promised tliey should be protected. In one day, Jeremy Taylor declared near- ly forty churches vacant in his diocese of Down and Con- nor. About one hundred ministers refused the terms of conformity, and once more took their lot amidst poverty, reproach, and persecution. Some of the bishops were unu- sually severe. LesHe, bishop of Raphoe, kept some minis- ters in confinement for nearly six years, on no other charge than that of Nonconfority . They were now obliged to lurk privately in the country, to hold their meetings either in private houses or in woods and glens ; and though they often petitioned government, and stated their undisputed claims to its protection, yet for some time they were un- able to procure any mitigation of these severities. Through the interposition of their friends, particularly Sir Arthur Forbes, Earl of Granard, and Sir John Clotworthy, Lord Massareene, they at length succeeded in drawing the atten- tion of government to their situation. In consequence of this application, the severity of the bishops and their courts were repressed ; they were permitted to erect places of worship, and received from government an annu- al salary in consideration of their former losses and suffer- ings. Under the short and unhappy reign of James the Second, this support and protection were withdrawn, so that when the prospect of deliverance from his tyrannical sway presented itself in the person of the Prince of Or- ange, they hailed it with ardent joy, and supported his cause in Ireland with intrepid zeal. By William the Third, accordingly, they were amply favoured and protected. He doubled the sum they had formerly received from Charles, and secured to them the fullest toleration. His successor. Queen Ann, was by no means so favourable to the Presbyterian interest. In the beginning of her reign the Test Act, though long in force in England, was first imposed in Ireland, and the Presby- terians in the north suffered much by its enactment. The operation of this intolerent act in the city of London- 148 derry was peculiarly severe, and it may be quoted as an instance of its effects throughout the country. By it ten Presbyterian aldermen and twelve burgesses were forced to resign their corporation honours and emolument ; though many of these men had signalized themselves in the no- ble stand that city made against the despotic arms of James and had borne innumerable privations for the estab- lishment of that government which thus so ungratefully re- paid them. During the whole of this reign they were subjected to many harassing and vexatious annoyances from the ecclesiastical courts ; notwithstanding which, however, they continued to prosper as a church, and their congregations to increase in number and respectability. They early declared for the Hanoverian succession, anticipating from that event the extension and permanent establishment of their religious liberty ; and the result has equalled their most sanguine expectations. By the first of that family their religious privileges were secured and fixed on the broadest foundation. By George the Sec- ond, the right of solemnizing marriage — a right which had been exercised by their ministers from their first settlement in the kingdom — was solemnly recognized and established by the legislature. Under the long and truly paternal sway of George the Third, They continued to receive additional favours and privileges, among which we may especially notice the total repeal of the Test Act, and the liberal endowment of their congregations with an annual grant of nearly 15,000/., secured on these terms, that it cannot be withheld from one while it is continued to the rest, and that government shall not in any way interfere with the discipline or constitution of the church. By his present Majesty, when in Dublin, a deputation from their body was received with marked at- tention ; and to an address then presented they received an answer worthy of the Sovereign of these realms, and no less auspicious to them than to their dissenting breth- ren in other parts of the empire. The concluding para- graph is worthy of preservation : — " I have the fullest confidence in your faithful and firm attachment to my person and throne and you, may be assured of my con- 149 ^tant protection of those civil and religious liberties which ai*e the birthright of my people." The Presbyterian church has now existed in Ulster above two centuries, and throughout all its vicissitudes has preserved the w'orship, discipline, and government peculiar to this denomination of Christians. Its accredit- ed standards of doctrine are the same with those es- tablished in the church of Scotland.* Its candidates for the sacred office are subjected to the same routine of ex- amination and trial. Its church courts are constituted in a similar manner, with this exception, that in place of a general assembly of delegates, its supreme court is a sy- nod which meets annually in June, and consists of all the ministers, wuth an elder from each congregation. Its ministers, being above two hundred in number, are chosen by the people, not presented to their charges by patrons, as in Scotland, and are associated in fifteen Pres- byteries, which meet quarterly ; and its congregations have their respective elderships or sessions, and are situ- ated principally in Ulster, though a few be in some parts of Leinster and Connaught. On a moderate computation there is considerably above half a million of people in connexion with this church, consisting of the various clas- ses of society, and including in it a large portion of the agricultural, commercial, and manufacturing wealth of the country. The Presbyterians of Ulster have long been proverbial for their probity, and industry, intelligence, en- terprize, and independence ; and, in point of general religi- ous knowledge and moral conduct, may vie with any other denomination of Christians. Though they have been some- times taunted by ignorant and prejudiced persons with loy- alty and republicanism,yet their whole history evinces an unshaken attachment to the principles of the constitution, even in the worst of times. Both ministers and people are the staunch friends of civil and religious liberty, and on the great question of Catholic emancipation they have very generally given it their support. Till within these few years candidates for the sacred * See the letter of the Rev. D, Davinson, subjoined to this article — Editob, 13* 150 office among them were almost exclusively educated in Scotland, and were required to take the degree of master of arts at some of the universities there, before they could be admitted as students of divinity. But they are now generally educated at Belfast, where a college has been erected by the inhabitants of that enterprizing town, and which has been adopted by the Presbyterian church for the education of its young men. Here lectures are de- livered in the usual branches of a collegiate education, and the same discipline maintained as in the Scotch col- leges. Its chairs are filled by learned and able profes- sors, and the number of its students is annually increas- ing. It possesses strong claims to national support, and there is every reason to hope that this valuable seminary will shortly be endowed by government ; and thus the Presbyterian clergy of Ireland, like those of the Roman Catholic church, be provided with a permanent place of home education. Besides the general synod of Ulster, there are two other small bodies of Presbyterians in Ireland enjoying the same privileges with it. One is the Presbytery of Antrim, consisting of eight congregations lying in Bel- fast and its vicinity. It once formed a part of the synod, but is now a distinct body. It separated about a centu- ry ago, on the principle of non-subscription to the West- minster Confession of Faith, and its ministers are now considered as holding Arian sentiments. The other body is the Synod, or rather Presbytery, of Munster, consisting of ten congregations situated in Dublin and the principle towns of the south. They coincide more nearly with the Presbytery of Antrim than the gene- eral Synod of Ulster in their views of doctrine and dis- cipline. All these bodies, however, though thus differing in re- ligious sentiments, cordially co-operate with one another in every thing that concerns the general interests of the Presbyterian church. They have produced several minis- ters who, notwithstanding the disadvantagesof a provincial situation, and constant labours of parochial duty, have distinguished themselves as eminent writers in the reli- 151 gious world. Abernethy, who wrote on the attributes of God ; Boyse, the author of many valuable sermons and controversial pieces ; Duchal, who wrote on the presump- tive evidences of Christianity ; Leland, the famed antag- onist of the Deistical WTiters of the last century ; and Neilson, the author of several valuable works connected with the Greek and Irish languages, are more celebrated of their authors. Dr. Daniel Williams, founder of the Red Cross Street Library, &£C., London, was for many years a minister of this church, as was also Mr. Emlyn, till his unjust persecution for Arianism in the Court of King's Bench in Dublin, drove him to England. They number among them many other able writers ; but through the remoteness of their situation, and the dilBculty and expense of publication, their works have never been ad- equately known in the world of letters. It may be necessary to add further, that a branch of the Seceding, or Associate church of Scotland, is estab- lished in Ulster, w^ho also maintain the Presbyterian wor- ship and government. They were formerly divided into Burghers and Anti-burghers,, but like their brethren in Scotland, they have lately united ; and since their union have assumed, notwithstanding its manifest inappropriate- ness, the title of the Presbyterian Synod of Ireland. Its ministers are also educated at the Belfast College, and its congregations are endowed by government. The whole number of Presbyterians in Ireland may be taken at near a million of people. Those who are desirous of further information with re- spect to the Irish Persbyterians are referred to a new edition of " Palmer's Protestants Dissenters' Catechism," lately published at Belfast, containing an outline of their history drawn up by the Rev. James Smeaton Reid, Presbyterian minister at Carrickfergus. This gentleman, we understand, is at present engaged ia collecting materi- als for publishing a full and enlarged history of this body, the only portion of the reformed church in these islands that has not been illustrated by the labours of the histori- an. It is now proposed to supply this obvious chasm in her ecclesiastical history, and to trace with minuteness 152 the several vicissitudes that have befallen this body from the accession of James the First till the present time. The foregoing interesting article was communicated by a very respectable Presbyterian clergyman of Ulster, with full liberty to diminish or add by way of improvement ; but nothing of the kind seemed necessary. The author of the " Sketch" will only subjoin a letter received by him from his intelligent and liberal friend, the Rev. David Davison, A. M., successor of the late Dr. Abraham Rees in his church, Je win-street, London. Mr. Davison was formerly of Dundalk in Ireland, and is a competent judge of the preceding statement. His obliging letter, on the return of the communication, shall be inserted. " 18, King^S'Square, Nov. 4, 1826. '' My dear Sir, "I have read the abstract of the history of the Irish Presbyterians with great care. It seems to me to embrace the chief facts connected with their establishment and present condition, and to be drawn up in a spirit of great candour. There is, however, one circumstance over- looked by the writer, which I consider of great impor- tance, and which I take the liberty of supplying. The circumstance to which I allude ought to be introduced near the beginning of the first paragraph in the third page of the manuscript (page 149.) The writer, speaking of the doctrine and discipline of the Irish Presbyterian Church, states, that * its accredited standards are the same with those established in the Church of Scotland.' This sen- tence is ambiguous, and is likely to mislead those who are unacquainted with the subject. The conformity between the two churches is rather apparent than real. The West- minster Confession of Faith is the real standard of the Church of Scotland, because every intrant into the min- istry is obliged to subscribe it. Such was formerly the case in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland, but the prac- 153 tice of subscription to the Westminster or to any other Confession has long fallen into disuse among the great majority ofthe Presbyteries of which the General Synod of Ulster is composed. The only ground on which it can be said that the accredited standards of the two churches are the same, is this, that the rule of Synod, which requires subscription, has never been formally repealed ; and even this ground is removed by the adoption of a late code of discipline by the Synod, in which the question of sub- scription is left to the discretion of the several Presby- teries. " It is also worthy of observation, with respect to this point, that some of the few Presbyteries which still insist upon subscription, receive it in a very modified form, and I have known instances where even they have altogether dispensed with it. " I apprehend you will agree with me, that this is a circumstance by no means unworthy of notice, as it con- tributes to show the gradual increase of more enlarged and liberal views. This question was early agitated among the Irish Presbyterians. The Presbytery of Antrim sep- arated from the general body, as the respectable writer of the abstract mentions, about a century ago, on the princi- ple of Nonsubscription. Since that period the cause has continued to gain ground, till the non-subscribers are now become, as I have already stated, the great majority of the body. '^ You may make what use you please of these obser- vations, and hold me responsible for their accuracy. '' Believe me, my dear sir, '' Yours, very truly, " David Davison." '' Rev. Br. Evans, ^c. ^c.'' Such is the original document received respecting the Presbyterians of Ireland — amounting to near a million of people. Their history is little known on this side of the water ; but the intended publication of the Rev. J. S. Reid will prove a most acceptable present to the Christ- 154 ian world. His talents, industry, and liberality qualify him for the task he has undertaken, and there is every reason to suppose it will be executed in a manner which will yield general satisfaction. INDEPENDENTS. The Independents, or Congregationalists , who, as well as the Baptists, are an increasing body in this country, deny not only the subordination of the clergy, but also all dependency on other assemblies. Every congregation (say they) has in itself what is necessary for its own gov- ernment, and is not subject to other churches, or to their deputies. Thus this independency of one church with respect to another has given rise to the appellation Inde- pendents ; though this mode of church government is adopted by the Dissenters in general. The Independ- ents, who are uniformly Calvinists, have been improperly confounded with the Broumists ; for, notwithstanding they may have originally sprung from them, they excel them in the moderation of their sentiments, and in the order of their discipline. The first Independent or Congregation- al Church in England w^as established by a Mr. Jacob, in the year 1616 ; though a Mr. Robinson appears to have been the founder of this sect. '' Those who first maintained" (says the late Rev. S. Palmer, who w^as an Independent) " this opinion were called Congreagtional- ists, or Independents. This is the grand principle by which the Protestant Dissenters are distinguished, and in which they are all united. And this, indeeed, is the only principle upon which their liberties can be maintain- ed in their full extent ; for, if every Christian society have not the right above mentioned, a door will be open- ed to human governors in affairs of religion. And it is no great matter whether they be members of the legisla- ture, of a convocation, or an assembly, the authority of each being void of foundation in Scripture, and inconsist- ent with the natural rights of mankind." To this Inde- pendent or Congregational Denomination, belonged Dr, 155 John Owen, Dr. Isaac Watts, Dr. Philip Doddridge, and Job Orton, those ornaments of the Christian world. The Broumists, which have been just mentioned, were the followers of Robert Brown, a clergyman of the church of England, who lived about 1600. He inveighed against the ceremonies and discipline of the church, separated himself from her communion, and afterwards returned into her bosom. He appears to have been a persecuted man, of violent passions. He died in Northampton gaol, 1630, after boasting that he had been committed to thir- ty-two prisons, in some of which he could not see his hand at noon day ! Such persecutions are disgraceful to humanity. P^DOBAPTISTS. Before we proceed to the Baptists, it will be necessary just to remark, that all persons who baptize infants, are denominated Pcedobaptists, from the Greek word Huig, w^hich signifies child or infant, and ^anxo}^ to baptize. Of course the Established Church, the Presbyterians both in Scotland and England, together with the Independents, are all Pcedobaptists ; that is, baptizers of infants or children. Their reasons for this practice are to be found in Wall, Towgood, Addington, Williams, Horsey, Ed- wards, and others. They rest their arguments on the following circumtsances : — That baptism has succeeded instead of the rite of circumcision ; that households, prob- ably (say they) including children, were baptized ; that Jesus show^ed an affectionate regard for children ; and finally, that it is the means of impressing the minds of parents with a sense of the duties which they owe their offspring, upon the right discharge of which depend the welfare and happiness of the rising generation. Persons engage themselves as sponsors in the Established Church, who promise that they will take care of the morals of the children ; among other sects the parents are made an- swerable, who indeed are the most proper persons to un- dertake the arduous task, and to see it duly accomplished. 156 It is however remarkable, that Dr. Priestley, speaking of himself and followers, should declare, that they ^' baptize children more from the influence of settled custom, and through a desire of avoiding all disturbance, than from any fixed persuasion that they are under an obligation to baptized them !" — " History of the Corruptions of Christianity." The Rev. T. Belsham is the latest wrher on Infant Bap- tism, defending it, not by the declarations of the New Testament, but from its prevalence in the early ages of Christian antiquity. He has been replied to at some length by the Rev. Edwin Chapman of Deptford, in the " Four Lectures on Christian Baptism," delivered during the month of March 18-26, at Worship-street. BAPTISTS, GENERAL AND PARTICULAR. The Baptists are distinguished from other denomina- tions respecting the mode and subject of Baptism. They contend that tliis ordinance should be administered by im- mersion only, which is enjoined, though not practised, by the Church of England. They also assert, that it should be administered to those alone who profess their belief in the Christian religion, and avow their determination of regu- lating their lives by its precepts. Some of the learned, however, suppose that the controversy is not so properly whether infants or adults should be baptized, as whether the rite should be administered on the profession of our own faith, or on that of another^ s faith. See New Edi- tion of a valuable " Practical Discourse concerning Bap- tism," by the late William Foot, a General Baptist min- ister at Bristol, with " A Fragment on Christian Com- munion," with a liberal Preface, by the Rev. W. H. Murch of Frome. '' An Answer to the Question, Why are you a Baptist ?" is a neat manual on the subject. Tiie Baptists are divided into the General, who are 157 Arminians, and into the Particular who are Calvinists. Some of both classes allow mixed communion^ by which is understood, that those who have not been baptiz ed by immersion on the profession of their faith (but in their in- fancy, which they themselves deem valid) may sit down at the Lord's table along with those who have been thus baptized. This has given rise to much controversy on the subject. Mr. Killingworth and Mr. Abraham Booth wrote against free communion ; but John Bunyan, Dr. James Foster, Mr. Charles Bulkely, Mr. John Wiche, for many years a respectable General Baptist minister at Maidstone, and Robert Robinson of Cambridge, contend- ed for it. The Rev. Robert Hall and the Rev. Joseph Kinghorne have lately distinguished themselves in this controversy. The former has written in favour, and the latter against Free Communion. The Rev. R. Hall has epitomized his arguments in a pamphlet, entitled '' Reas- ons for Christian, not Party, Communion," written with his usual talent and liberality ; whilst the Rev. Mr. Ivim- ey has lost no time in replying to it. An '' Address to theopposers of Free Communion," written by Micaijah Towgood, will be found at the end of his excellent Biog- raphy, by the Rev. James Manning, of Exeter. It is a circumstance worthy of being recorded, and the truth of which was confirmed to me by the late Rev. Thomas Dunscombe, of Broughton in Hampshire, that a gentle- man of Clapham left a sum to be distributed among sev- eral Baptist churches, who should not forbid a Paedobap- tist from sitting down with them at the Lord's table ! This legacy displays the liberality of the deceased, and reflects honour on his memory. Free communion is gaining ground among the Baptists in Rhode Island and other parts of the United States of America. The most complete volume on Adult Baptism, is ^'Four Lectures, delivered at Worship-street Meeting-house, near Finsbury-square, London, during the month of March, 1826, on the History, the Subjects and Mode, the Per- petuity and the practical Uses of Christian Baptism ; by John Evans, LL. D., Edwin Chapman, James Gilchrist, and David Eaton." This work enters fully into the sub- 14 158 ject, and has excited much attention. Replies to tlie Lectures on the Perpetuity, and Answers to those Rephes, have appeared in the old series of the Monthly Reposi- tory. Dr. John Jones has broached a new mode of set- ting aside its perpetuity, by insisting on a metaphorical baptism, without w^ater — intended by our Saviour in his command to the apostles, Go ye and teach all nations, baptizing them — not in water — but as into three sacred streams, — Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, he. This per- fectly novel mode of administering Christian baptism is elaborately disproved in a paper of some length append- ed to the November No., 1826, of the "Monthly Re- pository." There has been also a spirited controversy on baptism between Dr. Cox of Hackney, and Dr, Ward- law of Glasgow. Would that the baptismal contest were never disunited from Christian charity ! The General Baptists have, in some of their church- es, three distinct orders separately ordained — Messengers, Elders, and Deacons ; and their General Assembly (when a minister preaches, and the affairs of the churches are taken into consideration) is held annually in Worship street, London, on the Tuesday in the Whitsum week, and they afterwards dine together with cordiality. They have thus met for upwards of a century. Dr. John Gale, a learned General Baptist, had a famous controversy, in the beginning of the last century, with Dr. Wall, vicar of Shoreham, who defended the practice of baptizing in- fants by immersion. But there has been a more recent controversy on the subject, between the late Abraham Booth and Dr. Williams. For an account of " The New- Connexion of General Baptists," in the middle counties, the reader is referred to Adam Taylor's ''History of the General Baptists," in two volumes. Robert Robinson published an elaborate work, entitled " The History of Baptism," illustrated with plates of the ancient fonts, &c., which he characterises at the close of his preface in these modest and appropriate words : ''I feel happy, on reflec- tion, that I did not set about this work on any motives below the dignity of a Christian, nor am I aware that I have prostituted my pen to serve a party, or once dipped 159 it in gall. Errors, undoutedly, there are many ; but when did any individual of my species produce a work of ab- solute perfection ? Such as it is I commend it to the can- did perusal of my brethren." To the class of Anti-trimtarian General Baptists, it has been no small gratification to find the immortal John Milton amongst them. In his recently-discovered theol- ogical work, he avows himself to be a Baptist, in these memorable words : ^' Under the Gospel, the first of the sacraments, commonly so called, is Baptism, wherein the bodies of believers who engage themselves to pureness of life are immersed in running water, to signify their regen- eration by the Holy Spirit, and their union with Christ in death, burial, and resurrection." Dr. Sumner, the translator, has this note on the passage : "In projluen- tem aquam. — By the admission of this word into the de- finition, it is evident that Milton attributed some impor- tance to this circumstance ; probably considering that the superior purity of running w^ater was peculiarly typical of the thing signified. Hence it appears that the same epithet, employed in ' Paradise Lost,' in a passage very similar to the pesent, is not merely a poetical ornament : -Them who shall believe, Baptizing- in the prqjiuent stream — the sig-n Of washing- them from g-uilt of sin to life, Pure and in mind prepared, — if so befall, — For death, like that which the Redeemer died. Book xii. 111. Tertullian concludes differently, arguing that any water which can be conveniently procured is sufficient for the spirit of the ordinance." Many ministers in Wales prefer, with Milton, the running water, and therefore bap- tize, as I have often seen them, in the rivers of the Prin- cipahty. This great man was decidedly in favour of the perpetuity of baptism ; using, however, these remarkable words : '' Indeed I should be disposed to consider baptism as necessary for proselytes, and not for those born in the church, had not the apostle taught that baptism is not merely an initiatory rite, but a figurative representation of our death, burial, and resurrection with Christ." Mil- 160 ton examines the passages adduced in behalf of infant baptism, showing their irrelevancy in this long, and often not over-chritable controversy. The propriety of the exclusive appellation of the term Baptists to those who baptize adults by immersion^ has been questioned. Hence they are by many styled Anti- j)cedobaptists, merely as opposing the validity of infant baptism. But the term Anabaptist ought never to be apphed to them. It is a term of reproach. The use of it is an indication of a want both of information and lib- erality. Dissenting Academies. The Three denominations of Protestant Dissenters possess their own Seminaries, where young men designed for the Christian ministry are educated. Among the Presbyterians are to be reckoned the academies at York, under the Rev. Mr. Wellbeloved, and at Caermarthen, in South Wales, under the Rev. Mr. Peters ; besides six ex- hibitions granted by Dr. Daniel Wilhams, to English Pres- byterian students to be educated at Glasgow. Among the Independants are to be mentioned the academies at Wymondley-house, near Hitchin ; at Homerton, under Dr. Pye Smith ; and at Highbury, Islington, under Dr. Harris. The latter is a recently-built edifice, beautifully situated, and does credit to their taste and liberality. The academy at Wymondley-house, conducted by the Rev. Mr. Morell, was originally under the care of Dr Philip Doddridge, of Northampton ; upon his decease it was con- signed to Dr. Ash worth, of Daventry ; but afterwards removed to Northampton, where the Rev. John Horsey superintended it for many years in a manner which did credit to his talents and piety. There is also an academy of Lady Huntingdon's, formerly at Trevecka, South Wales, now at Cheshunt. The Baptists have two ex- hibitions for students to be educated for four years, at one of the universities in Scotland (formerly Aberdeen, now 161 Edinburgh), given them by Dr. Ward, of Gresham Col- lege, the erudite author of "The System of Oratory." There is hkevvise an academy at Bristol, belonging to the Particular Baptists, known by the name of The Bris- tol Education Society, over which the late Dr. Caleb Evans, together with his venerable father, the Rev. Hugh Evans, aided by the Rev. James Newton and the Rev. Robert Hall, presided for years with respectability. It is now under the care of the Rev. Messrs, Crisp, and Anderson, and a large structure, which cost nearly 10,000/. has been built, with accomodations for the thirty students. Here is an excellent library, part of wdiich was a legacy from the late Drs. Llewellyn and GifFord ; also a Museum, containing a well-executed medallion of their former ac- tive and liberal president. Dr. Caleb Evans ; a painted window, representing scriptural scenes ; a collection of idols from the East Indies, and a specimen of the trans- lation of the sacred writings into the Eastern languages, by Dr. Carey, of Serampore, one of their own Baptist missionaries. The Particular Baptists have another academy, under the Rev. W. Steadman, at Bradford,. Yorkshire ; and a third has been established by them at Mile-End, having, during many years, for its president the Rev. William Newman, D. D.,now retired. A sim- ilar institution among the General Baptists has met with encouragement. It was under the superlntendance ot the author of " The Sketch of the Denominations." up- w^ards of twenty years, but it has lately been transferred to the Rev. James Gilchrist, Newington-green. The General Baptists of the New Connexion have an acade- my for the education of young ministers, under the Rev. Mr. Jerrom, of Wisbeach. A liberal education, both among Churchmen and Dissenters, lays the foundation for a respectable Christian ministry. The Protestant Dissenting Ministers obtain their hter- ary degrees either from Scotland or the United States of America, for they are excluded from the national univer- sities of Oxford and Cambridge, by the imposition of oaths, which no conscientious Nonconformist can • take on his admission. The term universitif is a misnomer, when it 14* 162 throws not open its gates to all classes of the community ! An Alma Mater should be bountiful, without invidious discrimination. Every enlightened and liberal mind must hail the ap- proaching erection of the London University, where no invidious distinctions will exist, being thrown open for the admission of all who are friendly to the intellectual and moral improvement of mankind. Dr. Daniel Williams, in 1711, " gave the bulk of his estate to charitable uses, as excellent in their nature as they were various in their kinds, and as much calculated for the glory of God, and the good of mankind, as any that have ever been known. He left his library for pub- lic use, and ordered a convenient place to be purchased or erected, in which the books might be properly dispo- sed of, and left an annuity for a librarian. A commodi- ous house was accordingly erected in Red-Cross-street, Cripple-gate, where his collection of books is not only properly preserved, but has been gradually receiving large additions. This is also the place in which the body of the Dissenting ^linisters meet to transact their buis- ness, and is a kind of repository for paintings of Non- conformist ministers, for MSS., and other matters of cu- riosity and utility." The building itself belongs to the Presbyterians, but it is by the trustees (23 in number, viz., 14 ministers, and nine lay gentlemen) handsomely devoted to the use of the Dissenters. Hence it is that the general body of Dissenting ministers of the three de- nominations meet here to transact public buisness, when called together, while at the annual meeting the sec- retary reports the changes that have taken place during the last year. The Library, since its original endow- ment, has been augmented by the donations of liberal- minded persons, and, lately, part of the founder's estate is appropriated for the purpose. Were every disssen- ting author, however, to send thither a copy of his pub- lications (a measure that has been recommended, and ought to be adopted,) the collection would soon recieve a considerable augmentation. A second edition of the catalogue, in one volume octavo, has been pubhshed, 163 with the rules respecting the use of it prefixed. Here, at a small expense, the births of the children of Dissen- ters are registered by the librarian, a circumstance which has been much neglected, but is deserving of special at- tention. The Rev. John Coates is the present librarian, and the library is open till three o'clock in the afternoon, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday excepted. A mummy, very old, but in high preservation, and a large skeleton of the first person executed on the Black Act, together with many valuable manuscripts, are among the curiosi- ties of the institution. Near to this spot stands Sion College, in London Wall, where the London Clergy meet to transact buis- ness, founded by Dr. Thomas White, formerly vicar of St. Dunstan in the West, who, among other charities, left 3000/. to purchase and build a college for the use of the London Clergy, with alms-houses for ten men and ten women. He also gave 160/. a-year for ever to the college and alms-houses, being 120/. for the support of alms-people, and 40/. per annum for the expenses of the foundation. A charter was procured in the reign of Charles I., for incorporating the clergy of London, by which all the rectors, vicars lecturers, and curates are constituted fellows of the college. The Rev. J. Simpson, rector of St. Olave's Hart-street, one of Dr. White's ex- ecutors, enlarged the institution, by building, at his owti expense, a library over the alms-houses, in which there is an extensive collection of books. The edifice was de- stroyed by the great fire of London. The present buil- ding, of plain brick, with a Latin inscription over its en- trance, having been repaired, has the appearance of re- spectability. Intelligent and liberal, zealous and faithful Ministers of the Gospel of every denomination under heaven, are blessings to the community. By their labours they build up the goodly fabric of sound morals, so essentially requisite to the well-being of individuals and of society, reared upon its only permanent basis, a rational and un- affected piety— 164 Thus fired by Virtue's animating' flame, The preacher's task persuasive sages claim — ■ To mould relig-ion to the moral mind, In bands of peace to harmonise mankind ; To life and lig-ht, and promised joys above, The softened soul with ardent hope to move ! Thoug-h different creeds their priestly robes denote, Their orders various, and their rites remote, Yet one their voice — their labours all combined. Lights of the world, and friends of human kind ; — So the bright galaxy o'er heaven displays Of various stars the same unbounded blaze, Where great and small their mingling rays unite, And earth and skies exchange their friendly light. Columbiad. Learning is the handmaid of Piety, nor are its energies ever more honourably employed than in upholding the interests, as well as in promoting the spirit of true relig- ion, throughout the world. TWENTY-FOUR MISCELLANEOUS SECTS. To the preceding systematical distribution of the sev- eral denominations of the Christian world, shall be added a few sects, which cannot fall under the three general di- visions which have been adopted. QUAKERS, OR THE FRIENDS. The (Quakers appeared in England about the year 1550. See "A Summary of the History, Doctrines, and Discipline of Friends, written at the desire of the Meet- ing for Sufferings in London." This pamphlet was pub- lished at the end of the work, entitled " A refutation of some of the more modern Misrepresentations of the So- ciety of Friends, commonly called Quakers, with a Life of James Nayler," by Joseph Gurney Bevan. It is difficult to give a specific statement of their tenets ; but they may be found in a well-written " Apology," by Robert Barclay, a learned Quaker, who died in Scotland, 1690. George Fox, the founder of this sect, was born 1624. He exhibited ie\N articles of faith, and insisted mostly on morality, mutual charity, and the love of God. The religion and worship he recommended was simple and without ceremonies. To wait in profound silence for the influence of the Spirit, was one of the chief points he inculcated. The Quakers have places of worship, where they reg- ularly assemble on the first and other days of the week, though sometimes without vocal prayer, or any religious 166 exhortation. They reject the celebration of of water-bap- tism and the Lord's Supper as outward ordinances ; have no distinct order of ministers, though their speakers are under certain regulations ; and being firm opposers of the Calvinistic doctrines of Election and Reprobation, are ad- vocates of the Arminian system of doctrine, so far at least as respects the universal love of God to man, in or- der to his salvation. Their internal government is much admired : their own poor are supported without parochial aid, and their indus- try and sobriety are deserving of imitation. They also reprobate the destructive practice of war, the infamous trafic in slaves, and profess their abhorence of religious per- secution. Refusing to pay tithes as an antichirstian imposition, they suffer the loss of their goods and of their liberty, rather than comply with the demand, and their losses are emphatically termed by them suffer- ings. Many have endured long imprisonments on that account. The Quakers object to all oaths, as having been prohibited by Christ, when he said, " swear not at all ;" and their affirmation is permitted in all civil, but not in criminal cases. In the tyrannical reign of the Stuarts, the Friends suffered, in common with the Puri- tans, the severest persecution. Even the famous Wil- liam Penn w^as tried at the Old Bailey ; and his defence on the trial, an account of which is to be found in his works, is honourable to his legal knowledge, fortitude, and integrity. A cheap edition of this trial has been prin- ted for general circulation. It presents a sad picture of the times, and is an eloquent comment on the wretched consequences of religious bigotry. With regard to the resurrection of the body, they have deemed it more safe not to determine how or when we shall be raised ; yet they have a firm behef in a resur- rection of the dead, and in a future state of retribution. Sewell, in his " History of the Society," expresses himself in behalf of a resurrection, but without determin- ing the mode in which infinite wisdom may preserve a consciousness of identity in another stage of our existence ; and Barclay, in his confession and catechism, used only 167 he words of Scripture on the subject, without expressing the manner m which he understood them. The same re'' mark applies to his account of the divinity of ChriTt" though It appears, by the whole tenor of the tenth chamer of his^^ Catechism "and the seventeeth arti le of'h Confession o Faith," concerning worship,* that he held worship, strictly speaking, to be due to the Father onU nor does he quote in either of the selections any of the texts which are supposed also to authorize offerincr un prayers to Christ ; and he is wholly silent respecting the that \\illiam Penn was more explicit on the subject: and no wnter of acknowledged reputation among them has ad- mitted any distinction of persons in the Deity, or in the mode of his existence, which in some form or other is mamtamed by all who can be properly termed Triniata- nans In Penn's ^^ Sandy Foundation Shaken," he speaks with freedom against many doctrines which are held in general estiiiiation. The title of the book speaks lor Itself, and shall be transcribed : "The Sandy Foun- dation Shaken, or those sogenerallybelieved and applaud- ed doctrines, of one God subsisting in three distinct and seperate persons: the impossibility of God's pardonino- sm without a plenary satisfaction : the qualification of im- pure persons by an imputative righteousness, refuted from the authority of Scripture testimonies and right reason " See a learned defence of this work by Richard Clarrido-e pubhshed in his posthumous works in 1726. ^ ' It appears that Penn, having in his work reprobated the leadmg doctrines of Calvinism, a violent outcry was raised agamst him. He therefore vindicated himself in a pamphlet, called " Innocency with her open Face " in which he says— '^ As for my being a Socinian, I must con- less 1 have read of one Socinus, of (what they call) a no- ble family m Sene, Italy, who, about the year 1574,being a young man, voluntarily did abandon the glories, pleasures, aiid honours of the Great Duke of Tuscany's court at Florence, that noted place for all worldly delicacies, and * Barclay's Works, vol. i. pp. 258 to 261, and 300, 8vo. 168 became a perpetual exile for his conscience, whose parts, wisdom, gravity, and just behaviour made him the most famous with the Polonian and Transylvanian churches; but I was never baptized into his name, and therefore deny that reproachful epithet ; and if in any thing I acknowl- eds-e the verity of his doctrine, it is for the truth s sake, of which in many things he had a clearer prospect than most of his contemporaries: but not therefore a bocmian any more than a son of the English church, whilst esteem- ed a Quaker, because I justify many of her principles since the Reformation against the Romish church. J3ut we will add another paragraph, where Penn s principles are epitomised. '' And to shut up my apology lor re- lio-ious matters, that all may see the simplicity, scripture doctrine, and phrase of my faith, in the most important matters of eternal life, I shall here subjom a short con- fession: — ,. ., 'a sincerely own and unfeignedly believe (by virtue of the sound knowledge and experience received from the 2;ift of that holy unction and divine grace inspired trom on hidi) in one holy, just, merciful, almighty, and eternal God, who is the father of all things ; that appeared to the holy patriarchs and prophets of old, at sundry times and in divers manners ; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the everlasting Wisdom, divine power, true light, only savi- our, and preserver of all ; the same one, holy, just, mer- ciful, almighty, and eternal God, who, in the fullness ot time, took and was manifest in the flesh, at which time he preached, and his disciples after him, the everlastmg gos- pel of repentance, and promise of remission of sins, and eternal life to all that heard and obeyed ; who said, he that is with you (in the flesh) shall be in you (by the spirit) ; and though he left them (as to the flesh,) yet not comfortless, for he would come to them again (in the spir- it :) for a little while, and they should not see him (as to the flesh) ; asiain, a little while, and they should see him (in the spirit for the Lord (Jesus Christ) is that spirit, a manifestation whereof is given to every one, to proht withal ;— in which Holy Spirit I believe, as the same al- mighty and eternal God, who, as in those times he ended 169 ^ iaifedt L"?''T'.''^^ "^^"^'^^ guide to ti.em that '^' I L 7 ' ^^ """^^'^ ^^^y ^^^'^ adopted heirs and co-heirs of glory ; so am I a living witness that the same holy, just, merciful, almighty, and'eternal God is tw as then, after this tedious night of idolatry, super tition and ouT m"T'°::^' '\'' ^"^^ overspreac^'the' ^oT^^ ously manifested to discover and save from all inicfuity ;l^rr"."^r''^^^ ^-^ of pm. and enE peace n a word, to tabernacle in men. And I also Xf^'V'"'' "^^-V^'^P^"^^"§ ^^"^ ^--king of p St sms, and walkmg in obedience to the heavenly voice which would guide into all truth, and establish there re^ them that fear his name and keep his comandments, they, and they only, shall have a right to the tree of life • for whose name's sake I have been made willing to relinquish and forsake all the vain fashion, enticing pleasures, allur- mg honours, and glittering glories of this transitory world, and readily to accept the portion of a fool from this deri- ding generation, and become a man of sorrow, and a per- petual reproach to my familiars ; yea and with the great- est cheerfulness can obsignate and confirm (with no less zeal, than the loss of whatsoever this doating world ac- counts dear) this faithful confession; having my eye fix- ed upon a more enduring substance and lasting inheritance, and being most infallibly assured that, when time shall be no more, I shall, if faithful hereunto, possess the man- sions ol eternal life, and be received into his everlasting habitation of rest and glory !" This is an explicit declaration of the principles of Qua- kerism, taken from the works of William Penn ; because, ol all their writers, he is, in general, the most perspicuous, and, as to his character, possesses a high respectabillity! bee Clarkson's '' Life of Penn," where his principles and history will be found detailed. Indeed, there seems to be a much greater uniformity in their dress than in their opinions, though it is probable that the generality of them adhere to the fundamental doctrmes of the gospel. As a proof of the diversity of opinion amongst them, we may refer to the proceedings 15 170 of the Society against Hannah Barnard, a celebrated speaker from Hudson, New York, in North America,lately deceased. For her opinions respecting the Jewish wars, and the miraculous conception and miracles of ^ Christ, she was first silenced, and afterwards in America dis- owned. There are seven Yearly Meetings among them, by each of which all rules and advices are formed for the 2;eneral government of the society in the countries where they are respectively established. And no mernber of the society is precluded from attending, or partaking in the deliberations of these assembhes, which are nevertheless, strictly speaking, constituted of representatives, by regular appointment from each quarterly meeting. The follow- ing are the seven yearly meetings: 1. London, to which come representatives from Ireland ; 2. New England ; 3. New York ; 4. Pennsylvania ^nd New Jersey ; 5. Mary- land ; 6. Virginia ; 7. The Carolinas and Georgia. The form and colour of their clothes, together with their modes of salutation, though they themselves consider them as most consistent with that simplicity and gravity which the Gospel inculcates, have been thought to savour of affec- tation ; they certainly exhibit a striking contrast to the frippery and courtesy of modern times. At Ackworth they have a respectable school, to which Dr. Fothergill left legacies, and where about one hundred and eighty boys, and one hundred and twenty girls are educated. Towards the close of the sixteenth century, William Penn, who founded Pennsylvania, introduced and established a colony of them in America. His treaty with the Indians on that occasion has formed a subject for the pencil, and reflects immortal honour on his philanthropy. In addition to the treatises mentioned as written by the Friends, the reader is referred to the following works : '' The Faith of the People called Quakers in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ," &:c., by Henry Tuke ; "The Principles of Religion, as professed by the Society of Christians called Quakers," &c., by the same author; *' Thoughts on Reason and Revelation, fcc, by Joseph Gurney Bevan. But the work which has most excited 171 the public attention, and perhaps because the author is not one of the Society, is Clarkson's " Portraiture of Qua- kerism, in three volumes 8vo. It contains much infor- mation respecting them. Some are inclined to think that tlie Society is here described rather as they ought to be than as they are; but the reader is recommended to the perusal of the work itself, when he will have it in his power to form his own judgment respecting Its justness and fidelity. Mr. Clarkson calls the sentiments of the Friends respecting Government, Oaths, War, and the Maintenance ol a Gospel Ministry, the Four great Tenets of the Society bee also "Devotional and Doctrinal Extracts from Epis- tles of the Yearly Meetings in London of the People called Quakers, from the year 1678 to 1810, dedicated to the Friends, and especially to the Rising Generation among them.'' Mr. Gurney, of Norwich, has published an elegant and copious statement of" The Principles of the Friends," and also "A View of the Evidences of Christianity." ' METHODISTS, BOTH CALVINISTIC AND ARMINIAN, Including the Followers of John Wesley, of George Whitefield, and the Countess of Huntingdon. The Methodists in this country form a large part of the community. In the year 1729, they sprang up at Ox- ford, under Mr. Morgan, who soon after died, and under Mr. John Wesley. In the month of November of that year, the latter being then fellow of Lincoln College, be- gan to spend some evenings in reading the Greek New Testament, along with Charles Wesley, student, Mr. Morgan, commoner, of Christ Church, and Mr. Kirkman, of Merton College. Next year two or three of the pu- pils of Mr. John Wesley, and one pupil of Mr. Charles Wesley, obtained leave to attend these meetings. Two years after they were joined by Mr. Ingham, of Queen's 172 College, Mr. Broughton, of Exeter, and Mr. James Her- vey, and in 1735 they were joined by the celebrated Mr. Whitefield, then in his 18th year. They soon obtained the name of Methodists, from the exact regularity of their lives, which gave occasion to a young gentleman of Christ Church to say, " Here is a new sect of Methodists sprung up !" alluding to a sect of ancient physicians, who prac- ticed medicine by method, or regular rules, in opposition to quackery or empiricism. Thus was the term Metho- dists originally applied to this body of Christians, on ac- count of the m.ethodical strictness of their lives ; but it is now by some indiscriminately appropriated to every in- dividual who manifests a more than ordinary concern for the salvation of mankind. These heads differing soon afterwards in religious sen- timents, their followers distributed themselves into two parties, the one under the late Rev. Geo. Whitefield, the other under Messrs. John and Chas. Wesley. Ed- ucated at Oxford, these leaders still continued to profess an attachment to the articles and liturgy of the estab- lished church, though they more commonly adopted the mode of worship which prevails among the Dissenters. Upon their being excluded from the pulpits in many churches, they took to preaching in the fields ; and from the novelty of the thing, in conjunction with the fervour of their exertions, they were attended by some thousands of people ! In their public labours, Mr. Whitefield hav- ing a most sonorous voice, was remarkable for an engag- ing and powerful eloquence : whilst Mr. John Wesley, being less under the influence of his passions, possessed, both in writing and preaching, a perspicuous and command- ing simplicity. Even their enemies confess that the Methodists have contributed to reform the lower classes of the community. The Colliers at Kingswood, near Bristol, and the tinners in Cornwall, were greatly benefitted by their exertions. In consequence of their attention to the religion of Jesus, by the instrumentality of these preachers^ many of them rose to a degree of respectability, and became valuable members of society. The followers of Mr. Wesley are 173 Arminlans, though some of his preachers inchne to Bax- terianism. The followers of Mr. Whitefield are Calvin- ists, and were patronized by the late Countess Dowager of Huntingdon, to whom Mr. Whitefield was chaplain, and who was a lady of great benevolence and piety. The late Lady Erskine, a relation of the celebrated Erskine, took her situation, and was said to be equally attentive to the concerns of this part of the religious community. With respect to the splitting of the Metho- dists into Calvinists and Arminians, it happened so far back as the year 1741, the former being for Particular , and the latter for Universal redemption. The late Lord Erskine reading the above paragraph, sent me the following communication, which I insert with pleasure : '' The person you allude to was Lady Ann Agnes Erskine ; and I consider it to be the highest illus- tration of my name and family that she was my sister, because I am confident that since the beginning of the Christian era, there never was a human being ([ can ex- cept no saint or martyr) more evangelical, more ration- ally devout, or more fervently zealous, or distinguished by a more exalted and, as men too vainly describe it in their favour, a more masculine understanding!" The distinguishing principles of Methodism are, salva- tion by faith in Jesus Christ ; perceptible and, in some cases, instantaneous conversion, and an assurance of re- conciliation to God, with which, they say, the new birth, or being born again, is inseperably attended. On these doctrines they lay the utmost stress ; and much curious information respecting these topics will be found in the late Dr. Haweis's '' History of the Church of Christ." This work, however, is deficient in references to author- ities, the soul and substance of history. Several persons have written the Life of Mr. Wesley ; there is one by Mr. Hampson, another by Dr. Whitehead, and a third by Dr. Coke and Mr. More. Whitefield's Life was drawn up by the late Dr. Gillies, of Glasgow. INIr. Wesley and Mr. Whitefield both published accounts of their itinerant labours in this kingdom and in America. These sketches are entitled "Journals," and though containing many 15* 174 strange things, serve to illustrate the progress of Metho- dism. Mr. Hampson, in his "Memoirs of Mr. Wesley," a well-written work, says, "If they possess not much knowledge, which, however, we do not know to be the case, it is at least certain they are not deficient in zeal ; and, without any passionate desire to imitate their exam- ple, we may, at least, commend their endeavours for the general good. Every good man will contemplate with pleasure the operation of the spirit of reformation, wheth- er foreign or domestic, and will rejoice in every attempt to propogate Christianity in the barbarous parts of the world, an attempt which, if in any tolerable degree suc- cessful, will do infinitely more for their civilization and happiness, than all the united energies of the philosophi- cal infidels, those boasted benefactors of mankind." The Eiglity-eighth Annual Conference of the Metho- dist Preachers was held at Liverpool, July 26, 1826. It was there reported, that the number of members in Great Britain is 231,045, being and increase of 1378 during the past year; in Ireland, 22,514, being an increase of 437 ; in foreign stations, 32,960, being an increase of 626. Total, 286,519; increase during the past year, 2,441 members. The grand total of Wesleyan Methodists through the world is 630,081, of whom 2418 are preach- ers in the Connexion. In their Address to the American Methodist Bishops, the Conference acknowledge that the times have injured them, adding, " We cannot this year report a very large increase of numbers, but we trust that we are still favoured with a considerable degree of relig- ious prosperity." NEW METHODISTS. The New Methodist Connexion, among the followers of Mr. Wesley, separated from the original Methodists in 1797. The grounds of this separation they declare to be church-government, and not doctrines, as affirmed by some of their opponents. They object to the old Methodists for having formed a hierarchy, or priestly corporation, and 175 say that, in so doing, they have robbed the people of those privileges which, as members of a Christian church, they are entitled to by reason and scripture. The New Methodists have established every part of their church-gov- ernment on popular princicples, and profess to have uni- ted, as much as possible, the ministers and the people in every department of it. This is quite contrary to the original government of the Methodists, which, in the most important cases, is confined only to the ministers. This, indeed, appears most plainly, when the Conference, or Yearly Meeting, is considered ; for in this meeting no person who is not a travelling preacher, has ever been suffered to enter as a member of it ; and, indeed, this is the point to which the preachers have always steadfastly adhered with the utmost firmness and resolution, and on which the division at present entirely rests. They are also upbraided by the New Methodists, for having abus- ed the power they have assumed ; a great many of these abuses the New Methodists have formally protested against which are enumerated in various publications, and par- ticularly in the Preface to the Life of one of their de- ceased friends, Mr. Alexander Kilham. Hence these New Methodists have been sometimes denominated Kil- hamites. Though these are the points on which the division seems principally to have rested, yet there are several other things that have contributed to it. It is frequently easy to foresee and to calculate the future changes in society that the lapse of time will produce ; and in no instance is this observation better warranted than in this division, which most persons have long expected. The old attachment of the Methodists to the Established Church, which originated in Mr. Wesley, and was cher- ished by him and many of the preachers by all possible means, and also the dislike to these sentiments in many others of the preachers, and of the societies, were nev- er-failing subjects of contention. As all parties are dis- tistinguished in their contests by some badge or discrimin- ating circumstance, so here the receiving, or not receiving, the Lord's Supper in the estabhshed Church, was long 176 considered as the criterion of Methodistical zeal or disaf- fection. Thus the rupture that had been long foreseen by intelligent persons, and for which the minds of the Methodists had been undesinedly prepared, became inev- itable, when Mr. Wesley's influence no longer interfered. Soon after Mr. Wesley's death, many things had a ten- dency to displease the societies, and bring forward the division. Many petitions having been sent by the socie- ties to the preachers, requesting to have the Lord's Sup- per administered to them in their own chapels, the peo- ple had the mortification to find that this question was de- cided by lot, and not by the use of reason and serious discussion ! The New Methodists profess to proceed upon liberal, open, and ingenuous principles in the construction of their plan of church-government ; and their ultimate decision, in all disputed matters, is in their popular annual assem- bly, chosen, by certain rules, from among the preachers and societies. These professions are at least generous and liberal ; but as this sect has yet continued for only a short season, little can be said of it for the present. It becomes matter of curious conjecture and speculation, how far the leading persons among them will act agreea- bly to their present liberal professions. If they should become firmly established in power and influence, and have the opportunity of acting otherwise, they have at least the advantage of the example of their late brethren, and of Dr. Priestley's remarks upon them. Speaking of the leading men among the Methodists, the Doctor says — " Finding themselves by degrees at the head of a large body of people, and in considerable power and in- fluence they must not have been men, if they had not felt the love of power gratified in such a situation ; and they must have been more than men, if their subsequent con- duct had not been influenced by it." A shrewd hint, that Dr. P. thought the Methodists had been too remiss in their attention to their liberties, which they ought to convey down entire and unmutillated to posterity.* ♦This article was sent to the Editor by a correspondent at Notting- ham, and is inserted with a few alterations and additions. 177 PRIMITIVE METHODISTS, OR RANTERS. With their Camp Meetings. These are a disowned branch of the Wesleyan Metho- dists, originating in Staffordshire, under Hugh Bourne, who wrote their history. This is a small pamphlet, en- titled, " History of the Primitive Methodists, giving an Account of their Rise and Progress, up to the year 1823," by Hugh Bourne, Bemersley,near Tunstall, printed for the author, at the office of the Primitive Methodist Connexion, by J. Bourne. This J. Bourne,printer,is a preacher,togeth- er with his brother, Hugh Bourne, under both of whose labours has arisen the Primitive Connexion. It com- menced at Harreshead, and on Mow* the first Camp- meetings being disapproved of by the old Connexion, a separation took place, when H. and J. Bourne enlarged their views, and the cause spread in every direction. So- cieties were established at Boylstone, Todeley, and Hall- ington, in Derbyshire. A general meeting was held at Tunstall, Feb. 13, 1812, and a preparatory meeting at Nottingham, Aug. 18, 1819, when arrangements were made for annual meetings, quarterly meetings having been held in March, June, September, and December, under which "the work mightily enlarged." Missionary exer- tions, which had been declining, were revived at Helper " very powerfully," while "the praying people, in return- ing home, were accustomed to sing through the streets of Belper!" It is added, that "this circumstance procured them the name of Ranters, and the name of Ranter, wdiich first arose on this occasion, afterwards spread very extensively." The work, we are told, then spread to Derby and Nottingham, whence circuits were established, one circuit having been hitherto sufficient for the Connex- ion. The camp-meetings also had dechned, but were thus revived. "The declining state of the camp-meetings was se- verely felt in the circuit, and caused considerable anxiety ; * Mow, a large mountain between Staffordshire and Cheshire, five Miles from the Potteries. 178 but as much prayer and supplication was made to Al- mighty God, he, in the year 1816, pointed out both the evil and the remedy by the following means : H. Bourne had put into his hand, ' The Narrative of a Mission to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick,' he, by J. Marsden, Meth- odist Missionary." The author, during his mission, vis- ited 'New York, and attended several of the Am.erican camp-meetings. These meetings continue day and night, for several days together. He shows that they have sometimes four, and sometimes five preachings, in the course of twenty-four hours ; and the intermediate time is filled up with services carried on by praying companies. He says, '' During my continuance in this city, I had an opportunity of attending several camp-meetings, and as the nature of these stupendous means of grace is not dis- tinctly known, I will spend a few moments in making my readers acquainted with them. " The tents are generally pitched in the form of a cres- cent, in the centre of which is an elevated stand for the preachers, round which, in all directions, are placed rows of planks for the people to sit upon, while they hear the word. Among the trees, which spread their tops over this forest-church, are hung the lamps, which burn all night, and give light to the various exercises of rehgion which occupy the solemn midnight hours. As it was nearly eleven o'clock at night when I first arrived on the borders of a camp, I left the boat at the edge of the wood, one mile from the scene, though the sound of praise from such a multitude, and at such an hour, in the midst of a solitary wilderness, is difficult to describe ; but when I opened upon the camp-ground, my curiosity was conver- ted into astonishment, to behold the pendant lamps among the trees — the tents half encircling a large space — four thousand people in the centre of this, listening with pro- found attention to a preacher, whose stentorian voice and animated manner carried the vibration of each word to a great distance through the now deeply-umbrageous wood ; where, save the twinkling lamps of the camp, brooding darkness spread a tenfold gloom ; — all excited my aston- ishment, and forcibly brought before my view the He- brews in the wilderness. 179 " The meetings generally begin on Monday morning, and on the Friday morning following break up. The daily exercises are carried forward in the following man- ner : In the morning at five o'clock, the horn sounds through the camp, either for public preaching or prayer ; this, with smaller exercises, or a little intermission, brings on the breakfast hour, eight o'clock. At ten, the horn sounds for public preaching ; after, which, until noon, the interval is filled up with little groups of pray- ing persons, who scatter themselves up and down the camp, both in the tents and under the trees. As these smaller exercises are productive of much good, a power- ful spirit of prayer and exhortation is often poured forth I have not unfrequently seen three or four persons lying on the ground, crying for mercy, or motionless, without any apparent signs of life except pulsation. After din- ner, the horn sounds at two o'clock ; this is for preaching. I should have observed, that a female or two is generally left in each tent, to prepare the proper materials for din- ner, which is always cold meats, or pies, tarts, tea he. (the use of ardent spirits being forbidden,) and a fire is kept burning in different parts of the camp, where the water is boiled. After the afternoon preaching, things take nearly the same course as in the morning, only the praying groups are upon a larger scale, and more scope is given to animated exhortations and loud prayers. Some who exercise on these occasions soon lose their voices, and, at the end of a camp-meeting, many, both preachers and people, can only speak in a whisper. At six o'clock in the evening the horn summons to preaching, after which, though in no regulated form, all the above means continue until morning : so that, go to whatever part of the camp you please, some are engaged in them ; yea, and during whatever part of the night you awake, the wilderness is vocal with praise ! " At this camp-meeting, perhaps, not less than one hundred persons were awaked and converted to God. I have heard many say, that they never heard such praying, exhorting, and preaching anywhere else ; and those who engage feel such a divine afflatus, that they are carried 180 along as by the force of a delightful torrent; indeed, this has been so much the case with myself, the several times I preached and exhorted at these meetings, that I was sensible of nothing but a constraining influence, transport- ing me beyond myself, carrying me along with a freedom and fulness, both of emotion and language, quite unusual, and yet I had no very friendly views of camp-meetings until I attended them ; however, I am now satisfied that they are the right-hand of Methodism in the United States, and one main cause why the societies have doubled and trebled there within these few years," The camp-meetings of the Ranters were first suggested, and then revived by the camp-meetings held throughout several parts of the United States of America. The religious opinions of the Ranters assimilate to those of the original Connexion whence they separated. As singing forms a chief religious exercise, take the following liymn, which they shout forth with a tremendous vocifer- ation : it is transcribed from a Collection of Hymns for Camp-meetings, Revivals," &c., by Hugh Bourne, Not- tingham, 1821. Hymn 33. Methodist Hymn. The Saviour's name I'll gladly sing- ; He is my Saviour and my King", Where'er 1 g-o his name I'll bless, And shout among- the Methodists I To the Devil's-camp I'll bid adieu, And Zion's peaceful ways pursue. Ye sons of men come turn and list, And fight like valiant Methodists . It is religion makes the man, The vi'orld may try to prove it vain ; But I will give the world for this, To be in heart — a Methodist ! Come, sinners, turn unto the Lord, And closely search his precious word ; And when you do his truth possess, You may become — a Methodist I 181 Come now with me, and you shall know What a great Saviour can bestow. His love to me I can't express, Altho' I am call'd a Methodist ! I am a soldier of the Cross ; All earthly things I count but loss : My soul is bound for endless bliss, To praise thee with the Methodists ! They preach and pray, and sing- their best. They labour mvTch for endless rest ; I hope the Lord will them increase, And turn the world to Methodists ! We shout too loud for sinners here, But when in Heaven we shall appear, So faithful then our souls will rest, And shout among- the Methodists I And when that happy day is come. When all the Christians are brought home. We'll shout in high-enraptur'd bliss, With all the blood- wash' d Methodists ! The prose composition of this pamphlet is equalled only by the elegance of its poetry. The Bryanites, Also are a discarded portion of the Wesleyan Connex- ion, having for their head, or leader, William O' Bryan, who has put forth a pamphlet, dated Launceston, Corn- wall, August 12, 1818. Its title is, '^ The Rules of So- ciety, or a Guide to Conduct for those who desire to be Arminian Bible Christians, with a Preface, stating the Causes of the Separation between Wilham O'Bryan and the People called Methodists." Second Edition. The offence of W. O'Bryan was a non-compliance with the rules of the Methodists, especially as to the mode of preaching, and the manner of supporting the ministers, the conclusion of his address runs thus : — " I have given the outlines of my separation (to the best of my knowl- edge,) and I leave any, or all, of the people of God to judge whether it was possible, according to a good con- science, to contiune in that community any longer. I was forced away for persisting in doing that which I knew 16 182 to be my duty, and God has since proved it (I believe to the satisfaction of many) to be my duty. I ventured all on Christ, and he did not suffer me to be confounded. Some may say, why did not you appeal to those who might have undertaken to do you justice ? I answer, a friend of mine had stated something of my case to one, and I had written to another of the principal persons of the Conference, from whom I received no answer. I re- signed it into the hands of Him who judgeth righteously, and who is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother, — the Lord of Hosts is his name.^' The pamphlet closes with some advices, in the true spirit of practical Christianity. JUMPERS. Originally this singular practice of jumping during the time allotted for religious worship and instruction, was con- fined to the people called Methodists in Wales, the fol- lowers of Harris, Rowland, Williams, and others, known in England by the appellation of the Evangelical Cler- gy. The practice began in the western part of the coun- try, about the year 1760. It was soon after defended by Mr. William Williams (the Welch poet, as he is some- times styled) in a pamphlet, which was patronized by the abettors of jumping in religious assemblies, but viewed by the seniors and the grave with disapprobation. How- ever, in the course of a few years, the advocates of groan- ing and loud talking, as well as of loud singing, repeating the same line or stanza over and over thirty or forty times, became more numerous, and were found among some of the other denominations in the Principality, and continue to this day. Several of the more zealous itinerant preach- ers in Wales recommended the people to cry out Gogo- niant (the Welsh word for glory), Amen, he, to put themselves in violent agitations ; and finally, to jump un- til they were quite exhausted, so as often to be obliged to fall down on the floor, or on the field where this kind 183 of worship was held. If any thing in the profession of rehgion, that is absurd and unreasonable, were to surprise us, it would be the censure that was cast upon those who gently attempted to stem this tide, which threatened the destruction of true religion as a reasonable service. Where the essence of true religion is placed in customs and usages, which have no tendency to sanctify the seve- ral powers through the medium of the understanding, we ought not to be surprised, when we contemplate instan- ces of extravagance and apostacy. Human nature, in general, is not capable of such exertions for any length of time, and when the spirits become exhausted, and the heat kindled by sympathy is subsided, the unhappy per- sons sink into themselves, and seek for support in intoxi- cation. It is not to be doubted but there are many sin- cere and pious persons to be found among this class of people — men who think they are doing God service, whilst they are the victims of fanaticism. These are the objects of compassion, and doubtless will find it in God. But it is certain, from incontestable facts, that a number of per- sons have attached themselves to those rehgious societies, who place a very disproportionate stress on the practice of jumping, from suspicious motives. The theory and practice of such a rehgion are easily understood ; for the man who possesses an unblushing confidence, and the greatest degree of muscular energy, is likely to excel in bodily exercise. Upon the whole, it is probable, as such an exercise has no countenance in reason or revelation, that it has been, and is still, productive of more evil than good. Many of the ministers who have been foremost in encouraging jumping seemed to have nothing in view but the gratification of their vanity, inflaming the passions of the multitude by extravagant representations of the character of the Deity, the condition of man, and design of the Saviour's mission. The minister that wishes not to study to shew himself approved of God, has only to favour jumping, with its appendages : for as reason is out of the question in such a religion, he can be under no fear of shocking it. It is some consolation to real reli- gion to add, that this practice is on the decline, as the 184 more sober or conscientious, who were at first at a loss to judge where this practice might carry them, have seen its pernicious tendency. Such is the account of the Jumpers, which, with a few alterations, was transmitted to me by a respectable minis- ter, (the Rev. Job David, once of Frome and Taunton, latterly of Swansea, where he died in 1812, much belov- ed and respected.) It is to be hoped, that the exercise of common sense will in time recover them from these extravagant ecstacies, which pain the rational friends of revelation, and yield matter of exultation to the advocates of infidelity. About the year 1785, 1 myself happened, very acciden- tally, to be present at a meeting which terminated in jumping. It was held in the open air, on a Sunday eve- ning, near Newport, in Monmouthshire. The preacher was one of Lady Huntingdon's students, who concluded his sermon with the recommendation of jumping ; and to, allow him the praise of consistency, he got down from the chair on which he stood, and jumped along with them. The arguments he adduced for this purpose were, that David danced before the ark, that the babe leaped in the womb of Elizabeth, and that the man whose lameness was removed, leaped and praised God for the mercy which he had received ! He expatiated on these topics with uncommon fervency, and then drew the inference, that they ought to shew similar expressions of joy, for the blessings which Jesus Christ had put into their possesion. He then gave an impassioned sketch of the sufferings of the Saviour, and hereby roused the passions of a few around him into a state of violent agitation. About nine men and seven women, for some little time, rocked to and fro, groaned aloud, and then jumped with a kind of fran- tic fury. Some of the audience flew in all directions, others gazed on in silent amazement ! They all gradual- ly dispersed, except the jumpers, who continued their ex- ertions from eight in the evening to near eleven at night. I saw the conclusion of it ; they at last kneeled down in a circle, holding each other by the hand, while one of them prayed with great fervour, and then all rising up from off their knees departed. But previous to their dispersion, they wildly pointed up towards the sky, and reminded one another that they should soon meet there, and be never again separated ! I quitted the spot with as- tonishment. Such disorderly scenes cannot be of any service to the deluded individuals, nor can they prove beneficial to society. The late William Richards, of Lynn, had great merit in putting down this tumultuous spirit among his countrymen, a circumstance honourable to his memory. See his ''Memoirs," by the author of *' The Sketch," where will be found a very curious let- ter on the subject. Whatever credit we may and ought to allow this class of Christians for good intentions, it is impossible to speak of the practice itself, without adopting terms of unqualified disapprobation. The reader is re- ferred to Bingley's and Evans's " Tour through Wales," (the latter author was a clergyman at Bristol, now deceas- ed,) where, as many particulars are detailed respecting the Jumpers, his curiosity will receive a still further grat- ification. It pains the author of the present work, that he has not in his power to give a more favourable account of them. The decline of so unbecoming a practice will, it is to be hoped, be followed by its utter extinction. UNIVERSALISTS. The Universalists, properly so called, are those who beheve that, as Christ died for all, so, before he shall have delivered up his mediatorial kingdom to the Father, all shall be brought to a participation of the benefits of his death, in their restoration to holiness and happiness. Their scheme includes a reconciliation of the tenets of Calvanism and Arminianism, by uniting the leading doc- trines of both, as far as they are found in the scriptures, from which union they think the sentiment of universal restoration naturally flows, in opposition to the common and almost universally-believed doctrine, of the eternity of hell torments. Thus they reason : — '' The Arminian proves from 16* 186 scripture, that God is love : that he is good to all ; that his tender mercy is over all his w^orks ; that he gave his Son for the world ; that Christ died for the world — even for the whole world ; and that God will have all men to be saved. " The Calvinist proves also from scripture, that God is without variablness or shadow of turning ; that his love, like himself, alters not ; that the death of Christ will be efficacious towards all for whom it was intended ; that God will perform all his pleasure, and that his counsel shall stand. The union of these scriptural principles is the final restoration of all men. " Taking the principles of the Calvinists and Armini- ans separately, we find the former teaching, or at least inferring, that God doth not love all ; but that he made the greater part of men to be endless monuments of his wrath : — the latter declaring the love of God to all, but admitting his final failure of restoring the greater part. The God of the former is great in power and wisdom, but deficient in goodness, and capricious in his conduct — who that views the character can sincerely love it? The God of the latter is exceeding good, but deficient in pow- er and wisdom — who can trust such a being ? If, there- fore both Calvinists and Arminians love and trust the Deity, it is not under the character which their several systems ascribe to him, but they are constrained to hide the im- perfections which their views cast upon him, and boast of a God whose highest glory their several schemes will not admit. The Universalists teach the doctrine of election, but not in the exclusive Calvinistic sense of it : they suppose that God has chosen some for the good of all; and that his final purpose towards all is intimated by his calling his elect ihejirst born and the first fruits of his creatures, which, say, they, implies other branches of his family, and a future in-gathering of the harvest of mankind. They teach also that the righteous shall have part in the first resurrection, shall be blesssed and happy, and be made priests and kings to God and to Christ in the millenial kingdom, and that over them the second death 187 shall have no power ; that the wicked will receive a punishment apportioned to their crimes ; that punishment itself is a mediatorial work, and founded upon mercy ; consequently, that it is a means of humbling, subduing, and, finally, reconciling the sinner to God. They add, that the words rendered everlasting, eter- nal, for ever and for ever, in the scriptures, are frequently used to express ihe duration of things that have ended, or must end ; and if, it is contended, that these words are sometimes used to express proper eternity, they ans- wer, that then the subject with which the words are connected, must determine the sense of them ; and as there is nothing in the nature of future punishment which can be rendered as a reason why it should be endless, they infer that the above words ought always to be taken in a hmited sense, when connected with the infliction of misery. The Universalists have to contend, on the one hand, with such as hold the eternity of future misery, and on the other, with those who teach that destruction or extinction of being will be the final state of the wicked. In answer to the latter, they say, " that before we admit that God is under the necessity of striking any of his rational crea- tures out of being, we ought to pause and inquire — '' Whether such an act is consistent with the scriptural character of the Deit}^, as possessed of all possible wisdom, goodness, and power? " Whether it would not contradict many parts of scrip- ture ; such, for instance, as speak of the restitution of all things — the gathering together of all things in Christ — the reconciliation of all things to the Father, by the blood of the cross — the destruction of death," &c. These texts, they think, are opposed equally to endless misery, and to final destruction. Be it recollected also, " Whether those who will be finally destroyed, are not in a worse state, through the mediation of Christ, than they would be without it ? This question is founded on a position of the friends of destruction, viz., that extinction of being, without a resurrection, would have been the on- ly punishment of sin, if Christ had not become the resur- 188 rection and the life to men. Consequently, the resurrec- tion and future punishment spring from the system of me- diation : but, they ask, is the justification to life, which came upon all men in Christ Jesus, nothing more than a resurrection to endless death to millions ? " Whether the word destruction will warrant such a conclusion ? It is evident that destruction is often used in scripture to signify a cessation of present existence on- ly, without any contradiction of the promises that relate to a future universal resurrection. They think, therefore that they ought to admit an universal restoration of men, notwithstanding the future destruction which is threaten- ed to sinners :* because, say they, the scripture teaches both." They also think the doctrine of destruction, in the above acceptation of it, includes two considerable difficulties. The scriptures uniformly teach degrees of punishment, according to transgression ; but does extinction of being admit of this ? Can the greatest of sinners be more effec- tually destroyed than the least ? Again, we are taught that, however dark any part of the divine conduct may appear in the present state, yet justice will be clear and decisive in its operations hereafter ; but the doctrine of destruction, in their judgment, does not admit of tliis — for what is the supprising difference betwixt the moral char- acter of the ivorst good man, and the best bad man, that the portion of the one should be endless life, and that of the other endless death ? '^They suppose the univ^ersal doctrine to be most con- sonant to the perfections of the Deity — most worthy of the character of Christ, as the mediator ; and that the scriptures cannot be made consistent with themselves up- on any other plan. They teach that ardent love to God, peace, meekness, candour, and universal love to men, are the natural result of their views." This doctrine is not new. Origen, a christian father, who lived in the third century, wrote in favour of it. St. Augustine, of Hippo, mentions some divines in his day, * See Vilder's " Notes on Winchester's Dialog-ues on the Restoration," 4th edition, p. 176. 189 whom he calls the merciful doctors, who held it. The German Baptists, many of them even before the Refor- mation, propogated it. The people called Tunkers, in America, descended from the German Baptists, mostly hold it. The Mennonites, in Holland, have long held it. In England, about the latter end of the seventeenth cen- tury. Dr. Rust, Bishop of Dromore, in Ireland, published " A Letter of Resolutions concerning Origen, and the chief of his opinion," in which it has been thought he fa- voured the universal doctirne, which Origen held ; and Mr. Jeremiah White wrote his book in favour of the same sentiments soon afterwards. The Chevaher Ramsay, in his elaborate work of the '^ Philosophical Principles of Natural and Revealed Religion," espouses it. Arch- bishop Tillotson, in one of his sermons, supposes future punishment to be of limited duration, as does Dr. Burnet, Master of the Charter-house, in his book on the state of the dead. But the writers of late years, who have defended the subject most fully, are Dr. Newton, Bishop of Bristol, in his "Dissertations;" Mr. Stonehouse, Rector of Islang- ton ; Dr. Chauncy, of Boston, in America ; Dr. Hartley, in his profound work on man ; Mr. Purves, of Edinburgh ; Mr. Elhanan Winchester, in his '^ Dialogues on Univer- sal Restoration," a new edition of which, with explanato- ry notes, has been published by the late Mr. William Vilder. See the " Universalits's Miscellany," now enti- tled the " Monthly Repository of Theology and General Literature," containing many valuable papers for and against Universal Restoration, where the controversy on the subject between Mr. Vilder and Mr. Fuller will be found. For further information, the reader is referred to a crit- ical work, entitled, " An Essay on the Duration of a Fu- ture State of Punishment and Rewards," by the late John Simpson, who wrote several practical pieces for the illustration of Christianity. The late Dr. Estin, of Bris- tol, published some " Discourses on Universal Restora- tion," founded on the Apostle's declaration, God is love. In Dr. Williams's Notes to Dr. Doddridge's Lectures, 190 particularly in that on Future Punishment, it is remarka- ble that, although he is an advocate for the doctrine of eternal punishment, he gives up all the texts, which have usually been brought in support of it, having the terms eternal, everlasting, for ever, he, because, on account of their various meaning, they are not to be considered as proving the doctrine ! And Dr. Watts, with his usual candour and excellent spirit, thus expresses himself on the subject, — '•' If the blessed God should at any time, in consistence with his glorious and incomprehensible per- fections, release those wretched creatures suffering future punishment, from their acute pains and long imprison- ment, I think I ought cheerfully to accept this appoint- ment of God for the good of millions of my fellow-crea- tures, and add my joys and praises to all the songs and triumph of the heavenly world, in the day of such a di- vine and glorious release of these prisoners. This will indeed be such a new, such an astonishing and universal jubilee, both for evil spirits and wicked men, as must fill heaveh, earth, and even hell, with joy and hallelujahs !" But the last and best work on Universal Restoration is entitled, "Illustrations of the Divine Government, tend- ing to show that every thing is under the direction of In- finite Wisdom and Goodness, and will terminate in the production of Universal Purity and happiness." By T. Southwood Smith, M. D. A cheap edition has been lately published, with improvements. More need not be advanced on the subject. It has en- gaged the pens of the heterodox and the orthodox ; both have written on the doctrine of Universal Restoration. Every benevolent heart must wish the doctrine to be true, for the consumation of Chrstian benevolence, is, that hap- piness shall enibrace the creation of God. DESTRUCTIONIST. Between the system of restoration, and the system of endless misery, a middle hypothesis of the Final Destruc- tion of the wicked (after having suffered the punish- 191 ment due to their crimes) has been adopted, more particu- larly by the Rev. Mr. Bourne, of Norwich, and by Mr. John Marsom, in two small volumes, of which there has been a second edition with additions. They say that the scripture positively asserts this doctrine of destruction ; that the nature of future punishment, which the scripture terms death, determines the meaning of words everlasting, eternal, for ever, &lc., as denoting endless duration, be- cause no law ever did or can inflict the punishment of death for a limited period ; that the punishment cannot be corrective, because no man was ever put to death, either to convince his judgment or to reform his conduct ; that if the wicked receive a punishment apportioned to their crimes, their deliverance is neither to be attributed to the mercy of God, nor the mediation of Jesus Christ, but is an act of absolute justice ; and finally, that the media- torial kingdom of Jesus Christ will never be delivered up, since the scripture asserts, that of his Jcingdom there shall he no end. Those who maintain these sentiments re- specting the destruction of the wicked, are accused of es- pousing the doctrine of annihilation ; but this accusation they repel, alleging that, philosophically speaking, there can be no annihilation, and that destruction is the express phrase used in the New Testament. Of this sentiment there have been many advocates distinguished for their erudition and piety.* See a refutation of the doctrine of Destruction, in Dr. Smith's " Illustrations of the Divine Government," a work already mentioned. SABBATARIANS. The Sabbatarians are a body of Christians who keep the seventh day as the Sabbath, and are to be found prin- cipally, if not wholly, amongst the Baptists. The com- mon reason why Christians observe the first day of the week as the Sabbath, are, that on this day Christ rose from the dead ; that the apostles assembled, preached, and * This account of the Destructionists was sent the author of the *' Sketch" for insertion. 192 administered the Lord's Supper; and that it has been kept by the church for several ages, if not from the time when Christianity was originally promulgated. The Sab- batarians, however, think these reasons unsatisfactory, and assert that the change of the Sabbath from the sev- enth to the first day of the week, was effected by Con- stantino, upon his conversion to the Christian religion. The three following propositions contain a summary of their principles as to this article of the Sabbath, by which they stand distinguished : 1st, That God hath required the observation of the seventh, or last day in every week, to be observed by mankind universally for the weekly sabbath : 2nd]y, That this command of God is perpetu- ally binding on man till time shall be no more; 3rdly, That this sacred rest of the seventh -day Sabbath is not, by divine authority, changed from the seventh and last to the first day of the week, or that the scripture doth no where require the observation of any other day of the week for the weekly sabbath, but the seventh day only. There are two congregations of the Sabbatarians in Lon- don, one General Baptists' meeting in Mill-yard, Good- man's-Fields, now supplied by the Rev. Thomas Russel, a respectable minister of the Independent persuasion ; the other. Particular Baptists' meeting in Eldon-street, Finsbury, under the care of the Rev. Mr. Shenstone, who succeeded the Rev. Robert Burnside, author of a " Defence of Sabbatarianism," and of " Essays on the Religion of Mankind." Mr. Morse informs us that there are many Sabbatari- ans in America. " Some (says he) in Rhode Island observe the Jewish, or Saturday Sabbath, from a persua- sion that it was one of the ten commandments, which they plead are all in their nature moral, and were never abro- gated in the New Testament. Though, on the contrary, others of them believe it originated at the time of the creation, in the command given to Adam by the Creator himself," See Genesis, chap. ii. 3. " At New Jersey there are three congregations of the Seventh Day Bap- tists ; and at Ephrata, in Pennsylvania, there is one con- gregation of them called Tunkers. There are likewise 193 a few Baptists who keep the seventh day as holy time, who are the remains of the Keithean, or Quaker Bap- tists." This tenet has given rise to controversies, and writers of abihty have appeared on both sides of the question. Mr. Cornthwaite, a minister among them, about the year 1740, pubhshed several tracts in support of it, which ought to be consulted by those who wish to obtain satis- faction on the subject. The reader should also have recourse to Dr. Chand- ler's two "Discourses on the Sabbath," Mr. Amner's " Dissertation on the Weekly Festival of the Christian Church," Dr. Kennicott's " Sermon and Dialogue on the Sabbath," the late S. Palmer's publication on the "Na- ture and Obligation of the Christian Sabbath," and Est- lin's "Apology for the Sabbath," — all of which are wor- thy of attention. But whatever controversy may have been agitated on this subject, certain it is, that were there no particular day set apart for the purpose of devotion, for which some in the present day contend, our knowl- edge of human nature authorizes us to say, that virtue and religion would be either greatly debilitated or finally lost from among mankind. MORAVIANS The Moravians are supposed to have arisen under Nicholas Lewis, Count of Zinzendorf, a German noble- man, who died 1760. They were also called Hernhu- ters from Hernhuth, the name of the village where they first settled. The followers of Count Zinzendorf are called Moravians, because the first converts to his system were some Moravian families; the society themselves, however, assert that they are descended from the old Mo- ravian and Bohemian Brethren, who existed as a distinct sect sixty years prior to the Reformation. They also style themselves Unitas Fratrum, or the United Breth- ren; and, in general, profess to adhere to the Augsburg 17 194 confession of faith. When the first Reformers were as- sembled at Augsburg, in Germany, the Protestant princes employed Melancthon, a divine of learning and modera- tion, to draw a confession of their laith, expressed in terms as little offensive to the Roman Catholics as a regard for the truth would permit. And this creed, from the place where it was presented, is called the CoTifession of Avgs- lurgh. It is not easy to unravel the leading tenets of the Moravians. Opinions and practices have been at- tributed to them of an exceptionable nature, which the more sensible of them disavow. They on all occasions, make great professions of reverence to Jesus Christ — are much attached to instrumental, as well as vocal music, in their religious services — and discover a predilection for foiming themselves into classes, according to sex, age, and character. Their founder not only discovered his zeal in travelling in person over Europe, but has taken special care to send missionaries into almost every part of the known world. They revive their devotion by cele- brating agapae, or love-feasts, and the casting of lots is used amongst them, to know the will of the Lord. The sole right of contracting marriage lies with the elders. ]n Mr. Latrobe's edition of " Spangenburgh's Exposition of Christian Doctrine," their principles are detailed at length. There is a large community of them at a village near Leeds, which excites the curiosity of the traveller, and they have places of worship in various parts of the kingdom. Mr. Rimius published his candid Narra- tive of this people, and Bishop Lavington (who wrote al- so against the Methodists) replied, in 1755, in his " Mo- ravians Compared and Detected." Mr. Weld, in his " Travels through the United States," gives a curious account of a settlement of Moravians at Bethlehm, hen- curable to their virtue and piety. See also an '^ Essay on Fanaticism," addressed to the people of his own per- suasion, by John Stinstra, translated by Isaac Subremont, of Dublin, 1774. The Moravians have been distinguish- ed for their Missionary efforts — and have succeeded bet- ter than most of the other sects who have employed themselves in such undertakings. See a " History of 195 the Mission of the United Brethren among the Indians in North America," in three parts, by George Henry Laskiel, translated from the German, by Christian Igna- tius Latrobe, 1794. Periodical accounts of their missions are published by the Brethren's Society for the further- ance of the Gospel, at No. 10, Nevil's-court, Fetter-lane, Holborn. Dr. Paley, in his " Evidences of Christianity," pays the following compliment to the religious practices of the Moravians and Methodists ; speaking of the first Christi- ans, he says : — " After men became Christians, much of their time was spent in prayer and devotion, in religious meetings, in celebrating the eucharist, in conferences, in exhortations, in preaching, in an affectionate intercourse with one another, and correspondence with other socie- ties, Perhaps their mode of life, in its form and habit, was not very unlike that of the Unitas Fratrum, or mod- ern Methodists." Be it, however, the desire of every body of Christians not only thus to imitate the primitive disciples in their outward conduct, but to aspire after the liberality of their dispositions, the peaceableness of their tempers, and the purity of their lives ! The Rev. Mr. Latrobe's " Tour to the Cape of Good Hope and its Vicinity," furnishes the reader with an interesting ac- count of the Moravian mission in that distant part of the world. SANDEMANIANS. Sandemanians,* a modern sect that originated in Scot- land, about the year 1728, where it is, at this time, dis- tinguished by the name of Glassites, after its founder, Mr. John Glass, who was a minister of the established church in that kingdom, but being charged with a design of subverting the national covenant, and sapping the * The author has been favoured with this account of the Sandeman- ians by the late Dr. Sandman, recently deceased, who belong-ed to that body of Christians. 196 foundation of all national establishments by maintaining that the 'kingdom of Christ is not of this world, was ex- pelled by the synod from the church of Scotland. His sentiments are fully explained in a tract published at that time, entitled, " The Testimony of the King of Martyrs," and preserved in the first volume of his works. In con- sequence of Mr. Glass's expulsion, his adherents formed themselves into churches, conformable, in their institution and discipline, to what they apprehend to be the plan of the first churches recorded in the New Testament. Soon after the year 1755, Mr. Robert Sandeman, an elder in one of these churches in Scotland, published " A Series of Letters," addressed to Mr. Harvey, occasioned by his '' Theron and Aspasia," in which he endeavours to show, that his notion of faith is contradictory to the scripture account of it, and could only serve to lead men, profess- edly holding the doctrines called Calvinistic, to establish their own righteousness upon their frames, feehngs, and acts of faith. In these letters Mr. Sandeman attempts to prove, that faith is neither more nor less than a simple assent to the divine testimony concerning Jesus Christ, delivered for the offences of men, and raised again for their justification, as recorded in the New Testament. He also maintains that the word faith, or belief, is con- stantly used by the apostles to signify what is denoted by it in common discourse, viz., a persuasion of the truth of any proposition, and that there is no difference between believing any common testimony and believing the apos- tolic testimony, except that which results from the testi- mony itself, and the divine authority on which it rests. This led the way to a controversy among those who are called Calvinists, concerning the nature of justifying faith, and those who adopted Mr. Sandeman's notion of it ; and they who are denominated Sandemanians, formed them- selves into church order, in strict fellowship with the churches of Scotland, but holding no kind of commun- ion with other churches. Mr. Sandeman died in 1772, in America. He was a writer of ability, but a caustic spirit pervades his writings. The chief opinions and practices in which this sect dif- 197 fers from other Christians, are their weekly administra- tion of the Lord's Supper ; their lovefeasts, of which every member is not only allowed, but required to par- take, and which consist of their dining together at each other's houses in the interval between the morning and afternoon service ; their kiss of charity used on this occa- sion, at the admission of a new member, and at other times when they deem it necessary and proper ; their weekly collection before the Lord's Supper, for the sup- port, of the poor, and defraying other expenses ; mutual exhortation ; abstinence from blood and things strangled ; washing each other's feet, when, as a deed of mercy, it might be an expression of love ; the precept concerning which, as well as other precepts, they understand liter- ally — community of goods, so far as that every one is ta consider all that he has in his possession and power llnbl/; to the calls of the poor and the church ; and the unlaw- fulness of laying up treasures upon earth, by setting them apart for any distant, future, or uncertain use. They al- low of public and private diversions, so far as they are not connected with circumstances really sinful ; but ap- prehending a lot to be sacred, disapprove of lotteries, playing at cards, dice, &:c. They maintain a plurality of elders, pastors, or bishops, in each church, and the necessity of the presence of two elders in every act of discipline, and at the administration of the Lord's Supper. In the choice of these elders, want of learning and en- gagement in trade are no sufficient objections, if qualified according to the instructions given to Timothy and Titus ; but second marriages disqualify for the office ; and they are ordained by prayer and fasting, imposition of hands, and giving the right hand of fellowship. In their discipline they are strict and severe, and think themselves obliged to separate from communion and wor- ship of all such religious societies as appear to them not to profess the simple truth for their only ground of hope, and who do not walk in obedience to it. We shall only add, that in every transaction they esteem unanimity to be absolutely necessary. See '' Letters on Sandeman- 17* 198 ianism," by the late Andrew Fuller, the conclusion of which is deserving the attention of that sect. The Scotch Baptists, in many respects, bear a resem- blance to the Sandemanians ; but the difference between them is accurately drawn by Mr. William Jones, in his " Memoirs of Archibald M'Clean," prefixed to his Ser- mons. His biographer has paid a merited tribute of re- spect to his memory. HUTCHINSONIANS. Hutchinsonians, the followers of John Hutchinson, born in Yorkshire, 1674, and who, in the early part of his life, served the Duke of Somerset in the capacity of steward. Tiie Hebrew scriptures, he says, comprise a perfect sys- tem of natural philosophy, theology, and religion. In opposition to Dr. Woodward's " Natural History of the Earth," Mr. Hutchinson, in 1724, published the first part of his curious book, called "Moses principia." Its sec- ond part was presented to the public in 1727, which con- tains, as he apprehends, the principles of the scripture philosophy, which are a plenum and the air. So high an opinion did he entertain of the Hebrew language, that he thought the Almighty must have employed it to commu- nicate every species of knowledge, and that accordingly every species of knowledge is to be found in the Old Testament. Of his mode of philosophising, the follow- ing specimen is brought forward to the reader's attention : " The air (he supposes) exists in three conditions, fire, light, and spirit : the two latter are the finer and grosser parts of the air in motion ; from the earth to the sun, the air is finer and finer till it becomes pure light near the confines of the sun, and fire in the orb of the sun, or solar focus. From the earth towards the circumference of this system, in which he includes the fixed stars, the air becomes gross- er and grosser till it becomes stagnant, in which condition it is at the utmost verge of this system, from v/hence (in his opinion) the expression of outer darkness^ and black- 199 ness of darkness, used in the New Testament, seems to be taken." The followers of Mr. Hutchuison are numerous, and among others the Rev. Mr. Romaine, Lord Duncan Forbes, of Culloden, and the late amiable Dr. Home, Bishop of Norwich, who published an Abstract of Mr. Hutchinson's writings. See also the Preface to Bishop Home's Life, second edition, by William Jones. They have never formed themselves into any distinct church or society. SHAKERS. An American gentlemen (into whose hands the Sketch was put by a worthy relative of mine) presented me with a volume, whence I have obtained certain interesting par- ticulars respecting the ShaJcei's. In the United States it is denominated the Shaker's Bible, because it contains a full account of their faith and practice. Their is reas- on to believe that it is the only copy that has reach- ed this country. The accounts of the Shakers hith- erto published on this side the water are very de- fective. The statement given in the Sketch is the only accurate delineation of this eccentric class of the Christian world. The volume is closely printed, containing six hundred and sixty-six pages! It is entitled, "The Testimony of Christ's Second Appearing, containing a general statement of all Things pertaining to the Faith and Practice of the Church of God in this latter Day. Published by order of the Ministry in union with the Church. Second edi- tion, corrected and improved. Printed at Albany, 1810." The Preface is dated, " Lebanon, Miami Country, State of Ohio." The work is neatly written, but fraught with a spirit of mystical obscurity. The characteristic opin- ions of the sect are wrapt up in a kind of technical phras- eology, incomprehensible to plain understandings. It is remarked in the Preface, " As the unlearned cannot com- prehend the learning of the learned, unless they are taught 200 by those that are learned, so neither can the learned or unlearned comprehend the work of God, unless they are taught by those who are in it." After an avowal of this sentiment, I expected to find some things hard to be un- derstood, and there was no disappointment. Their histo- ry of Anti-christ is intellibible enough, drawn from Mo- sheim, Lardner, and Robinson's "Ecclesiastical Research- es," w^iich they pronounce " a very valuable production." I am happy to say, that their volume breathes and abhor- rence of every kind of persecution. They reject mar- riage, alleging, that "in the resurrection there is neither marriage nor giving in marriage ;" that is, on their conver- sion, or spiritual resurrection, they observe the strictest celibacy ! Their shaking is founded on the Prophecies of Ezekiel and Isaiah, w^iere the coming of the Desire of the Messiah is to be accompanied by the shaking o^ the nations 1 Hence the appellation by which they are dis- tinguished. It is pleasing to observe, that there is in these Shakers a love of good works, and a strain of fervent, though mis- guided piety. It is an unfortunate circumstance that a sect rejecting marriage should take up its abode in the United States of America — a large outline which wants filling up, and where population is one of its greatest bles- sings ! The Shakers are a compound of almost all the other sects. They are a kind of religious Eclectics — with this commendable trait, that they are enemies to every sort of coercion in matters of religion. They have chosen what appeared to them to be good out of every denomination, but there may be reason to question the soundness of their judgment. Never before was there a people so singular- ly characterized — so unnaturally embodied. Warmth of feeling has been known to ascend in devotion, and sink into sensuality ; but here are a people who profess such a height of spiritual-mindedness, that they renounce the common passions of our nature. They sanction the en- tire separation of the sexes, a practice which, were it uni- versally followed, would convert the world into a desert ! Their religion is a kind of Upas tree, which suffers noth- 201 ing to vegetate within its circumference. But I must check my pen — it is my province to state '^things as they are," not to reason upon them. Be it remembered, that the Shakers unite with the Quakers in an entire submission to the spirit, and in the rejection of baptism and the Lord's Supper : with the Calvinists and Methodists in laying great stress on con- version ; with the Arminians in rejecting election and re- probation, as well as the imputation of Adam's guilt to his posterity ; with the Unitarians in exploding a Trinity of three persons in one God, together with the satisfaction of Christ ; with the Roman Catholics in contending for the continuation of miracles in the church ; with the Sandemanians in practising a sort of community of goods, and having no persons regularly educated for the ministry ; with the followers of Joanna Southcott in believing that a woman is the instrument to bring on the glory of the lat- ter day ; with the Moravians and Methodists in encour- aging missionary undertakings ; with the Swedenborgians in denying the resurrection of the body, and asserting that the day of judgment is past ; with the Jumpers in danc- ing and shouting during divine worship ; and lastly, with the Universalists, in renouncing the eternity of hell tor- ments ! Such a mysterious compound the skill of the mor- al chemist cannot easily analyse. But to this heterogen- eous mass they have added a tenet hitherto unthought of, unacknowledged by any body of Christians. The Cath- olics, indeed, led the way in enjoining the celibacy of the clergy, and in the institution of monachism. It was left to the Shakers to perfect this unnatural scheme, by altogeth- er rejecting marriage, and thus expose it to the derision of the world ! The account I have given of this most singular of all sects is replete with instruction, for it teaches the profes- sors of Christianity this most important lesson, that in no instance they should give up the use of reason in matters of religion, and on no occasion, conceiving themselves to be the favourites of heaven, should they be found deficient in the exercise of universal gospel charity. 202 BUNKERS, OR TUNKERS. So called from a German term, implying, their bapti- zing by immersion, a practice prevalent amongst them. Conrad Peysal, a German Baptist, was the founder of the Dunkers about 1724, who, weary of the world, retir- ed to an agreeable solitude, within fifty miles of Philadel- phia, that he might give himself up to contemplation. Curiosity brought several of his countrymen to visit his retreat, and by degrees his pious, simple, and peaceable manners induced others to settle near him. They form- ed a little colony of German Baptists, which they call Euphrata, or Eiiprates, in allusion to the Hebrews, who used to sing psalms on the border of that river. This little city forms a triangle, the outsides of which are bor- dered with mulberry and apple trees, planted with great regularity. In the middle is a very large orchard, and between the orchard and these ranges of trees are houses built of wood, three stories high, where every Dunker is left to enjoy the pleasures of his meditations without dis- turbance. Their number in 1777 did not exceed five hundred, but since that period they have increased. They do not foolishly renounce marriage, but when mar- ried they detach themselves from the rest, and retire into another part of the country. The Dunkers lament the fall of Adam, but deny the imputation of his sin to pos- terity. They use trine immersion (dipping three times) in baptism, and use laying on of hands when the bapti- zed are received into the church. They dress like Dom- inican friars, shaving neither head nor beard ; have difier- ent apartments for the sexes, and live chiefly on roots and vegetables, except at their love-feast, when they eat mutton. It is said no bed is allowed them, except in case of sickness, having in their separate cells a bench to lie upon, and a block of wood for their pillow ! They deny the eternity of future punishment — believe that the dead have the gospel preached to them by our Saviour, and that the souls of the just are employed to preach the gos- pel to those who have had no revelation in this life. 203 But their cheif tenet is, that future happiness is only to be obtained by penance and outward mortification, so as that Jesus Christ, by his meritorious sufferings, became the Redeemer of mankind in general, so each individual of the human race, by a life of abstinence and restraint, may "work out his ow^n salvation." Nay, it is said, they admit of works of supererogation. They use the same form of government, and the same discipline, as the Eng- lish Baptists do, except that every person is allowed to speak in the congregation, and their best speaker is usual- ly ordained the minister. They have also deacons, and deaconesses from among their ancient widows, who may all use their gifts, and exhort at stated times. Mr. Winchester, in his '' Dialogues on Restoration," draws a high character of them. His friend, the Rev. Morgan Edwards, formerly minister of the Baptist church at Philadelphia, once said to him respecting the Dunkers, and he knew them well, " God always will have a visible people on earth, and these are his people at present above any other in the world !" And in his history of the " Pennsylvanian Baptists," Mr. M. says of them, — General redemption they certainly hold, and withal gen- eral salvation, which tenets, though wrong, are consistent." On account of their meekness and hatred of war and slavery together with a renunciation of all sorts of violence, they are denominated the harmless Dunkers. Pity it is, that this epithet cannot be applied to all the professors of Chris- tianity ! NEW AMERICAN SECT. The American editior of this work has added the fol- lowing article, worthy of preservation : — " Many of those who lately migrated from Wales to America, have adopted the following articles as their re- ligious constitution : " 1. The convention shall be called the Christian Church. "2. It shall never be called by any other name, or be 204 distinguished by the particular tenets of any man, or sects of men. " 3. Jesus Christ is the only head — believers in him the only members — and the New Testament the only rule of the fraternity. " 4. In mental matters, each member shall enjoy his own sentiments, and freely discuss every subject ; but in discipline, a strict conformity with the precepts of Christ is required. " 5. Every distinct society belonging to this association shall have the same power of admitting its members, electing its officers, and in case of malconduct, of impeach- ing them. "6. Delegates from the different congregations shall meet from time to time, at an appointed place, to consult the welfare and advancement of the general interest. "7. At every meeting for religious worship, collec- tions shall be made for the poor, and the promulgation of the gospel among the Heathen." This liberal plan originated chiefly with the late Rev. M. J. Rhees, (an old iriend and fellow-pupil,) who, a few- years ago, emigrated from Wales, and distinguished him- self in America by his unceasing activity. He died in the prime of life, December, 1804, at Somerset, in Penn- sylvania, deeply regretted by his numerous friends and connexions. He lies interred at Philadelphia, beneath a tomb, on which is seen a handsome inscription to his mem- ory, that may be found in that valuable work, Richads's ^' Welsh Biography." But it was not in religion only, but also in civil aflhirs, that this good man meditated im- provement. On the 4th of July, 1795, the year subse- quent to his arrival in the United States, the Rev. M. J. Rhees delivered an Oration, at Greenville, Head-quarters of the Westarn Army, north-west of the Ohio, with the following animated and truly philanthropic conclusion: — " The little stone which ISebuchadnezzar saw, smote the image on its feet, ground it to powder, became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. So be it speedily ! May the perfect law of liheity sway its sceptre of love from the rising to the setting sun — from the centre of th« 205 globe, to the extremities of the Poles ! Citizens and sol- diers of America, sons of liberty, it is you I address ! Banish from your land the remains of slavery. Be con- sistent with your congressional declaration of rights, and you will be happy. Remember, there never was, nor will be, a period when justice should not be done. Do what is just, and leave the event with God. Justice is the pillar that upholds the whole fabric of human society, and Mercy is the genial ray which cheers and warms the hab- itations of men. The perfection of our social character consists in properly tempering the two with one another — in holding that middle course w^hich admits of our be- ing just, without being rigid, and allows us to be gene- rous, without being unjust. May all the citizens of America be found in the performance of such social du- ties, as will secure them peace and happiness in this world, and in the w^orld to come life everlasting, through Jesus Christ our Lord !" The Rev. M. J. Rhees, on his arrival in America, was partronized by my worthy friend, the late Dr. William Rogers, of Philadelphia, with his usual benevolence and amenity. He was also noticed by the President Jeffer- son, who discerned his talents and approved of his activi- ty. He w^as connected with a people at Beulah, in the vicinity of the Alleghany mountains, but he travelled through the United States. Some account of him is giv- en in Benedict's " History of the American Baptists," and in my '' Memoirs of Dr. Richards." Had he lived he would have distinguished himself among his Transat- lantic brethren, and rendered signal service to liis newly adopted country. But providence determined otherwise, by his sudden and early removal to a better w^orld. As Roger Williams, a native of the Principahty, estab- lished entire religious liberty in Rhode Island, so here w^e have the bold and intrepid testimony of an honest Welsh- man in behaif of perfect civil lreedom,in the U. States of America. Slavery is a foul stain upon their emblazoned escutcheon, which neither their mighty rivers, nor their w^idespreading lakes, nor even the lofty and astounding falls of Niagara can obliterate. It is, however, the lamen- 18 206 tation of every enlightened citizen — the abhorrence of every good Christian, and, as long as the enormous evil continues, must render American patriotism contemptible in the eyes of all the civilized nations of the earth. Shame, shame upon this far-famed land of liberty ! But why should the rights of man, on account of " the colour of the skin," be thus unblushingly violated? The clank- ing chain and the corroding fetter attach only to outrage- ous transgression or indurated depravity. And even here chastisement, under every well constituted government, by producing personal amendment, terminates in the res- toration of liberty. MYSTICS. Of this description there have been many singular characters, especially Madame Guyon, a French lady, who made a great noise in the religious world. Fene.lon, the amiable archbishop of Cambray, favoured the senti- ments of this female devotee, for which he was repriman- ded by the Pope, and to whose animadversions he most dutifully assented, contrary to the convictions of his own mind. It is not uncommon for the Mystics to allegorise certain passages of scripture, at the same time not deny- ing the literal sense, as having an allusion to the inward experience of believers. Thus, according to them, the word Jerusalem, which is the name of the capital of Ju- dea, signifies allegorically the church militant ; morally, a believer ; mysteriously, heaven ! That fine passage, also, in Genesis, " Let there be light, and there was hght," which is, according to the letter, corporeal light, signifies, allegorically, beatitude, or the light of glory. Mysticism is not confined to any particular profession of Christian- ity, but is to be understood as generally applied to those who dwell upon the inicarcl operations of the mind (such as the Quaknrs, &ic.,) laying little or no stress on the out- ward ceremonies of religion. 207 SWEDENBORGIANS. The Swedenborgians are the followers of Emanuel Swedenborg, a Swedish nobleman, who died in London, 1772. He professed himself to be the founder (under the Lord) of the New Jerusalem Church, alluding to the New^ Jerusalem spoken of in the Book of the Revelation of St. John. His tenets, although peculiarly distinct from every other system of divinity in Christendom, are nevertheless drawn from the holy scriptures, and suppor- ted by quotations from them. He asserts that, in the year 1743, the Lord manifested himself to him in a per- sonal appearance, and at the same time opened his spir- itual eyes, so that he was enabled constantly to see and converse with spirits and angels. He now began to print and publish various wonderful things, which, he says, were revealed to him, relating to heaven and hell, the state of men after death, the wor- ship of God, the spiritual sense of the scriptures, the va- rious earths in the universe, and their inhabitants, with many other extraordinary particulars, the knowledge of which was, perhaps, never pretended to by any other writer before or since his time. Baron Swedenborg, in his treatise concerning heaven and hell, and of the won- derful things therein, as heard and seen by him, makes the following declaration : "As often as I conversed with angels face to face, it was in their habitations, which are like to our houses on earth, but far more beautiful and magnificent, having rooms, chambers, and apartments in great variety, as also spacious courts belonging to them, together with gardens, parterres of flowers, fields, he. where the angels are formed into societies. They dwell in contiguous habitations, disposed after the manner of our cities, in streets, walks, and squares. I have had the privilege to walk through them, to examine all around about me, and to enter their houses, and this when I was fully aw^ake, having my inward eyes opened !" A sim- ilar description is given of heaven itself, but the reader is referred to the treatise whence this curious extract is taken. He denies a trinity of persons in the godhead, but con- 208 tends for a divine trinity, in the single person of Jesus Christ alone, consisting of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, just like the human trinity in every individual man, of soul, hody, and proceeding operation ; and he asserts, that, as the latter trinity constitutes one man, so the for- mer trinity constitutes one Jehovah God, who is at once the Creator,Redeemer,and Regenerator. On this and oth- er subjects, Dr. Priestley addressed letters to the members of the New Jerusalem church, to which several replies were made, and particularly one by Mr. R. Hindmarsh a prin- ter. Baron Swedenborg further maintains, that the sacred scripture contains three distinct senses, called celestial, spiritual^ and natural, which are united by correspon- dencies ; and that in each sense it is divine truth, accom- odated respectively to the angels of the three heavens, and also to men on earth. This science of corresponden- cies, it is said, had been lost for some thousands of years, viz., ever since the time of Job, but is now revived by Emanuel Swedenborg, who uses it as a key to the spirit- ual or internal sense of the sacred scripture , every page of which, he says, is, written by correspondencies, that is, by such things in the natural world as correspond unto and signify things in the spiritual world. F.e denies the doctrine of vicarious sacrafice, together with the doctrines of predestination, unconditional election, justification by faith alone, the resurrection of the material body, &ic. ? and, in opposition thereto, maintains, that man is possess- ed of free-will in spiritual things, that salvation is not at- tainable without repentance ; that is, abstaining from evils, because they are sins against God, and living ahfe of charity and faith, according to the commandments; that man, immediately on his decease, rises again in a spiritual body ; which was inclosed in his material body ; and that in this spiritual body he lives as a man to eter- nity, either in heaven or hell, according to the quality of his past life. It is further maintained by Baron Swedenborg and his followers that all those passages in the sacred scripture, generally supposed to signify the destruction of the world 209 by fire, Sic, commonly called the last judgment, must be understood according to the above-mentioned science of correspondencies, which teaches that, by the end of the world, or consummation of the age, is not signified the destruction of the world, but the destruction, or end, of the present Christian church, both among Roman Catholics and Protestants of every description or denom- ination ; and that the last judgment actually took place in the spiritual world in the year 1757, from which era is dated the second advent of the Lord, and the commence- ment of a new Christian church, which, they say, is meant by the new heaven and new earth in the Revelation, and the New Jerusalem thence descending ! Such are the outlines of Baron Swedenborg's princi- pal doctrines, collected from his voluminous writings. His followers are numerous in England, Germany, Swe- den, &c., and also in America. They use a liturgy in their worship, which, except being much shorter, is as near to that of the church of England as the difference of doctrines will admit. They likewise introduce a great deal of vocal music, accompanied by the organ, and the minister's dress is exactly similar to that of the Estab- lished church. Three places of worship are now opened in London, agreeable to this form, viz., Fryar's-street chapel, Blackfriars ; the New Jerusalem church in Dud- ley-court, Crown-street, Soho, of which the late Mr. Hodson was minister ; and Hanover-street chapel, Long Acre. Chapels are likewise established at Birmingham, Hull, Manchester, and several other places in the coun- try*. THE HALDANITES. New sects in religion have been always and every where spoken against, and the name of their leader has been contemptuously fixed upon them. What was at first re- proachful, often continues after reproach has ceased, and * Almost the whole of the above account was Bent to the author for insertion, by a gentleman of that denomination. 18* 210 is found convenient as a term of distinction, though per- haps no man was ever so averse to such names as the person to whom the term Haldanite refers. We know not of any proper distinctive appellation for those we mean to give some account of, else it would have been substi- tuted for that which is so objectionable to themselves. In giving some account of those called Haldanites it is necessary to take notice of the gentleman whose name has been applied to them. About fifteen years ago, Robert Haldane, Esq., then of Aithrie, near Stu'ling, and his broth- er, Mr. James Haldane. both received serious impressions of the importance of religion, and soon after resolved up- on going to the East Indies to plant a Christian colony. With this view Mr. Robert Haldane, the elder brother, sold his beautiful family estate of Aithrie, and procured the consent of the Rev. Greville Ewing, then one of the ministers of Lady Glenorchy's chapel, Edinburgh; of the Rev. William Innes, then one of the ministers of Stirling ; and of the Rev. David Bogue, of Gosport, to accompany him. Mr. Ewing and Mr. Innes had both resigned their office in the establishment, and all necessary arrangements were made for their departure, but the East India Com- pany refused their permission. Prevented from carrying his first design into execution, Mr. Haldane now turned his attention towards home, erected a large building for religious worship in Edinburgh, called the Tabernacle, capable of containing three thousand people, purchased a place built for a circus in Glasgow, of nearly the same size, which he converted to the same purpose, and erect- ed a Tabernacle in Dundee, of nearly the same dimen- sions. Both he and his brother had already become preachers, but himself was obliged to desist on account of bursting a blood-vessel. Mr. James Haldane was station- ed at Edinburgh, Mr. Ewing at Glasgow, and Mr. Innes at Dundee. Hitherto they considered themselves on terms of communion with the Established church, but all connexion of this kind was soon broken off. Churches were formed at Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, he, after the model of the English Independents, and a number of young men were collected and placed under the tuition of Messieurs Ewing and Innes for the ministry. 211 These were educated and sent out — places of worship were built in many towns and villages of Scotland — and missionaries were employed from England, at the sole ex- pense of Mr. Haldane. The new sect (we speak it not reproachfully) had already made a progress similar to that of the Methodists in England, but it was more rapid than lasting. All the new-formed churches soon began to ap- proximate to the faith and discipline of the Scotch Inde- pendents, commonly called David Dale's people — to the Scotch Baptists, commonly called Maclean's people, and to the Glassites. These three denominations are, in faith and discipline, very similar. Their creed is Calvinism, somewhat refined indeed, for they have long been accus- ed of heresy by their Calvinistic brethren on both sides of the Tweed. They deny that scripture is a dead letter ; that Jesus is the eternal Son of God ; that there are any mysteries, in the popular acceptation of the word, or mys- tical senses, or diverse meanings, in the text of scripture ; they assert that faith is merely credence, which is produc- ed by evidence, and that the Holy Spirit never operates, but according to and by the written word. They pay much attention to the scriptures, but little regard to hu- man theological compositions. They believe that the New Testament contains a perfect plan of church govern- ment ; that every church ought to have a plurality of el- ders, chosen out of itself; that the Lord's Supper is to be observed every day of the week; that the brethren ought to sit down together on the same day to the love- feast, and salute one another with a holy kiss, according to the apostolic commandment ; that contribution is to be made for the poor brethren, all of whom are to be liberal- ly provided for ; that none shall be admitted into their fellowship but by the consent of the whole body ; and that offenders, whether against a brother, or against the faith, or against morality, shall be dealt with first private- ly, and then publicly, that they may come to repentance, but being obstinate must be put away. This scheme of church order has never been popular in Scotland, though it rather gains ground. The Hal- danes soon fell in with it, especially with respect to a 212 plurality of elders, and the duty of the brethren to exhort one another. Every thing clerical was considered objec- tionable ; as the term reverend, or even minister ; the wearing of black in preference to any other colour ; a con- nected, well-composed sermon in preference to a plain exhortation to duty, or exposition of scripture, by com- paring spiritual things with spiritual. All this rendered them abundantly unpopular ; besides which, they became Baptists, and it is well known that many people have great aversion to baptism in the form of immersion. Those called Haldanites having passed through many changes, cannot now be distinguished from the old Scotch Baptists, the faith and worship of whom may be seen in a book, entitled " The Commission of Jesus Christ," &;c. by Archibald M'Lean. INIost of the buildings erected by Mr. Haldane are now appropriated to different purposes, or occupied by other worshippers. Mr. Ewing, Mr. Wardlaw of Glasgow, Mr. Aikin of Edinburgh, continue on the plan of the English Independ- ents, and are attended by numerous congregations. This account has been communicated to the author of the Sketch by a respectable minister, who was formerly among the Haldanites : the reader may rely on the correct- ness of the representation. FREETHINKING CHRISTIANS.=^ However singular the principles and practices of any body of men may be, however calculated to alarm the prejudiced, or even to astonish the dispassionate, it be- comes the imperious duty of the author of the Sketch to represent men and opinions as they are. The title of Freethiiiking Christians is one applied about six years ago to a society which has regularly as- sembled together in the heart of the city of London, since the year 1799, as a church of God, and as the disciples of * The article has been sent the author by a g-entleman belong-ing- to the Freethinking- Christians, who was appointed by their society to draw it up for this work. 213 Jesus, acknowledging no other laws for their government as a church, and no other doctrines as matters of the Christian faith, than those which they apprehend to have been promulgated and taught by Jesus and his apostle, of which they consider the writings of the New Testament the only authentic records. The first members of this church had been previously members of the church m.eetingat Parliament-court Chap- el, Bishopgate-street at that time Universalists, and hold- ing the doctrine of the Trinity — now Unitatians. It happened that an individual of that church became convinced of the truth of the doctrine of the divine unity — this conviction extended to others. These men having embraced what appeared to them an import- ant truth, felt it their duty to submit it to their brethren, and to press its evidences on every suitable occasion on their attention. It will easily be imagined that, as the church was Trinitarian — as the congregation was Trinita- rian, and consequently the pastor Trinitarian, that he, the pastor, would be first to oppose the growing heresy among his flock, and to designate its teachers as the enemies of the Son of God. With pain and reluctance, therefore, they felt it their duty to separate from a church in which, on account of the radical nature of its constitution, as fixing the opinions to be believed by its members, and maintaining a distinct and individual teacher of these opinions, it appeared to them impossible for the strong and growing limbs of free inquiry to walk unfettered and uncontrolled ; for when they found themselves in error on a point of so much im- portance as that of the unity of God, it occurred to them that there might still be many truths which they had yet to learn, many errors which they had yet to abandon. Accordingly, on November 18, 1798, the members dissenting from the church of Parliament Court, assem- bled together at the house of one of the Friends, and drew up the declaration, setting forth the grounds and reasons of their separation from that church. This declaration, though important, is too long to be submitted to the read- ers of the Sketch ; it contains, generally, the motives and 214 reasons of their conduct, and concludes in these words ; '^ Thus having, in the integrity of our souls, set forth our reasons, we trust we can appeal to the Seacher of hearts, that we separate from our brethren in Parliament-court in love ; and we earnestly pray, that the Father of all good- ness, and the God of all grace, w^ill be pleased to lead both them and us into the perfect knowledge of his will, and enable us cheerfully to do it, that we may at last meet joyfully and acceptably in the kingdom of Jesus, and have part therein." The first business of the separatists was to examine the writings of the New Testament, and to trace out the di- rections given by the servants of Jesus to the primitive associations of his followers, in order to ascertain the na- ture, the constitution, and the laws of the Christian church, that they might assimilate themselves thereto. This work formed the labour of the first year of their ex- istence as a distinct body, and was published in a small pamphlet in 1800.* It contains the then views of the society on church discipline and organization ; and though their opinions, as we shall see, on many doctrinal and ceremonial parts of Christianity, are now by no means the same as at that period, yet on this subject they seem rather to be strengthened and confirmed, than altered by time and subsequent research. They consider the church of God to be an assembly of men, believing the truth of Christianity, and united in the bonds of fellowship, under the authority of Jesus as their soveregin and their head, by the appointment of God. They consider that Christians are not called upon to legislate for themselves, but that Jesus gave laws, and laid down principles, either himself or by his apostles, for the government of his kingdom ; that the apostles were fully instructed in all things pertaining thereto, and that their directions to the first assemblies should be the rule of their discipline, as a body, in all cases where they were not manifestly local and limited by circumstances. * " The True Design of the Chruch of God, and the Government thereof." Printed for the Church meeting at No. 38, Old Change. 215 They consider the unity of the church one of its prin- cipal characteristics, and that the design of Jesus was to unite his followers in one vast family ; so that however scattered its members might be over the earth — however s€parated by worldly pursuits— however divided by moun- tains and seas, they should be all one in him, by acknowl- edging the same authority, by being subjects of the same laws, and by a mutual connexion and reciprocal commu- nication with each other. They consider the equality of the members of the Christian church to be the distinguishing feature of the kingdom of Jesus, from all the kingdoms of the earth, and as the true ground and security of their Christian lib- erty. As a consequence of this principle, all power and dominion rests in the church ; all who bear sway and hold particular ofhces therein exist by its appointment, and are subject to its control. Their officers are, first, an elder, whose business is to preside at their public assemblies, to regulate their private meetings, to preserve order, to attend especially to the wants and spiritual concerns of the church. The elder is elected by ballot, and the better to secure the liberties of the church, and to guard against the effects of power, he is elected only for three months, and remains ineli- gible to office till after the expiration of another three months. Secondly, Two deacons, to assist the elder in the exe- cution of the laws, in the despatch of business, in provid- ing for the convenience, and attending to the civil con- cerns of the church : the deacons are subject to the same laws of appointment to office with the elder. V/ith the right of electing to ofiice, the liberty and privilege of teaching belongs alike to all, and is considered to flow from the equality of all ! In this church, then, there is no hired; no especial teacher ; every man, if he feels he has the ability, knows he has the right of giving a word of exhortation to his brethren, as in the primitive assem- blies when all might teach one by one, that all might learn, and all might be comforted. *= « 1 Cor. xiv. 31. 216 The ground of fellowship with this church is the ad- mission of the authority of Jesus as a divine teacher, and of his resurrection, as establishing the truth of his mis- sion ; — this admitted, virtue, and not opinion, is the bond of union. No other sentiment is required to be acknowl- edged by persons proposing themselves for membership, than that which gives them the name and the character of Christians. Since the first meeting of this society as a distinct body, their sentiments have undergone a considerable alteration on many matters of vital importance, connected with the doctrinces of Christianity — and they make this their pride and their boast. They contend, that it was the natural consequence of free inquiry, and that men who had been heretofore the slaves of error, could not but advance in the attainment of truth, when united in a system, which left thought unrestrained, and conscience free. All their opinions have been the result of examination, of investi- gation, and unfettered discussion : they say, they owe what they esteem to be their enlightened views of Christianity, to the free spirit of their constitution, without which they would still have been but children in the knowledge of Christ Jesus their Lord. Not that they would declare themselves, in the language of bigotted confidence, totally free from error : they only assert, that their wish is to be so ; that their principle of union is calculated to make them so ; and that they will readily renounce any opinion they may call their own, whenever it shall appear to them false and untenable. They have long since rejected the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, and the last and most important practice which they have given up, is public social worship. In their assemblies they have neither singing nor prayer ; they consider the wor- ship of the Christian should be the worship of the Jieart, and his prayers the prayers of the closet, agreeable to the express directions of Jesus to his disciples, and to the pure and retiring spirit of his religion. The effect of their inquiries has been to make them decided advocates for .the unity of the Deity, and the simple humanity of Jesus ; but the doctrines of the atonement, of original sin, of 217 election, and reprobation, of the eternal punishment of the wicked, of the existence of bad or good angels, of the immateriality and immortality of the soul, they gene- rally reject ; the supposed inspiration of the Bible, as a book, they likewise reject, though the origin of revelation, as attested by miracles, and the genuineness and authen- ticity of the several writings composing the bible, and developing the history of the communication of God with his creature man, they believe to be established beyond the reach of rational doubt, or enlightened scepticism. Their view of the Christian religion is briefly this : that it consists in the worship and reverence of one God, eter- nal, just, and good, and in an obedience to the commands of Jesus, his messenger on earth, who taught the wicked to repent of the error of their ways, and that God was ever read to receive them : that forms and ordinances, parade and show, were^no parts of his system; but that virtue and purity of heart can alone prepare man for a blissful existence beyond the grave, the evidence and the hope of which was furnished by the resurrection of the teacher of their faith, a member of earth, and an heir of mortality ! For some years this society existed almost unnoticed and unknown ; they corresponded with several churches whom they considered the most enlightened, but, happily as they esteem it, for their own improvement, they united with none. They had now examined, as they apprehend- ed, every important subject connected with Christianity; they admired the beauty and simplicity of the Christian religion ; they felt grateful to the Father of mercies, that they had come to the perfect knowledge of the Son of God, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, and they were anxious to extend thier advantages to oth- ers. Accordingly they advertised in one of the Sunday pa- pers, their intention of publicly inquiring into the existence of a being called the Devil, and by way ofdrawing atten- tion to their advertisement, designated themselves Free- thinking Christians. Numbers flocked to their meet- ing. The landlord of the place was alarmed, at what he had reason to fear might be the consequences to himself; 19 218 they were obliged to quit the room in which they had as-' sembled for eight years. They engaged another at No. 5, Cateaton-street, late the Paul's-Head Tavern. They were still followed by the multitude ; and now they ap- pear to have excited ecclesiastical alarm. The then Bishop of London (Porteus), not much to his credit, is accused of having excited the magistracy of the city against them. The account of this shameful affair, and all the contemptible arts that were taken to suppress the meetings of the Freethinking Christians, have long since been before the public ; they resisted, and expressed boldly before the Lord Mayor at the Mansion-house, and in every court in which they had occasion to appear be- fore the business was ended, their determination to resist what they considered an unwarrantable interference wuth the liberty of Protestant Dissenters, and the rights of conscience, — and in the end they triumphed over power and bigotry. They met again at the same place ; the multitude that thronged their meeting was immense — sev- eral of the agents of the civil power were present — a short-hand writer from the Lord Mayor (Alderman Ains- ley) attended and took dowh the discourses of the speak- ers ; but the spirit of persecution dared no more, and from that time to the present they have regularly address- ed crowded and attentive assemblies. At their meetings, doctrinal, moral, and scriptural sub- jects are chosen for public instruction ; there is the utmost simplicity and familiarity in their form and manner. The elder opens the business by stating the subject, and at his call several speakers, the one after the other, address the church and the audience assembled. It is no unusual thing to hear among them a difference of opinion, which they express without the least hesitation, considering that tmth is engendered by the comparison of sentiment, and that no sensible mind can be otherwise than pleased at every attempt to correct what another may esteem its error. This exercise generally occupies about an hour and a half, and the business is concluded by the elder. The. speakers in their discourses take frequent occasions to controvert the current opinions of the Christian world 219 in general, and to shew their ground of dissent from all sects and parties ; nor are they at all sparing with their censures on the priesthood, which, under all hs modifica- tions and refinements, they consider as opposed, both in theory and application, to the best principles of the Chris- tian church, inimical to the purity of the gospel, incon- sistent with the advancement of mind, and unfriendly to the interests of truth. The number of the Freethinking Christians is fast in- creasing ; in 1810, they were enabled to build a respec- table meeting-house in the Crescent, Jewin-street, Alders- gate-street, where they, regularly address an assembly consisting of between four and five hundred persons : their present meetings are on the Sunday mornings only. JOANNA SOUTHCOTT. The author having been frequently applied to respec- ting the opinions of Joanna Sou thcott, procured from a literary gentleman who is attached to her cause, the fol- lowing communication. It is the most intelligible account of her opinions, as well as of her religious views, ever submitted to the public attention. " The mission of this prophetess commenced in the year 1792, and the number of people who have joined with her from that period to the present time, as believ- ing her to be divinely inspired, is considerable. It is as- serted that she is the instrument, under the direction of Christ, to announce the establishment of his kingdom on earth, as a fulfilment of all the promises in the scriptures, and of that prayer which he himself gave to his follow- ers ; and more particularly of the promise made to the woman in the fall, through which the human race is to be redeemed from all the effects of it in the end. We are taught by the communication of the spirit of Truth to her, that the seven days of the creation were types of of the two periods in which the reign of Satan and of Christ are to be proved and contrasted. Satan was con- ditionally to have his reign tried for six thousand years. 220 shadowed by the six days in which the Lord worked, as his spirit has striven with man while under the powers of darkness ; but Satan's reign is to be shortened, for the sake of the elect, as declared in the gospel ; and Satan is to have a further trial at the expiration of the thousand years, for a time equal to the number of the days shor- tened. At the close of the seven thousand years the judgment is to take place, and the the whole human race will collectively bring forward the testimony of the evil they suffered under the reign of Satan, and of the good they enjoyed under the spiritual reign of Christ! These two testimonies will be evidence before the whole crea- tion of God, that the pride of Satan was the cause of his rebellion in heaven, and that he was the root of evil upon earth ; and consequently when those two great proofs have been brought forward, that part of the human race that has fallen under his power, to be tormented by being in the society of Satan and his angels, will revolt from him in that great day — will mourn that they have been deluded — will repent — and the Saviour of all will hold out his hand to them in mercy — and will then pre- pare a new earth for them to work righteousness, and prepare them ultimately to join his saints, who have fought the good fight in this world, while under the reign of Satan. " The mission of Joanna is to be accomplished by a perfect obedience to the spirit that directs her, and so to be made to claim the promise of " bruising the head of the serpent ;" and which promise was made to the wo- man on her casting the blame upon Satan, whom she un- wittingly obeyed, and thus man became dead to the knowledge of the good ; and so he blamed his Creator for giving him the woman, who was pronounced his help- mate for good. To fulfil the attribute of justice, Christ took upon himself that blame, and assumed his humanity to suffer on the cross for it, that he might justly bring the cross upon Satan, and rid him from the earth, and then complete the creation of man, so as to be after his own im- age. It is declared, that " the seed of the woman" are those who in faith shall join with her in claiming the prom- 2^1 ise made iti the fall ; and they are to subscribe with their hands unto the Lord that they do thus join with her, praying for the destruction of the powers of darkness, and for the establishment of the kingdom of Christ ! Those who thus come forward in this spiritual war, are to have the seal of the Lord's protection ; and if they remain fahhful soldiers, death and hell shall not have power over them : and these are to make up the sealed number of one hundred and forty-four thousanci to stand with the Lamb on Mount Sion ! The fall of Satan's kingdom will be a second deluge over the earth ; so that from his hav- ing brought the human race under his power, a great part of them will fall with him, for the Lord will pluck out of his kingdom all that offend and do wickedly. The voice which announces the coming of the Messiah is accompan- ied with judgments, and the nations must be shaken and brought low before they will lay these things to heart. When all these things are accomplished, then the Desire of nations will come in glory, so that " every eye shall see him," and he will give his kingdom to his saints I "It is represented, that in the Bible is recorded every event by which the Deity will work the ultimate happi- ness of the human race; but that the great plan is for the most part represented by types and shadows, and oth- erwise so wrapt up in mysteries, as to be inscrutable to human wisdom. As the Lord pronounced that man should become dead to knowledge if he ate the forbidden fruit, so the Lord must prove his words true. He therefore selected a peculiar people as depositaries of the records of that knowledge ; and he appeared among tliem, and they proved themselves dead to every knowledge of him, by crucifying him. He will, in like manner, put the wild-olive to the same test ; and the result will be, that he will be now crucified in the spirit ! " The mission of Joanna began in 1792, at which time she had prophecies given her, showing how the whole was to be accomplished. Among other things, the Lord said he should visit the surrounding nations with various calamities for fifteen years, as a warning to this land ; and that then he should bring about events here which should 19* 222 more clearly manifest the truth of her mission, by judg- ment and otherwise : so that this should be the happy nation to be the first redeemed from its troubles, and be the instrument for awakening the rest of the world to a sense of what is coming upon all, and for destroying the Beast, and those who worship his image !" Since the insertion of the above article in the last edi- tion, Joanna Southcott died of a protracted illness. It was given out that she was to be the mother of a Second Shiloh. Presents were accordingly made her for the Babe, especially a superb cradle, with an Hebrew inscrip- tion in poetry 1 But she expired, and no child appeared on the occasion. A stone placed over her remains in the New Burial-ground, Mary-le-bone, has this mystic in- scription : — In Memory of JOANNA SOUTHCOTT, who departed this life December 27th, 1814, Aged 60 Years. While through all ihy wond'rou3 days Heaven and earth enraptured gaze, While vain sages think they know Secrets thou alone canst show, Time alone will tell what hour Thou'lt appear in greater power ! Similar in extravagance were the lines put on the stone of Ludovick Muggleton, a journeyman taylor, who set up for a prophet in the time of Cromwell. He and his com- panion Reeves absolved and condemned whom they pleas- ed, saying, they were the two last witnesses spoken of in the Revelations, who were to appear previous to the de- struction of the word ! He was burled in spinning-wheel- Alley, Moorfields, dying March 14, 1697, in the 88th year of his age. The inscription ran thus : — Whilst mausoleums and large inscriptions give Might, splendour, and past death make potents live, It is enough briefly to write thy name — Succeeding times by that will read thy fame : Thy deeds — thy acts — around the world resound, No foreign soil where Mug-gletou's not lound ! 223 I have been down to the burial-ground, and no memo- rial remains ; the raven plume of oblivion hath long ago waved over the prophet's grave ! Equally evanescent were the Fifth Monarchy Men in the days of Cromwell. The Assyrian, the Persian, the Grecian, and the Roman were the four great monarchies; and these men, believing that the spiritual kingdom of Chirst made the fifths came to bear the name by which they are distinguished. They aimed at the subversion of all human government. The Muggletonians and Fifth Monarchy Men are now only casually mentioned in the History of England. It is remarkable that, within a few yards of Joanna Southcott's grave, v/ill be found the grave of Richard Brothers, the political prophet, who made much noise in the beginning of the French revolutionary war, and whose cause was maintained by Mr. Halhed, the Oriental schol- ar, in the House of Commons. On a large plain stone is the following inscription : This ground was bought by Mr. John Finlayson, of Upper Baker-street, to deposit under this stone the mor- tal remains of Mr. Richard Brothers, who resided and died in Mr Finlayson's house, on the 25th Jan., 1824. A writer in the Times newspaper, signed Truth, says, " I saw Mr. Brothers a few days before his death ; he was respectably dressed, very pale, very thin — a mere skeleton, very weak, could hardly walk, and died of a consumption. It was singular that the minister died of a broken heart, and that the doctor, under whose care he was confined for eleven years in a private madhouse at Isl- ington, laid violent hands on himself." Lord Chancel- lor Erskine, much to his honour, liberated the poor maniac, and restored him to society. THE RECENT SECEDERS FROM THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. DRAWN UP BY ONE OF THEIR OWN BODY. In the year 1815, several clergymen, who had been personally acquainted with each other, and had occasion- ally laboured together in the work of religious instruction (without any communication on the particular subject of the services of the Church of England) were much pain- ed by a conviction that some of those services in which they were engaged were contradictory to the injunctions and the character of the religion of Jesus Christ. The Baptismal service particularly appeared to them, as sub- stituting a ritual observance in the place of a spiritual and divine operation, and to be peculiarly objectionable. The Catechism, as connected with the Baptismal service, and the Burial service as continuing on a delusion, by still de- nominating every individual a Christian, on the ground of a merely external association, were likewise objected against. The Athanasian Creed also, with some, though not with all, was considered, especially in its damnitory clause, as contradictory to the simple declaration, " Be- live in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved ;" as well as too assuming by far in its judgment. The constitution of the church of England had also ap- peared to some of them as radically bad, from the circum- stance of its connection with the state, and its consequent obligation to have its teachers in spiritual things appoint- ed by persons who might be themselves wholly under the influence of carnal principles. The daily use, however, of services which they con- sidered as denying the declarations of God's word, was so oppressive, and, in their esteem, so guilty, that their obliga- 225 tion to it may be considered as the direct cause of their secession: and when, at length, they communicated their feeHngs to each other, it is more than probable that the objections in the mind of each were increased in number as well as weight. In the autumn of 1815 they agreed to meet together, to inquire more fully into the nature of each other's diffi- culties, and into the nature of their own obligations, by virtue of their subscription, at the time of ordination and induction. After some consideration, they agreed that it was not consistent with Christian integrity to continue the use of religious services which appeared to them to be in contradiction to the word of God, and that they were bound to rescind their own declaration, ' that they could, ex animo, assent to the whole of the contents of the thir- ty-nine articles, and the book of homihes, and the con- tents of the book of common prayer, as containing nothing contrary to the word of God.' After this they waited not many weeks before they tendered the resignation of their livings or cures to their respective Bishops, which they did, as became them, in the most respectful manner in their power ; and it must be allowed by all fair witnesses, that very little expression of disrespect, much less of bit- terness, can be proved upon any of these persons in their observations on the establishment. After the Seceders had left their original connexions and their preferments, w^hich common sense must teach us they had not done without many a severe struggle, they went into the neighbourhood of Taunton, and exer- cised their ministry in that town and in the adjacent vil- lages for nearly a year ; during which time they constant- ly met together, and endeavoured to come to some con- clusion as to the course which they ought to adopt. They were not desirous of uniting hastily with any of the various religious denominations ; and the charge of Anti- nomianism which was pretty generally made against their doctrinal statements, made most of the various rehgious denominations as willing to avoid them. They were at this time in a very peculiar situation : their sacrifices and their general conduct seemed to de- 226 mand respect ; but on the other hand, it was feared that their views were crude and dangerous, being formed upon a partial consideration of the sacred volume ; and their apparent opposition to all parties made them hable to much obloquy from various quarters. It is certain that their principal subject, in all their dis- courses, was that of a sinner's justification before God, which they affimed in the strongest manner, and some- times in rather uncouth terms, that this was by faith only through the propitiation which was by Christ Jesus ! If they did not, on their first leaving the church, sufficiently enlarge on the effects of faith, those who continue to preach acknowledge themselves most sincerely to have been in error in this respect ; and it was because they considered that, if the principle of obedience were implant- ed, there was little necessity for enlarging upon the nature of the obedience itself. But in their private intercourse with those who seemed to receive their doctrines, they are said to have been less defective in practical admoni- tions than in their sermons. They themselves, in the strongest terms, expressed at all times their abhorrence of practical Antinomianism ; and if a reply by Mr. Snow, of Cheltenham, to a pamphlet written by a Mr. Simons, may be considered as a representation of the sentiments of the rest of the Seceders, Antinomianism is certainly no more chargeable on them than on the Calvinistic bodies in gen- eral, who hoXdi justification by faith only with a very strong hand. TJie Seceders have by this time, we suspect, learned to moderate their statements. Some have gone abroad, some continue to preach, having large chapels at London, Bristol, Brighton, Exeter, Taunton, Cheltenham, and some smaller ones in various parts of Wiltshire, Hamp- shire, and Devonshire. They have never appeared to have any rules for uniting them together, and for advanc- ing their interests as a body. Whether certain peculiar- ities of opinion, in which they are now said to be more agreed amongst themselves than formerly, may ever oc- casion them to augment the number of their followers, and assume a more prominent position in the ranks of the 227 various religious bodieSjtime must determine. There are still some differences in their forms of worship jSome conten- ding for communion on the terms of the strict Baptists, and for the visible separation of members of the Church from others at the time ol worship ; others adopting the more gen- eral plan of admitting all that profess faith to their commun- ion, and agreeing in the common mode of public worship. All are in some degree tainted with what is termed Sande- manianism,as they break bread and have a collection for the saints on the first day of the w^eek. Their views on many doctrines differ from those which are called orthodox. They do not hold the doctrine of the Trinity as it is commonly maintained,neither do they confound the persons of the Fa- ther and Son,asthe Sabellians. Mr. Bevan's treatise of *^God in Christ," and Mr. Evans's ''Dialogues on the Trin- ity," are the only two publications which have yet appeared expressing their views on this solemn subject. As these are not published with the intention of expressing the creed of a body, but of individuals, it would be unfair to affix all the contents of those works on any others than the authors themselves. It is plain that they believe Christ to have existed with God before all things ; that the appellations ascribed to the Supreme are given to him, — that he is the object of religious worship, — that by his blood all believers ^ve justified from all things, — that he is the Lord and Governor of all things in heaven and in earth, the prophet, priest, and king of the Church ! They hold the doctrine of the Atonement in the strong- est manner, but do not distinguish between the active and passive obedience of Christ, considering justification to consist only in the entire remission of all sin. They be- lieve faith to be the giving of credit to the divine testi- mony, and in this respect are like the Sandemanians. They maintain the absolute necessity of the influence of the holy spirit of God, but suppose its operation to be by the means of the revealed truth of God reaching the heart through the medium of the understanding. They differ from the High Calvinists altogether in their mode of preaching, which is principally intended for the instruction and conversion of those whom they consider to be still of the world. 228 Tliey maintain the doctrine of personal and individual sanctification, contrary to what has been charged on them, as will particularly appear by Mr. Snow's '' Reply" to Mr. SimonSj (sold at Ogle's) together with his " Sermons on the Death of the Princess Charlotte," and by a sermon of Mr. Evans's, The seceders believe in the doctrine of election, but do not make it a very prominent subject in their discours- es, and appear to the high Calvinists to contradict them- selves on this subject, by the general invitations w^hich they make to all men ! It must be here added that Mr. Snow of Cheltenham, once an actor, has confessed his errors, and returned to the church of England ; whilst Mr. Evans of Gray's-inn lane, has, though still a dissenter, reverted back to the belief of the trinity. He has published a " Series of Letters" on the subject, bitterly lamenting his temporary heteredoxy ; and by way of reparation, endeavouring to set right the various erring classes of the religious world. SAUDS. A newly-discovered Indian Sect, resembling the QuaJcers. *« In March, 1816, (says the reporter of the Calcutta committee of the Church Missionary Society) I went with two gentlemen from Futtehgurh, on the invitation of the Principal persons of the Saud sect, to witness an as- semblage of them for the purpose of religious w-orship, in the city of Farrukhabad, the general meeting of the sect being that year in that city. The assembly took place in the court-yard of a large house : the number of men, women, and children were considerable. We were received with great attention, and chairs were placed for us in the front of the hall. After some time, when the place was quite full of people, the worship commenced. It consisted solely in the chaunting of a hymn, this being 229 the only mode of public worship used by the Sauds ! At subsequent periods I made particular inquiries relative to the religious opinions and practices of this sect, and was frequently visited by Bhuwanee Dos, the principal per- son of the sect in the city of Furrukhabad. The follow- ing is the substance of the account given by Bhuwanee Dos, of the origin of this sect : — '' About the Sumbat year 1600, or 177 years ago, a person named Beerbhan, an inhabitant of Beejbasur near Narraul, in the province of Delhi, received a miraculous communication from Ooda Dos, teaching him the partic- ulars of the religion now professed by the Sauds. Ooda Dos at the same time gave to Beerbhan marks by which he might know him on his re-appearance. 1. That what- ever he foretold should happen: 2. That no shadow- should be cast from his figure : 3. That he would tell him his thoughts : 4. That he would be suspended be- tween heaven and earth : 5. That he would bring the dead to life ! Bhuwanee Dos presented me with a copy of the Pot-hee, or religious books of the Sauds, written in a kind of verse, in the tenth Hindee dialect ; and he fully explained to me the leading points of their religion. The Sauds utterly reject and abhor all kinds of idolatry, and the Ganges is considered by them with no greater veneration than by Christians, although the converts are made chiefly, if not entirely, from among the Hindoos, whom they resemble in outward appearance. Their name for God is Stutgur ; and Saud, the appellation of the sect, means Servant of God ! They are pure deists, and their form of worship is most simple, as I have al- ready stated. They resemble the Quakers in their cus- toms in a remarkable degree. Ornaments and gay ap- parel of every kind are strictly prohibited. Their dress is always white. They never make any obeisance or salam. They will not take an oath, and they are ex- empted in a court of justice : their asseveration, as that of the Quakers, being considered equivalent. The Sauds profess to abstain from all luxuries, such as tobacco, paun, opium, and wine. They never have nauches or dancing ! All attack on man or beast is forbidden, but in self-de- 20 230 fence resistance is allowable. Industry is strongly enjoin- ed. The Sauds, like the Quakers, take great care of their poor and infirm people. To receive assistance out of the Puntar Tribe would be reckoned disgracful, and render the offender liable to excommunication ! All pa- rade of worship is forbidden ; secret prayer is recom- mended ; alms should be unostentatious ; they are not to be done that they should be seen of men. The due reg- ulation of the tongue is a principal duty. The chief seats of the Saud sect are Delhi, Agra, Jypoor, and Fur- rukhabad ; but there are several of the sect scattered over the country. An annual meeting lakes place at one or other of the cities above-mentioned, at which the con- cerns of the sect are settled. The magistrate of Furrukhabad informed me that he found the Sauds an orderly and well-conducted people. They are chiefly engaged in trade. Bhuwanee Dos was anxious to become acquainted with the Christian rehgion, and I gave him some copies of the New Testament in Persian and Hindoostanee, which he said he had read and shown to his people, and much approved. I had no copy of the Old Testament in any language which he understood well ; but as he expressed a strong desire to know the account of the creation, as given in it, I ex- plained it to him from an Arabic version, of which he knew a little. I promised to procure him a Persian or Hindoostanee Old Testament, if possible. I am of opin- ion that the Sauds are a very interesting people, and that an intelligent and zealous missionary would find great facility in communicating with them !" This is indeed a Heathen sect, but its members so sur- pass some Christians in the mildness of their tempers and in the purity of their lives, that a place could not be refused it in this work. JERKERS AND BARKERS. The following account is taken from an interesting American work, in two large octavo volumes, entitled " A 231 General History of the Baptist Denomination in Amer- ica and other parts of the World," by David Benedict, A. M., Pastor of the Baptist Church in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The author is a minister of the Particular Baptist per- suasion, respected for his talents, learning, and piety. He indeed records these religious excesses for the admo- nition of weaker brethren, who are intent on severing reason from religion, a sure mode of augmenting the tri- umphs of infidelity ! The subsequent narrative may ap- pear strange and incredible, but the utmost reliance may be placed upon the author's integrity. Equally does it become us to shun the extremes of enthusiasm and super- stition, thus rendering homage to the rational and unos^- tentatious genius of our common Christianity. To pro- mote " a spirit of wisdom and a sound mind" in the im- portant affairs of religion, is the sole reason for inserting an account of the Jerkers and Barkers in this work. The Jumpers were not much inferior to them in absurdity, as well as some other sects prevalent in the nineteenth cen- tury, and dispersed throughout our own enlightened and civilized country. Religion ceases to be respectable in the eyes of men, when it cherishes visionary notions, and by its tumultuary practices destroys the repose of the community. " From 1799 to 1803, there were, in most parts of the United States, remarkable out-pourings of the divine Spirit, among different denominations ; multitudes became the subjects of religious concern, and were made to re- joice in the salvation of God. The revival among the Baptists in the southern and western States, has already been frequently referred to, and accounts of the astonish- ing additions to their churches have been given. This great revival in Kentucky began in Boone county on the Ohio river, and in its progress extended up the Ohio, Licking, and Kentucky rivers, branching out into the set- tlements adjoining them. It spread fast in different di- rections, and in a short time almost every part of the state was affected by its influence. It was computed that about ten thousand were baptized and added to the Bap- 232 list churches in the course of two or three years. This great work progressed among the Baptists in a much more regular manner than people abroad have generally sup- posed. They w^ere indeed zealously affected and much engaged. Many of their ministers baptize in a number of neighbouring churches, from two to four hundred each. And two of them baptized about five hundred a-piece in the course of the work. But throughout the whole, they preserved a good degree of decorum and order. Those camp-meetings, those great parades, and sacramental sea- sons, those extraordinary exercises of falling down, roll- ing shouting, jerking, dancing, barking, Sic, were but little known among the Baptists in Kentucky, nor encour- aged by them. They, it is true, prevailed among some of them in the Green River country ; but, generally speaking, they were among the Presbyterians and Meth- odists, and in the end by a seceding party from them both, which denominated themselves Christians, but which were generally distinguished by their opposers by the name of New-Lights and Schismatics ! These strange expressions of zeal, which have made so much noise abroad, came in at the close of the revival, and were, in the judgment of many, the chaff of the work. There was a precious ingathering of souls among the Presbyte- rians and Methodists, at which they rejoiced ; but when the work arose to an enthusiastic height, many different opinions were expressed respecting it. The Methodists had no scruples of its being genuine ; but among the Presbyterians, some doubted — some opposed — but a con- siderable number overleaped all the bounds of formality, fanned the flame as fire from heaven, bid up camp-meet- ings, and sacramental seasons, and finally run religious frenzy into its wildest shapes. Soon a number of these ministers separated from the rest, formed a new Presby- tery, called the Springfield, upon New-Light principles, soon dissolved that, and five or six of them in a few years became Shaking Quakers." I shall close the list of Denominations with an account of that discriminating article of belief which refers to the 233 final triumphs of Christianity. Its advocates are not a sect distinct from others, but their tenet prevails in a less or greater degree throughout almost every department of the religious world. MILLENARIANS. The Millenarians are those who believe that Christ will reign personally on earth for a thousand years ; and their name, taken from the Latin, mille, a thousand, has a direct allusion to the duration of the spiritual empire. " The doctrine of the Millennium, or a future paradisaical state of the earth, (says a monthly reviewer,) is not of Christian, but of Jewish origin. The tradition is attribu- ted to Elijah, w4iich fixes the duration of the world, in its present imperfect condition, to six thousand years, and announces the approach of a sabbath of a thousand years of universal peace and plenty, to be ushered in by the glorious advent of the Messiah ! This idea may be tra- ced in the epistle of Barnabas, and in the opinions of Pa- pias, who 'knew of no written testimony in its behalf. It was adopted by the Author of the Revelation, by Justin Martyr, by Irenasus, and by a long succession of the Fa- thers. As the theory is animating and consolatory, and, when divested of cabalistic numbers and allegorical ([qco- YS.iions, probable even in the eye of philosophy, it will no doubt always retain a number of adherents." It is re- markable, that Druidism, the religion of the first inhabi- tants of this island, had a reference to the progressive melioration of the human species, as is amply shown in an incomparable " Essay on Druidism," prefixed to Rich- ard's " Welsh Nonconformist Memorial, or Cambro-Brit- ish Biography." But as the Millennium has, for these few years past, attracted the attention of the public, we shall enter into a short detail of it. Mr. Joseph Mede, Dr. Gill, Bishop Newton, and Mr. Winchester, contend for the personal reign of Christ on earth. To use that prelate's own words, in his " Disser- tations on the Prophecies : — " When these great events 20* 234 shall come to pass, of which we collect from the prophe- cies, this is to be the proper order : — the Protestant wit- nesses shall be greatly exalted, and the 1260 years of their prophesying in sackcloth, and of the tyranny of the beast, shall end together ; the conversion and restoration of the Jews succeed ; then follows the ruin of the 0th- man empire ; and then the total destruction of Rome and of Antichrtst : — when these great events, I say, shall come to pass, then shall the kingdom of Christ commence or the reign of the saints upon earth. So Daniel ex- pressly informs us, that the kingdom of Christ and the saints will be raised upon the ruins of the kingdom of Antichrist, vii. 26, 27. ' But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to de- stroy it unto the end : and the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heav- en, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and all dominions shall serve and obey him.' So likewise St. John saith, that, upon the final destruction of the beast and the false prophet, Rev. xx., ' Satan is bound for a thousand years ; and I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them ; and 1 saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus Christ and for the word of God ; which had not worship- ped the beast, neither his image ; neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands , and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again, until the thou- sand years were finished. This is the first resurrection., It is, I concieve, to these great events, the fall of Anti- christ, the re-establishment of the Jews, and the begin- ning of the glorious Millennium, that the three different dates in Daniel of 1260 years, 1290 years and 1335 years are to be referred. — And as Daniel saith, xii. 12, 'Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh to the 1335 years ;' so St. John saith, xx. 6, ' Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection.' Blessed and happy indeed will be this period ; and it is very observa- ble, that the martyrs and confessors of Jesus, in Papist 235 as well as Pagan times, will be raised to partake of this felicity. Then shall all those gracious promises in the Old Testament be fulfilled — of the the amplitude and ex- tent, of the peace and prosperity, of the glory and hap- piness of the church in the latter days. ' Then,' in the full sense of the words. Rev. xi. 15, ^ Shall the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever.' Accor- ding to tradition, * these thousand years of the reign of Christ and the saints, will be the seventh Millenary of the world : for as God created the world in six days, and rested on the seventh; so the w^orld, it is argued, will continue six thousand years, and the seventh thousand will be the great Sabbatism, or holy rest to the people of God. ' One day (2 Pet. iii. 8.) being with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.' Ac- cording to tradition too, these thousand years of the reign of Christ and the saints, are the great day of judgment, in the morning or beginning whereof, shall be the coming of Christ in a flaming fire, and the particular judgment of Antichrist and the first resurrection ; and in the evening or conclusion wl:ereof shall be the general resurrection of the dead, small and great; 'and they shall be judged, every man, according to their w^orks !' " This is a just representation of the Millennium, accord- ing to the common opinion entertained of it, that Christ will reign personally on earth during the period of one thousand years ! But Dr. Whitby, in a dissertation on the subject. Dr. Priestley, in his '' Institutes of Religion," and the author of the "Illustrations of Prophecy," con- tend against the literal interpretation of the Millennium, both as to its nature and its duration. On such a topic, however, we cannot suggest our opinions with too great a degree of modesty. Mr. Winchester, in his " Lectures on the prophecies," freely indulges his imaginlnation on this curious subject. He suggests, (as has been already mentioned) that the large rivers in America are all on the eastern side, that ♦ See Burnet's Theory. 236 the Jews may waft themselves the more easily down io the Atlantic, and then across that vast ocean to the Holy Land ; that Christ will appear at the equinoxes (either March or September) when the days and nights are equal all over the globe; and finally, that the body of Christ will be luminous, and being suspended in the air over the equator for twenty-four hours, will be seen with circum- stances of pecuHar glory, from pole to pole, by all the in- habitants of the world ! Dr. Priestley (entertaining an exalted idea of the ad- vantages to which our nature may be destined treats the limitation of the duration of the world to seven thousand years as a Rabbinical fable ; and intimates that the thous- and years may be interpreted prophetically : then every day would signify a year, and the Millennium would last for three hundred and sixty-five thousand years I Again he supposes that there will be no resurrection of any indi- viduals till the general resurrection ; and that the Millen- nium implies only the revival of religion. This opinion is indeed to be found in his " Institutes," published many years ago ; but latterly he has inclined to the personal reign of Christ. See his " Farewell Sermon," preached at Hackney, previous to his emigration to America. The Author of the " Illustrations of Prophecy" contends, that in the period commonly called the Millennium, a melior- ation of the human race will take place, by natural means, throughout the world. For his reasons, we refer to the work itself, where will be found an animated sketch of that period, when an end shall be put to many of the ca- lamities now prevalent on the globe ! The late Dr. Bogue published a " Series of Discours- es" on the Millennium, well worth attention. The Reverend Edward Irving, the celebrated Caledo- nian orator, has also published two small volumes on prophecy, in which he contends for a Millennium involv- ing the personal reign of Christ on earth. Its commence- ment he dates in 1866 — that is, thirty-nine years hence. The Younger portion of the present generation may wit- ness the arrival of this august era — which it has been hitherto thought would be reserved to bless the eyes and 237 gratify the longing expectations of the saints, down to the latest posterity. However the Millenarians may differ among them- selves respecting the nature of this great event, it is agre- ed on all hands, that such a revolution will be affected in the latter days, by which vice and its attendant misery shall be banished from the earth ; thus completely forget- ting all those dissensions and animosities by which the re- ligious world hath been agitated, and terminating the grand drama of Providence with universal felicity. We are not unmindful of the prophetic language of Isaiah, chap. xhx. 22, 23, — together with a sublime passage from the Book of the Revelations, chap. xi. 15, with which the canon of Scripture concludes — " Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people. And Kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their Queens thy nursing mothers, (they shall become good themselves, and be the protectors of religion and liberty,) and thou shalt know that I am the Lord, for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. — And the seventh Angel sounded, and there were great voices in Heaven, saying, — The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever." These are the divisions of human opinions, w^hlch char- acterize the more popular departments of the religious world. I have endeavoured to delineate them with accura- cy and brevity. Each system boasts of admirers, and pro- fesses to have its peculiar arguments and tendencies. To a thoughtful mind they exhibit a melancholy picture of the human understanding, misguided through passion, and warped with prejudice. In drawing out the motley cat- alogue, several cursory reflections arose in my mind. A few only, such as may operate as a persuasive to religious moderation, shall be submitted to the reader's attention. The execrable spirit of bigotry is indeed abating among all parties, and the professors of Jesus are be- coming more intent on the great essentials of Christian- 238 ty. The probationary condition in which we are placed, powerfully inculcates such a conduct. It was a saying of the pious Richard Baxter, recorded by himself in the " History of his own Times" — " While we wrangle here in the dark, we are dying and passing to that world which will decide all our controversies, and the safest passage thither is by peaceable holiness." Hence jarring- sectaries may learn Their real interest to discern, That brother should not war with brother, And worry and devour each other; Shunning" division here below, That each in charity may grow, Till, joined in Christian fellowship and love, The Church on earth shall meet the Church above ! COWPEB. It is an animating consideration, that notwithstanding the jarring and contentions of parties for their opinions and modes of worship, which the preceding pages at- tempt to pourtray, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, unde- based by the prejudices, and uncontrolled by the pas- sions of frail humanity, continues to operate, like the great laws of nature, with a silent but irresistable energy for the renovation of mankind. Pure religion, it has been remarked, disdains the aid of sophistry, however splendid, and misrepresentation however ingenious. Her temple admits none but the graceful decorations of Chris- tian charity, and can only be supported by the pillars of truth — No meretricious graces to beguile, No clustering ornaments to clog the pile ; From ostentation as from weakness free, It stands like the cerulean arch you see, Majestic in its own simplicity I May the God of peace allay the animosities and melior- ate the temper of the Christian world ! Thus will the wretched remains of bigotry, still to be found in some un- happy individuals of every party, be lessened and finally destroyed. The glorious Gospel of the blessed God wants not any adventitious aid to extend its empire over the hu- man heart. It is of itself sufficient (under the blessing of heaven) to purify our affections, and prepare us for our certain and speedy removal into eternity. 239 But it is time that I now enter on those reflections, sug- gested by the perusal of this volume, detaihng the opin- ions which characterizce the Christian world. These reflections are obvious to every capacity, that is not darkened with prejudice or beclouded by bigotry. Where they have been read, and considered, they prove useful ; enlarging the mind, disposing it to free inquiry, and promoting the generous affections. A religion that abandons the use of reason, and inspires hatred towards all that are not enclosed within the petty circle of party, can- not be divine. Such is not the glorious Gospel of the blessed God, who, supremely happy in himself, will, by means of the Gospel, render happy the whole race of mankind. REFLECTIONS. OR A PERSUASIVE TO CHRISTIAN MODERATION. "There is nothing- in the world, more wholesome or more necessary for us to learn than this gracious lesson of moderation, without which, in very truth, a man is so far from being- a Christian, that he is not himself I This is the centre wherein all both divine and moral philoso- phy meet — the rule of life — the g-overness of manners — the silken string- that runs throug-h the pearl chain of all virtues — the very ecliptic line under which reason and religion move without any deviation, and therefore most worthy our best thoughts — of our most careful observ- ance." — Bishop Hall. 1. Since the best and wisest of mankind thus differ on the speculative tenets of religion, let us modestly estimate the extent of the human faculties. A modest estimate of the human faculties is an induce- ment to moderation. Afterlaborious investigations, prob- ably with equal degrees of knowledge and integrity, men arrive at opposite conclusions. Human reason, weak and fallible, soars with feeble, and often with ineffectual wing, into the regions of speculation. Let none affirm that this mode of argument begets an indifference to the acquisi- 240 tion of religious truth. To declare that all tenets are alike, is an aifornt to the understanding. The chilling hesitation of scepticism, the forbidding sternness of bigotry, and the delirious fever of enthusiasm, are equally abhor- rent from the genius of true Christianity. Truth being the conformity of our conceptions to the nature of things, we should be careful lest our conceptions be tinctured with error. Philosophers suppose that the senses convey the most determinate species of information ; yet these senses are not endued with an instinctive inlallibillity. How much greater cause have we to mistrust the exercise of our rational powers, which from early infancy are beset with prejudices ! Our reason proves of essential use to us in ascertain- ing the nature of truths, and the degrees of evidence with which they are attended. This induces a modesty of temper, the ground-work of charity. Richard Bax- ter, revered for his good sense as well as fervent piety, has these remarkable expressions on the subject : — " I am not so foolish as to pretend my certainty to be greater than it is, merely because it is a dishonour to be less certain: nor will I by shame be kept from confessing those infirm- ities which those have as much as I, who hypocritically reproach me with them. My certainty that I am a man, is before my certainty that there is a God ; my certainty that there is a God, is greater than my certainty that he requireth love and holiness of his creatures : my certain- ty of this is greater than my certainty of the life of re- ward and punishment hereafter ; my certainty of that is greater than my certainty of the endless duration of it, and the immortality of individual souls ; my certainty of the Deity is greater than my certainty of the Christian faith ; my certainty of the Christian faith in its essentials, is greater than my certainty of the perfection and infalli- bility of all the Holy Scriptures ; my certainty of that is greater than my certainty of the meaning of many par- ticular texts, and so of the truth of many particular doc- trines, or of the canonicalness of some certain books. So that you see by what gradations my understanding doth proceed, as also that my certainty difiereth as the 241 evidence differs ! And they that have attained to a great- er perfection and a higher degree of certainty than I, should pity me, and produce their evidence to help me.'^ This paragraph should be written in letters of gold. Like the Roman laws of old, it ought to be hung up in public, and every means taken of directing towards it the atten- tion of the professors of Christianity. This accurate statement of the nature and degrees of belief duly im- pressed on the mind, would prevent besotted bigotry. Reason, though imperfect, is the noblest gift of God, and upon no pretence must it be decried. It distingishes man from the beasts of the field, constitutes his resem- blance to the Deity, and elevates him to the superiority he possesses over this lower creation. By Deists it is extolled, to the prejudice of revelation ; and by Enthu- siasts depreciated, that they may impose on their votaries the absurdities of their systems. Yet, strange inconsis- tency ! even these enthusiasts condescend to employ this calumniated faculty in pointing out the conformity of their tenets to scripture, and in fabricating evidence for their support. But beware of speaking lightly of reason, which is denominated the eye of the soul ! Every opprobrious epithet with which the thoughtless or the designing dare to stigmatize it, vilifies the Creator. From the preceding pages it will be seen how prone men are to extremes in the important affairs of religion. The evil arises from the neglect of reason, termed by an inspired writer the ' candle of the Lord,' and which must be the best guide in the interpretation of the New Testa- ment. The epithet carnal, with which professors are too apt to stigmatize it, is never once applied to it in the Ho- ly Scriptures. It is there attached not to reason but to the ceremonial commandments and ordinances of the for- mer dispensation. Mr. Locke remarks, ^' Very few make any other use of their half employed and undervalued reason but to bandy against it. For when, by the influ- ence of some prevailing head, they all lean one way, truth is sure to be borne down, and there is nothing so danger- ous as to make any inquiry after her ; and to own her for her own sake is a most unpardonable crime." Thus it 21 242 appears that the neglect of reason in matters of religion is a long standing evil, and will never be altogether erad- icated in the present imperfect condition of humanity. But, far from fettering the human mind, Christiantity al- lows it free and vigorous exercise. By coming in contact with sacred subjects it is refined and invigorated. It will be sublimed and perfected in a better world. Circumscribed, indeed, are the operations of reason, and fallible are its decisions. That it is incompetent to investigate certain subjects which our curiosity may essay to penetrate, is acknowledged. Its extension, beyond its assigned boundaries, has proved an ample source of error. Thus Mr. Colliber, an ingenious writer, (often referred to by Dr. Doddridge in his Lectures) imagines in his trea- tise, entitled '' The Knowledge of God," that the Deity must have some form, and intimates it may probably be .spherical ! Indeed the abuse of reason has generated an endless list of paradoxes, and given birth to those mon- strous systems of metaphysical theology, which are "the plague of wise men, and the idol of fools." Upon many religious topics, which have tortured our understandings, the sacred writers are respectfully silent. Where they cease to inform us we should drop our inquiries ; unless we claim superior degrees of information, and deem our- selves more competent to decide on these intricate sub- jects. " The modesty of Christians (says Archbishop Tillotson) is contented in divine mysteries, to know what God has thought fit to reveal concerning them, and hath no curiosity to be wise above that which is written. It is enough to believe what God says concerning these mat- ters, and if any man will venture to say more — every other man surely is at liberty to believe as he sees rea- son. The primitive Christians, in some of their councils, elevated the New Testament on a throne : thus intima- ting their concern, that by that volume alone their dis- putes should be determined. The president De Thou remarks, "that the sword of the word of God ought to be the sole weapon — and those who are no longer to be compelled, should be quietly attracted by moderate con- 243 siderations and amicable discussions.'^ And Burke, who knew well human nature, remarks that, '•' In all persua- sions, the bigots are persecutors ; the men of a cool and reasonable piety are favourers of toleration, because bigots, not taking the pains to be acquainted with the grounds of their adversaries, tenets, conceive them to be so absurd and monstrous, that no man of sense can give into them in good earnest. For which reason, they are convinced that some oblique bad motive induces them to pretend to the behef of such doctrines, and to the main- taining them with obstinacy. This is a very general prin- ciple in all religious differences, and it is the corner-stone of all persecution." 2. The diversity of religious opinions implies no reflec- tion upon the sufficiency of Scripture to instruct us in matters of faith and practice, and should not be made a pretence for uncharitableness. Controversies are agitated concerning words rather than things. This is to be ascribed to the ambiguity of lan- guage, which has been a source of ecclesiastical animosi- ties. But there is not in the world such a multitude of opinions as superficial observers may imagine. A com- mon gazer at the starry firmament conceives the stars to be innumerable ; but the astronomer knows their number to be limited — -nay, to be much smaller than a vulgar eye would apprehend. On the subjects of religion, many men dream rather than think — imagine rather than be- lieve. Were the intellect of every individual awake, and preserved in exercise, similarity of sentiment would be much more prevalent. But mankind will not think, and hence thinking has been deemed '' one of the least exer- ted privileges of cultivated humanity." It happens that the idle flights indulged by enthusiasts, the burdensome rites revered by the superstitious, and the corrupt max- ims adopted by worldly-minded professors, are charged on the Scriptures of truth. Whereas the inspired vol- ume is fraught with rational doctrines, equitable precepts, and immaculate rules of conduct. Fanciful accommo- dations, distorted passages, false translations, and forced analogies,- have been the means employed to debase the 244 Christian doctrine. An impartial investigation of the word of God raises in our minds conceptions worthy the perfections of Deity, suitable to the circumstances of man- kind, and adapted to purify our nature — Relig-ion's lustre is, by native innocence, Divinely pure and simple from all arts ; You daub and dress her like a common mistress — The harlot of your fancies I and by adding- False beauties, which she wants not, make the world Suspect her ang-el face is foul beneath. And will not bear all lights. The Catholics deprive their laity of the Scripture by restraining its use, and denying its sufficiency. The same reason also was assigned to vindicate the necessity of an infallible head to dictate in religious matters. Notwith- standing these devices to produce unanimity of sentiment, they were not more in possession of it than the Protest- ants. The sects which at different periods sprang up in the bosom, and disturbed the tranquility of the Catholic church, are proofs that they failed to attain the desired object. Pretences, however specious, should be rejected, if they tend to invalidate the sufficiency, or disparage the excellence of holy writ. Least of all should diversity of sentiment be alleged; for it does not originate in the Scriptures themselves, but in the imbecility of the under- standing, in the freedom of the will, in the pride of pas- sion, and in the inveteracy of prejudice. Deists never- theless, who are expert in observing what may be con- strued into an objection against revealed religion, declaim loudly on this topic. On account of the diversity of sen- timent which obtains, they charge the Bible with being defective in a species of intelligence it never pretended to communicate. Unencumbered with human additions, and uncontaminated with foreign mixtures, it furnishes the believer with that information which illuminates the un- derstanding, meliorates the temper, invigorates the moral feelings, and improves the heart. " All Scripture given by inspiration, is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." '' Heaven and Hell are not more distant (says Lord Lyttleton) than the benevolent spirit of the 245 Gospel and the maglignant spint of party. The most impious wars ever made were called Ao^y wars. He who hales another man for not bemg a Christian, '^ ^nmsell not a Christian ! Christianity breathes^love, ^nd Peace, and good will to men." And the E™?^.'."^^ ^hailes v., also, we are told, retired at the close of life to a mon ast;ry, and there, says Dr. Robertson, "he was Particu- larly curious with regard to the construction of clocks ana watches, and having found, after repeated trials, hat he could not bring any two of them to go exactly ahke He reflected, it is said, with a mixture of surprise as well as regret, on his own folly, in having bestowed so much time and labour, in the more vain attempt of bringing mankind to a precise uniformity of sentiment concern- ing the intricate and mysterious doctrines oi rehgion . 3 Let not any one presume to exempt himsell trom an attention to religion, because some of its tenets seem involved in difliculties. Upon articles which promote the felicity, ^ and secure the salvation of mankind, the Scripture is decisive ilie curiosity of the inquisitive, and the restlessness ol the in- genious, have involved subjects of theological disquisition tn obscurity. Dr. Paley speaking c.f the d.sputes which distract the religious world, happily remarks, tttat the rent has not reached the foundation. Incontro- vertible are the facts upon which the fabric of natura and revealed religion is reared; and "*« gates f hell shall not prevail against it !" He who searches the sc up tures, must confess that they teach, in explicit terms, ttiat God rules over ail-that Man is fallen from h'^ Prim- eval rectitude-that the Messiah shed his blood for his restoration— and that in a future state revvards await the righteous, and punishments will be inflicted on the wicked From the preceding sketch of the difi-erent opinions of Christians, it appears that controversies have been agita- ted concerning the person of Christ, the subject ol the Divine favoui, and the article of Church government But what was the specific matter of disputation not whether Christ has actually appeared on earth to >ntroauce a new dispensation ; nor whether God is disposed to shovy 21* 246 grace or favour towards fallen man ; nor whether the pro- fessors of rehgion ought to submit themselves to certain regulations, or Church government, for mutual benefit. These are truths revered by every denomination, and the only point of contention has been, what particular views are to be entertained of these interesting facts. The Trinitarian, the Arian, and the Humanitarian, equally ac- knowledge the divinity of Christ's mission, or that he w^as the Messiah predicted by the ancient prophets ; and the chief point of dispute is, whether this Messiah be a man highly inspired, or one of the angelic order, or a be- ing possessed of the attributes of Deity. The Calvinist, the Arminian, and the Baxterian also, each of them firm- ly beheves that the grace of God hath appeared, and diff- er only respecting the wideness of its extent, and the mode of its communication. Similar observations might be transferred to the subject of church government, and the administration of ceremonies. But sufficient has been said to show that the differences subsisting between Christians do not affect the truth of Christianity, nor haz- ard the salvation of mankind. Some well-meanin2; Christians have been offended at this position, but in our contention with Deists and with Catholics, to this we must come or come to nothing ! Faint, indeed, is the light thrown by revelation on cer- tain subjects. Yet no lover of righteousness need dis- tress himself, whether he be mistaken in leading a life of virtue and piety. Practical religion lies within a narrow compass. The sayings of Christ embrace almost every part of human conduct, though his disciples have been lamentably deficient in paying them a proper attention. Jesus Christ assures us, that " to love the Lord our God with all the heart, is the first and great commandment ;" and that " the second is like unto it — to love our neighbour as ourselves." They entertain mistaken views of the glorious gospel, who consider it inimi- cal to the prosperity of the human race. Descend- ing from a God of love, and presented to us by his only begotten son — every mind should have opened for its re- ception. Wrangling should have been prevented by the clearness of its fundamental doctrines, hesitation about 247 obedience precluded by tbe justice of its precepts, and the beauty of its examples should have captivated the most indifferent hearts. The perplexity in which some religious tenets are in- volved, instead of alienating us from the practice of right- eousness, should quicken our inquiries after truth. In- deed, upon a serious an intelligent individual, it produces this effect. Having in his eye the Scripture as the only standard, he is the more alive to free inquiry, when he contemplates the diversity of religious systems ; and more accurately scrutinizes their natare, examines their foun- dations, and ascertains their tendencies. This mode of arriving at truth is attended with advantages. Our knowl- edge is enlarged, our candour exercised, and our belief founded on the basis of conviction. Such a believer re- flects an honour upon the denomination with which he connects himself For, feeling the difficulties of religious investigation, he presumes not to charge with heresy those of his fellow Christians who differ from him ; nor is he such a stranger to the perfections of the Deity, and to the benign spirit of his religion, as to consign them over to the regions of future misery ! Of Mr. Gouge, an em- inent Nonconformist minister, it is thus honourably recor- ded by Archbishop Tillotson : — '' He allowed others to differ from him even in opinions that were very dear to him, and provided men did but fear God, and work righteousness, he loved them heartily, how distant soev- er from him in judgment about things less necessary ; in all which he is very worthy to be a pattern to men of all persuasions." " Were one religion only to exist in a country, (says the late Dr. Lettsom) probably the people would soon become either indifferent about its tenets, or superstitious in supportng them, and from the history of mankind, were two systems only of religion to prevail, zeal would be perpetually exercised to the destruction of each other, but variety, which divides attention, tends to lessen big- otry and arrest persecution — and hence seems best cal- culated to promote zeal without intolerance, virtue void of hypocrisy, and the general happiness of the commu- nity." 248 4. Let us reflect with pleasure in how many impor- tant articles of belief all Christians are agreed. Respecting the origin of evil, the nature of the human soul, the existence of an intermediate state, and the du- ration of future punishment, together with points of a sim- ilar kind, opinions have been, and in this imperfect state will ever continue to be, different. But on articles of faith, far more interesting in themselves, and far more conducive to our welfare, are not all Christians united ? We all believe in the perfections and government of one God,in the degradation of human nature through transgres- sion, in the unspeakable efficacy of the life, death and suf- ferings of Jesus Christ, in the assurance of the divine aid, in the necessity of exercising repentance and of cultiva- ting holiness ; in a resurrection from the dead, and in a future state of rewards and punishment. Cheerfully would I enter into a minute illustration of this part of the subject ; but the devout and intelligent Dr. Price has discussed it, in his first sermon on the Christian doctrine, to which dis- course I refer the reader, and recommend it to his repeat- ed perusal. Many Christians are more anxious to know wherein their brethren differ from them, than wherein they are agreed. This betrays a propensity to division, and bears an unfavourable aspect on mutual forbearance, one of the highest embellishments of the Christian char- acter. An enlightened zeal is compatible with the relig- ious moderation, which is opposed to the furious spirit of uncharitableness, the gangrene of genuine Christianity ! From the shy and distant deportment of men of different persuasions towards each other, a stranger to them all would with difficulty be brought to believe that they looked up to the same God, confided in the same Saviour, and were bending their steps towards the same state of future hap- piness. The Christian world has the appearance of a subdued country, cantoned out into innumerable districts, through the pride and anibition of its conquerors, and each district occupied in retarding each other's prosperity. Alas! what would the Prince of Peace say, were he to descend and sojourn among us ? Would he not reprove our unhallowed warmth, upbraid us with our divisions, 249 chide our unsocial tempers, and exhort to amity and con- cord? "This antipathy to your fellow Christians," he would say, "is not the effect of my religion, but pro- ceeds from the tvant of it. My doctrines, precepts, and example, have an opposite tendency. Had you learned of Me, you would have never uttered against your breth- ren terms of reproach, nor lifted up the arm of persecu- tion. The new commandment that I gave unto you was — That you love one another.''' Were the professors of the Gospel once fully sensible how they coincide on the fundamental facts of natural and revealed religion, they would cherish with each other a more friendly intercourse, unite more cordially to propa- gate religion, both at home and abroad, and a superior de- gree of success would crown their combined exertions for the purpose. Much it is regretted that disputes have been agitated concerning unessential points, and with an acri- mony opposite to the gospel of Jesus Christ. That con- troversy is in itself injurious to truth, no intelligent indi- vidual will insinuate. When conducted with ability and candour, light has been struck out, errors have been rec- tified, and information on interesting subjects has been communicated to the public. But alas ! controversy has been perverted. To many who have engaged in theo- logical discussion, victory, not truth, has been the object of pursuit. Seduced by unworthy motives, they swerved from the hne of conduct prescribed by an apostle, and contended boisterously, rather than earnestly for the faith once dehvered to the saints Fiery controversialists, hur- ried away by the impetuousness of temper, or exaspera- ted by the opposition of an acute adversary, have disgrac- ed the polemic page by ungenerous insinuations. Thus are infidels furnished with additional objection to revealed religion — the investigation of interesting truth terminates in mutual reproaches ; and Christians of different senti- ments, driven still farther from each other, are the less fitted to associate together in the common mansions of the blest ! To this penicious mode of agitating disputes, there are, however, exceptions ; and instances of this kind might be adduced. In the defence of Christianity, and in the 250 support of its particular doctrines, writers have stood forth, whose temper and liberahty breath the genuine spirit of the Christian Rehgion. Doddridge's " Letters to the Author of Christianity n'ot founded in argument," Bishop Watson's " Apohgies," and Campbell's " Answer to Hume on Miracles," are examples of the candour with which religious controversies should be conducted. In an enlightened age like the present, this conciliating spirit was to be expected ; and we indulge the pleasing hope, that times still more auspicious to truth are approaching, when the amicable discussion of every doctrine shall ob- tain an universal prevalence : Seize upon the truth where'er 'tis found, Among- your friends — among- your foes, On Christian or on Heathen ground ; The flower's divine where'er it g-rows ; Neglect the prickles and assume the rose. Watts. "No way whatsoever," says the immortal Locke, ''that I shall walk in against the dictates of my conscience, will ever bring me to the mansions of the blessed. I may grow rich by an art that I take no delight in^ — ^I may be cured of some disease by remedies I have no faith in ; but I cannot be saved by a religion I distrust, and a worship that I abhor. It is in vain for an unbeliever to take up the outward shadow of another man's profession ; faith only and sincerity are the things that procure acceptance with God." Truth, indeed, moral and divine, flourishes only in the soil of freedom. There it shoots up and sheds its fruit for the healing of the nation ! Civil and religious liberty are two of the greatest earthly blessings which Heaven Can bestow on man. Thrice happy are the people who experience the benefits of good government, unburthened by oppression, and who enjoy the sweets of liberty unem- bittered by licentiousness ! William Penn has, in a let- ter to Archbishop Tillotson, these memorable words — " I abhor two principles in religion, and pity them that 6\\n them — The first is obedience upon authority, with- out conviction ; and the other, destroying them that dif- fer from me, for God's sake. Such a religion is without 251 judgment though not without teeth — unjon is best, if right — else charity.^' 5. We should allow to others ^he same right of private judgment in religious matters, which we claim and exer- cise ourselves. It is replied — ''We forbid not the sober use of this privilege." But who can estimate the sobriety of anoth- er man's speculations? And by reprobating the opinions which a brother may happen to entertain in consequence of free investigation, we tacitly conden^n that operation of his mind which induced him to take up such tenets. This is the spirit of popery in disguise. Cautiously ex- ercising his reason, and devoutly examining the sacred re- cords, let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. This was the advice of Paul to the primitive Christians, and no substantial reason has been, or ever will be, giv- en for its being abandoned. For a Protestant, who de- mands and exercises the right of private judgment, to de- ny it to his brother is an unpardonable inconsistency. It is also an act of injustice, contrary to reason, condemed by revelation, and prejudicial to the best interests of man- kind. He who insults your person, steals your property, or injures your reputation, subjects himself to the punish- ment v/hich the law denounces. What, then, can we think of the man who attempts to rob you of the right of private judgment — a jewel of Inestimable price — a bles- sing of the first magnitude ! Were we once to relinquish thinking for ourselves, and indolently to acquiesce in the representations of others, our understandings might soon groan beneath the absurdities of other men's creeds, and our attention be distracted by the perplexed nature of our religious services. Hitherto, persons have never been wanting unreasonable enough to impose on their breth- ren articles of faith. The late Mr. Robinson, of Cam- bridge, an avowed foe to ecclesiastical tyranny, has tra- ced its sources with his usual acuteness, and pronounces them to be power, law, patronage, office, the abuse of learning, and mistaken piety ! These pretences for domination over conscience are plausible, and by their speciousness millions have been deceived. But explain 252 to a man of common sense, the foundation of religious liberty, and the infatuation ceases. He must perceive that the Father of spirits hath authorised no man to dic- tate to another what he is to believe, much less to impose his dogmas under pain of eternal punishment. Dr. Prideaux, (a learned clergyman of the church of England,) in his " Life of Mahomet," speaking of the dissensions of the sixth century, remarks — " Christians, having drawn the abstrusest niceties into controversy, did thereby so destroy peace, love, and charity among them- selves, that they lost the whole substance of religion, and in a manner drove Christianity quite out of the world ; so that the Saracens, taking advantage of the weakness of power and distractions of councils, which those divis- ions had caused, soon overran with terrible devastation all the Eastern provinces of the Roman empire ; turned every where their churches into mosques, and forced on them the abominable imposture of Mahometanism !" " Why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right," was the language in which Christ reproached the Phari- sees ; and, '' Prove all things," was Paul's exhortation to the church at Thessalonica. These passages alone show beyond the possibility of dispute, that both Christ and Paul were patrons of free inquiry. Free inquiry, in its fullest extent, has been found serviceable to the inter- ests of religion. Hereby error ceases to be perpetuated, and truth emerges from those shades of darkness with which she had been enveloped. Survey the page of ec- clesiastical history — mark the intervals of languor when the right of private judgment lay dormant — then was the church of Christ debilitated and pestered with an heterogeneous mass of errors. Excellently is it remark- ed in a periodical publication : — " No man can write down truth. Inquiry is to truth what friction is to the diamond. It proves its hardness, adds to its lustre, and excites new admiration." The ablest advocates for Christianity con- fess, that by the attacks of its enemies provoking exam- ination, it has been benefitted. To infidel writers we are indebted for Butler's profound ^' Analogy," Law's " The- ory of Natural and Revealed Religion," Campbell's "Dis- 253 sertation on Miracles," Newton's Work on the Prophe- cies, Watson's admirable Apologies and other performan- ces, which reflect as much honour on the names of their respective authors, as they have rendered service to the cause they espoused. " Every species of intolerance," says Archdeacon Paley, " which enjoins suppression and silence, and every species of persecution which enforces such injunctions, is averse to the progress of truth, foras- much as it causes that to be fixed by one set of men at one time, which is much better, and with much more pro- bability of success, left to the independent and progress- ive inquiries of separate individuals. Truth results from discussion and from controversy, is investigated by the labour and researches of private persons ; whatever there- fore prohibits these, obstructs that industry and that lib- erty, which it is the common interest of mankind to pro- mote." 6. Let us be careful to treat those who differ from us with kindness. Believing those who differ from us to be the disciples of error, they have a claim on our compassion. And as a further incentive to a lenient conduct, it should be re- membered, that we differ from them just as much as they do from us. By either party, no anathema should be hurled, and a proneness to persecution should be eradica- ted. The Quakers, in their address to James the Sec- ond, on his accession, told him, that they understood he was no more of the established religion than themselves : " We therefore hope (say they) that thou wilt allow us that liberty which thou takest thyself." The terms schism, and heresy are in the mouths of many, and it is no unfrequent case to find that those who use them most, least understand their real import. My old tutor. Dr. Campbell (author of an excellent translation of the Four Gospels,) thus concludes a learned dissertation on the subject : " No person (says he) who in the spirit of can- dour and charity adheres to that which, to the best of his judgment, is right, though in this opinion he should be mistaken, is in the scriptural sense, either schismatic or heretic : and he, on the contrary, whatever sect he be- 22 254 longs to, is most entitled to those odious appellations who is most apt to throw the imputation upon others." Would to God, that this observation were inscribed on the front of every place of worship, and engraven on the memory of every individual in Christendom ! Upon the advantages arising from Christian moderation w^e might expatiate ; and to detail the evils which have flowed from an unenlightened zeal, would be to stain my page with blood. Bishop Hall, in the last century, wrote a treatise on Moderation, and has discussed the subject with that ability which is peculiar to his writings. But this great and good man, towards the close of the same treatise, forgetting the principles which he had been incul- cating, devotes one solitary page to the cause of intoler- ance. This page concludes with these remarkable ex- pressions : — "Master Calvin did well approve himself to God's church, in bringing Servetus to the stake at Gene- va !" Blessed Jesus ! how art thou wounded in the house of thy friends ! After this deplorable instance of human inconsistency, should not the most eminent of the followers of Christ beware lest, by indulging, even in the slightest degree, a spirit of intolerance, they be insensi- bly led either to adopt or applaud practices which, under the specious mask of a holy zeal, outrage the first prin- ciple of humanity ? To love our own party only, is (to use the words of Dr. Doddridge) nothing else than self love rejicctccl. The most zealous partisans are revelling in self-gratification. And Mr. Jay of Bath, in his Sermons, remarks, that ^^ the readiest way in the world to thin heaven and re- plenish the regions of hell, is to call in the spirit of big- otry. This will immediately arraign, and condemn, and execute, all that do not bow down and worship the image of our idolatry. Possessing exclusive prerogatives, it rejects every other claim — ' Stand by, I am soimder than thou. The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord are we !' How many of the dead has this intolerance sentenced to eternal misery, who will shine like stars in the kingdom of our Father ! — how many living characters does it not reprobate as enemies to the 255 cross of Christ, who are placing in it all their glory ! No wonder if, under the influence of this consuming zeal, we form lessening views of the number of the saved. ' I only am left' — yes, they are few indeed, if none belong to them, who do not belong to your party — that do not see with your eyes — that do not believe election with you, or universal redemption with you — that do not wor- ship under a steeple with you, or in a meeting with you — that are not dipped with you, or sprinkled with you ! But hereafter we shall find that the righteous were not so circumscribed ; when we shall see ' Many coming from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south, to sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven !' " Were these truly evangel- ical sentiments more prevalent among professors of every description, the ravages of infidelity would cease — Chris- tians themselves become more united, and rapid advan- ces would be thus making towards the improvement of the world. Christians, indeed, of almost every denomination, ap- pear at times to have forgotten, that harshness widens rather than closes the breaches which diversity of senti- ment may have occasioned. Coercive measures reach not the mind, and the issuing of edicts to extort assent to speculative tenets, is the bombast of civil authority. Truth rests on evidence. But what has evidence to do with exertions of power, implements of torture, and scenes of devastation ? From the commencement of the fourth century, down to that illustrious era of the Refor- mation, unmolested was the empire of ignorance over the human mind. At Rome, for a series of ages, the chair of infallibility was filled by a succession of intolerant and domineering pontiffs. Systems of cruelty were practised, for the support of their most holy fahh. Out of that once respectable capital of the world, the demon of per- secution rushed forth, brandishing his torch, and deluged the church of Christ with the blood of her martyrs ! Im- patient for the destruction of the human race, he flew into different regions of the earth, framed racks, fixed stakes, erected gibbets, and, like a pestilence, scattered 256 around him consternation and death ! Shall the evan- gehcal genius of Protestantism countenance a temper which incites to such execrable deeds, and enrols the names of the perpetrators in the calendar of the saints ? In this twilight state of being, to expostulate is our prov- ince — to inveigh and persecute is forbidden. The glori- ous gospel of the blessed God prohibits rash accusations, cruel surmises, and malignant anathemas. Had a regard been paid to the golden rule, '^ Do unto others as ye would they should do unto you," intolerance would never have reared its ensanguined crest to affright the children of men. " Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of," was our Saviour's reprimand to the disciples, who, in the plenitude of their zeal, would have called down fire from heaven to consume the deluded Samaritans. Too often does a portion of this accursed spirit reign in the breasts of Protestants. Hence censures are poured forth, hat- reds are engendered, and a preparation for heaven is re- tarded. Instead of usurping the seat of judgment, which the Almighty has reserved to himself, and of aiming to become the dispensers of the divine vengeance, let us wait the issue of all things in reverential silence. A wise and a good God will solemnly decide the business, when " he judges the world in righteousness !" The " History of Persecution," by Mr. Anthony Robinson, a work of singular merit and unquestionable utility, is an epitome of almost everything that has been advanced on that tragical subject. 7. Let us not complain because perfect unanimity of religious sentiment is unattainable in this present state. A repining spirit is the source of ill temper towards those who dissent from us ; but it seems to be the inten- tion of the Divine Being, that we should think different- ly concerning certain points of Faith and practice. Va- riety marks the works of God. It is impressed through- out the clruumference of the natural, the animal, and the intellectual world. Above us, we behold the dazzling brightness of the sun, the pale splendour of the moon, the mild twinkling of the stars, and the variegated colours which adorn the firmament of heaven ! Around us, the 257 surface of the earth is diversified into a thousand beauti- ful forms ; and in the animal, the vegetable, and the fos- sil kingdoms, no two individual productions are perfectly alike! Within us, upon the slightest examination, we discern our minds stamped with peculiarity. From sense- less idiotism, up to the sagacity of Newton, how numer- ous are the gradations of intellect ! Minds are of various sizes. Their capacities, habits, and views are never in strict conformity with each other. In some degree di- versity of opinions flow from the structure of our under- standing. To fall out with this branch of the dispensations of God is to arraign his wisdom. Doubtless he might have shed upon us such a degree of light, that we should have seen as with one eye, and have been altogether of one mind. But the supreme Being has otherwise order- ed it, and with becoming resignation let us acquiesce in the appointment. Lord Mansfield, that ornament of the law, declares that " There is nothing certainly more un- reasonable, more inconsistent with the rights of human nature, more contrary to the spirit and precepts of the Christian religion, more iniquitious and unjust, more im- politic, than Persecution ! It is against natural and reveal- ed religion, and sound policy !" The biographer of Bishop Burnet tells us, that, when making his tour on the Conti- nent, this great and good prelate "there became acquainted with the leading men of the different persuasions tolerated in that country, particularly Calvinists, Arminians, Lu- therans, Baptists, Brownists, Papists, and Unitarians, amongst each of which, he used frequently to declare, he met with men of such unfeigned piety and virtue, that he became fixed in a strong principle of universal charity." Unavailable have been the attempts made in the suc- cessive ages of the church, to produce unanimity of senti- ment. For this purpose legislatures have decreed acts, poured forth torrents of blood, and perpetrated deeds at which humanity sickens, shudders, and turns away with disgust. Francis I., king of France, used to declare, ^^ that if he thought the blood in his arm was tainted with the Lutheran heresy, he would have it cut off, and that 22* . 258 he would not spare even his own children, if they enter- tained sentiments contrary to the Catholic church." Pride in one person, passion in a second, prejudice in a third, and in a fourth, investigation, generates difference of opinion. Should diversity be deemed an evil, it is in- cumbent on rational beings, and congenial with the digni- ty of the Christian profession, to improve it to valuable purposes. It is a fact, that different denominations have, in every age of the church, kept a jealous eye over each other ; and hereby the Scriptures, the common standard to which they appealed for the truth of their respective tenets, have been preserved in greater purity. It may also be added, that diversity of opinion quickens our in- quiries after truth, and gives scope for the exercise of our charity, which in one passage of the sacred writings is pronounced " superior to faith and hope," and in another passage termed '' the bond of perfectness." Much im- provement have good men extracted from the common evils of life, by these evils giving rise to graces and vir- tues which otherwise would have no existence ; or, at least, would have been faintly called forth into action. To perceive the justice of this observation, it is not nec- essary that we be profound contemplators of human affairs. Under the accumalated difficulties of faith and practice, by which we are embarrassed in this sublinary state of imperfection, we should meditate on the doctrine of Prov- idence, which administers the richest consolation. The dominion exercised by the Supreme Being over the works of his hands, is neither partial as to its objects, narrow in its extent, nor transitory in its duration. Unlike earthly monarchs, who expire in their turn, and who are success- ively borne into the tombs of their ancestors, " The King of Saints liveth and reigneth for ever and ever!" Evils, indeed, have entered the world, and still continue to dis- tress it. But these evils hav^e not crept into the system unknown to its great author, and the attributes of Deity ensure their extirpation. Our rejoicing is, ^'The Lord God omnipotent reigneth !" Glorious must be the termi- nation of the divine dispensations. The august period is predicted in sacred writ, and lies concealed in the womb 259 of time. Distant may be its arrival, but its blessings once realised will compensate the exercise of your faith, and thp trlnl of voiir natipnp.p. the trial of your patience One part, one little part, we dimly scan, Throug-h the dark medium of life's feverish dream, Yet dare arraig-n the whole stupendous plan, If but that little pare incong-ruous seem : Nor is that part, perhaps, what mortals deem : Oft from apparent ills our blessing-s rise — O ! then renounce that impious self esteem, That aims to trace the secrets of the skies. For thou art but of dust — be humble and be wise. Beattie. Finally — penetrated with a sense of the imperfection of this present life, let us be cautious how we form our religious sentiments, watch unremittingly over our tem- pers and conduct, and aspire to that better world, where pure and unadulterated truth shall be disclosed to our view ! Of all the subjects presented to the human mind, re- ligion claims the first and the greatest attention. A God, a Providence, a Saviour, and a future State of Retribution, ought to be pressing upon our minds, and presiding over our conduct. To famiharize ourselves with their evidences, to lay open our souls to their ener- gy, and promote, by every honourable method, their spread among mankind, should be our ambition. Zeal is an elevated passion. It is repeatedly enjoined in the sacred writings. It forms the leading trait of excellence in the most enlightened characters. Indeed, an individ- ual can scarcely be pronounced truly good, except he possesses a portion of this celestial fire. Zeal, confined within the limits prescribed by reason and scripture, is attended with blessed consequences. Loosened from these restraints, like the devouring conflagration, it in- volves in one undistinguished ruin the victims of its fury, and triumphs in the desolation it has effected. How dif- ferent is the Christian influenced by a zeal purely evan- gelical, from the monster who is either swollen with the venom of ucharitableness, or is pregnant with persecu- tion for conscience sake ! '^ Mistake me not (says good Richard Baxter) I do not slight orthodoxy, nor jeer at 260 the name : but only disclose the pretences of devilish zeal in pious or seemingly pious men. The slanders of some of these, and the bitter opprobrious speeches of oth- ers, have more effectually done the devil's service, un- der the name of orthodoxy and zeal for truth, than the malignant scorners of godliness." Thus also the pious Matthew Henry declares, that of all the Christian graces, zeal is most apt to turn sour ! Dr. Doddridge, in his Fam- ily Expositor, has this remark : — '' Wisely did Christ si- lence the suspicious praises of an unclean spirit ! and vain is all the hope which men build merely on those ortho- dox professions of the most important truths, in which Sa- tan himself could vie with them." To use the words of Gilbert West, a most worthy member of the church of England — " ' Blessed are the peace-makers, for they shall be called the children of God' — An appelation in- finitely more honourable than that of pastor, bishop, arch- bishop, patriarch, cardinal, or pope ; and attended with a recompense infinitely surpassing the richest revenues of the highest ecclesiastical dignity !" Indeed, the light and darkness now blended together, instead of generating a spirit of scepticism, or precipitating us into acts of violence, should impel us to look for the new heavens and the new earth, wherein dwelleth righte- ousness. " What ye know not now, ye shall know here- after" — was our Saviour's declaration to his disciples, respecting an event which occurred whilst he continued to sojourn amongst them. It is reasonable to believe that we shall not remain ignorant of matters of superior im- portance, when the period of communicating higher de- grees of information arrives. We may be assured, that the Spirit of God guides all good men into necessary truth. This is a sentiment in which the wisest of mankind con- cur; and upon which the learned divines, after their most penetrative researches, are obliged to rest. A Christian father pronounced the greatest heresy to be, a wicked life ? This was also the sentiment of WicklifFe. Devoutly is it wished that those who are clamourous about speculative tenets, would level their artillery more against the violation of the perceptive part of our reli- gion. 261 The eloquent Saiirin exclaims — " Why are not eccles- iastical bodies as rigid and severe against heresies of prac- tice as they are against heresies of speculation ? Certain- ly there are heresies in morality as well as in theology. Councils and synods reduce the doctrines of faith to cer- tain prepositional points, and thunder anathemas against all who refuse to subscribe them. They say, cursed be he who doth not believe the hypostatical union, and the mystery of the cross ; cursed be he who denies the in- ward operations of grace, and the irresistible efficacy of the Spirit. I wish they would make a few canons against moral heresies. How many are there of this kind among our people !" These observations made by the intelli- gent Saurin,respecting the refugee Protestants in Holland, are applicable to the Protestants in our times. Their anathemas are directed more against error than against unrighteousness. Whereas vice is the more formidable enemy to the welfare of mankind. To the word of God, therefore let us have recourse, and thence derive the doctrine which is acccording to godliness, pure as the light of heaven, and refreshing as the dew of the morning ! The Gospel of Jesus Christ, justly understood and cor- dially believed, enlightens the mind, calms the troubled conscience rectifies depraved propensities, and introduces us into the habitation of the spirits of just men made per- fect. " Men who profess themselves (says Mr. Cowper) adepts in mathematical knowledge, in astronomy, or ju- risprudence, are generally as well qualified as they would appear. The reason may be, that they are always liable to detection, should they attempt to impose on mankind — and therefore take care to be what they pretend. In religion alone a profession is often slightly taken up and slovenly carried on, because forsooth candour and charity require us to hope the best and to judge favourably of our neighbour ; and because it is easy to deceive the ig- norant, who are a great majority, upon this subject. Let a man attach himself to a particular party, contend furi- ously for what are properly called evangelical doctrines, and enlist himself under the banner of some popular preacher, and the buisness is done : Behold a ChristiaUy 262 a Saint, a Phcenix ! In the mean time, perhaps his heart and his temper, and even his conduct, are unsanctified — possibly less exemplary than some av^owed Infidels!! No matter — he can talk — he has the shibboleth of the true church — the Bible in his pocket, and a head well stored with notions. But the quiet, humble, modest, and peaceable person, who is in his practice what the other is only in his profession ; who hates noise, and therefore makes none ; who, knowing the snares that are in the world, keeps himself as much out of it as he can, and never enters it but when duty call, and even then with fear and trembling, is the Christian that will stand highest in the estimation of those who bring all characters to the test of true wisdom, and judge of the tree by its fruit." But alas ! mankind, instead of ascertaining what is truth, and how it can best exert its influence over the several departments of conduct, are occupied in schemes of inter- ested ambition, or sunk into criminal indifference. Upon death they seldom bestow a thought. Though awful in its nature, frequent in its recurrence, and alarming in its consequneces, it leaves no impression. Without emotion tliey behold their fellow-creatures snatched from off the busy theatre of action, and driven one after another, eith- er by disease or accident, into the house appointed for all living ! Upon the disease, indeed, of relatives and friends, tliey heave a sigh, utter an exclamation, shed a tear, but clothing themselves in the garments of sorrow, the trage- dy is quickly over. Reassuming tlieir former views, and laying their minds open afresh to the dominion of their passions, they return with avidity to the occupations and amusements of hfe. Thus proceeds the tenor of their ex- istence on earth, till they also are swept away into the receptacles of the dead. Pilgrims and sojourners on earth, w^e are hastening to an eternal world, and a few more fleeting years will place even the youngest of us before the tribunal of Heaven. Whether we can abide the scrutiny which shall be insti- tuted at the last great day, " for which all other days were made," is a question of infinite importance, and concerns rational and accountable creatures. Amidst the din of 263 controversy, and the jarrings of adverse parties, the opin- ions of the head are often substituted for the virtues of the heart, and thus is practical rehgion neglected. Fleeing those disputes which damp our devotion, and contract our benevolence, let us cultivate the means by v^hich our faith may be invigorated, our hope enlivened, our charity con- firmed, and our affections elevated to the things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right-hand of God ! The veil now thrown over this prehminary state, and con- cealing from our view celestial objects, shall be removed. Then bidding an adieu to prejudices which darken the understanding, irritate the temper, and deform the spirit, we shall embrace each other with perfect love, and shall be astonished at ourselves for having been on earth so addicted to unprofitable disputation, and so backward to the exercise of brotherly kindness, and of Christian charity. Almighty God ! look down on thine erring creatures. Pity their darkness and imperfection. Direct them into the truth as it is in Jesus. Banish from their hearts the bitterness of censure. Cherish in their minds a spirit of love and moderation towards their fellow Christians. To their zeal add knowledge, and to their knowledge charity. Make them humble under the difficulties which adhere to their faith, and patient under the perplexities which ac- company their practice. Guide them by thy counsel ; and through the mediation of thy Son Jesus Christ, re- ceive them into thy kingdom and glory ! — Amen. And behold, 1 come quickly ; and my reward is with me, to g'ive ev- ery man according- as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning" and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.— Rer. xxii. 13, 13. 14. ^ >"' RECAPITULATORY SCHEDULE, SHEWING THE ORIGIN OF THE NAMES BY WHICH THE CHIEF SECTS ARE DISTINGUISHED. CHRISTIANITY is a Revelation from God by his son Jesus Christ — consist of Doctrines, Precepts, Positive Institutions, Rewards, and Punishment ; and its Evidences are, Prophecy, Miracles, Internal Character, together uith its rapid Propagation, both among Jews and Gentiles. Its Professors hold various opinions, and are thus denom- inated : — 1. According to their opinions rspecting- the Person of Christ. TRINITARIANS, from the Latin word Trinitas, which denotes a three- fold unity in the Godhead. SABELLIANS, from Sabellius, who lived in the third century, and held a modal, or nominal Trinity. UNITARIANS, from the Latin word unitas, as holding- the strict per- sonal unity of God ; comprehending- the following- subdivisions : — ARIANS, from Arius, a popular divine of Alexandria, who flourished about the year 315. SOCINIANS, from Faustus Socinus, who died near Cracow, in Poland, about the year 1604. Few, if any Socinians now exist ; those who hold the simple humanity of Christ being- desig-nated HUMANITARIANS, from the Latin word humanitas. II. According- to their opinions respecting- the Means and Measure of God's Favour. CALVINISTS, from John Calvin, a Reformer, who flourished at Ge- neva, about 1540. ARMINIANS, from James Arminiiis; the disciple of Beza, who flour- ished about 1600. BAXTERIANS, from Richard Baxter, and eminent Puritan, who died in the year 1691. ANTINOMIANS, compounded of two Greek terms, am against, and vouuf) the moral law. in. According to their opinions respecting Church Govern'ment and tJie Administration of Ceremonies. PAPISTS, from the Latin word for Pope, Papa, signifying a Father, who tisually resided at Rome. GREEK CHURCH (chiefly Russian,) from their native language, which is the Greek tongue. PROTESTANTS, from their solemnly pro/esitTT^' against a decree of Charles V. 1529. EPISCOPALIANS, from Episcopus, the Latin term for Bishop, Inspec- tor or Overseer of a Diocese. DISSENTERS, from the Latin word dissentio, to disagree with, or dis- sent from, any person or body. PRESBYTERIANS, from the Greek nqta^vre^og, a word signifying Elder, Senior, or Presbyter. ' 265 INDEPENDENTS, from the independency of each Church in its dis- cipline or government. BAPTISTS, from the Greek verb Bamvj, signifying to baptize, dip, or immerse the body in water. P.S:D0BAPTISTS, from the Greek \vords,ITatg and Banrw, a baptizer of infants, by sprinkling or immersion. SCOTCH CHLRCH, or Kiek more usually called, established in Scot- land, by means of John Knox, died ISTS. SECEDERS, Scotch Dissenters, from the Latin seccdo, signifying to withdraw from any body. MISCELLANEOUS SECTS, CALLED QUAKERS, from the agitation, or quaking, wiih which their first preachers addressed their auditors. METHODISTS, from the methodical strictness of their religious con- duct, begun at Oxford. RANTERS, from theirloudmanner of preaching, praying, singing, &c. JUMPERS, from the act of jumping used in their religious services chiefly in their Principality. MORAVIANS, from Moravia, the country whence they first arose, a part of Germany. UNIVERSALISTS, from the belief that all men will in a future state be ultimately universally happy. SANDEMANIANS, from Robert Sandeman, a popular writer among them in Scotland. SABBATARIANS, from their observance of the Jeuish Sabbath, or seventh day ; much reduced. HUTCHINSONIANS, from John Hutchinson, born in Yorkshire, in the year 1674, nearly extinct. MYSTICS, from fivoTtyog, a Greek word importing a secret, mysterious meaning, found in most sects. SHAKERS, from the act of shaking used in their public worship and are found in North America. JERKERS, from jerking the head ; and BARKERS, from barking like a dog ; also in America. SWEDENBORGIANS, from Emanuel Swedenhorg, a foreigner, who lived in London during the year 1772. HALDANITES, from the name of two Brothers of fortune and respec- tability now living in Scotland. FREETHINKING CHRISTIANS, from their /ree wanner of think- ing in matters of religion. MILLENARIANS,from the Latin millc, a thousand, the years of Christ's future reign upon earth. A new commandment give luntoyou — that ye love one another. Jesus Chbist. 23 BRIEF TABLE Of Events of EccLEsiAsricAt Histoky, from the Birth of Christ down to the present Times, the importance of which can only be ascer- tained by studying the history of the Christian Church. AD. 1 Jesus Cheist born in Judea, now called the Holy Land,tb6 world being- four thousand years old. 26 John the Baptist enters on his ministry. 29 Christ is baptized, or immersed, by John the Baptist, in the river Jordan, preparatory to his entering on his ministry. 33 He is crucified under Pontius Pilate, rises from the dead on the third day, and six weeks after ascends up into heaven, with the solen-«n assurance of his appearing- a second time at the end of the world. S.'S The miraculous conversion of the apostle Paul. 39 St. Matthew writes his gospel. 44 St. Mark writes his g-ospel. 52 Council of the apostles at Jerusalem. (i2 St. Paul sent in bonds to Rome. 64 The first persecution against the Christians. 66 The Jewish war beg-ins. 67 St. Peter and St. Paul put to death. 70 Jerusalem utterly destroyed by the Romans. 9.5 The second persecutitm against the Christians. 99 St. John dies in the 102d year of his age. 102 Pliny the Younger sends Trajan his celebrated account of the Christians. 107 The third persecution ag-ainst the Christians. 118 The fourth persecution against the Christians. 130 Adrian rebuilds Jerusalem. 135 Conclusion of the Jewish war. 202 The fifth persecution against the Christians. 235 The sixth persecution against the Christians. 250 The seventh persecution against the Christians. 257 The eighth persecution against the Christians. 272 The ninth persecution against the Christians. 303 The tenth persecution against the Christians. After this series of persecutions, Christianity becomes the estab- lished religion of the Roman empire, for 311 Constantine was converted to the religion of Christ, and Heath- enism is every where abolished. 325 The first general council at Nice. 343 Persecution of the Christians in Persia. 449 The Saxons arrive in Britain. 476 The Western Empire finishes, 480 Ten horns, or kingdoms, founded out of the Rcmish empire, and subject to the Pope. 496 Clevis baptized, and Christianity embraced in France. 267 A. D. 516 The computing- of time by the Christian era introduced by Dio- nysius. 597 Aug-ustine the monk arrives in Eng-land. 606 Bishop of Rome constituted universal head of the Church. 622 Mahomet establishes his relig-ion. 637 Jerusalem taken by the Saracens. [ 698 The Picts in England embrace Christianity. 748 Middle Ages, or the Night of Time. 756 The Popes become civil lords in Italy, whence they gradually claimed dominion over all the earth. 800 The German empire founded by Charlemagne. 878 Alfred founds the University of Oxford. 915 The University of Cambridge founded. 1065 Jerusalem taken by the Turks from the Saracens. 1066 The conquest of England under William, Duke of Normandy. 1096 The first crusade to Palestine begun under several Christian princes, to drive the infidels or unbelievers from the Holy Land. 1110 Learning revived at the University of Cambridge. 1147 The second crusade. 1177 Saladin repulsed before Jerusalem. 1178 The Albigenses and Waldenses take their rise. 1189 The kings of England and France go to the Holy Land. 1192 Richard Cceur de Lion defeats Saladin at Ascalon. 1215 MagnaCharta signed by King John. 1233 The inquisition trusted to the Dominicans. 1283 Wales conquered by Edward I. 1369 John Wickliffe began to teach in England. 1414 The council of Constance. 1415 John Huss and Jerome of Prague seized, tried, and burnt for their oinions. 1509 John Calvin born. 1517 Martin Luther writes against indulgences in Germany, which was the origin of the Reformation. 1519 Zuinglius began the Reformation in Switzerland. 1529 A diet at Spires, in Germany ; the protesting against which gave rise to the appellation of Protestant. 1533 Henry VIII. withdraws his allegiance from the Pope and pro- claims himself supreme head of the Church of England. 1545 The council of Trent begins. 1553 Michael Servetus burnt by the instigation of Calvin, at Geneva, for the denial of the Trinity. 1572 The massacre of Bartholomew at Paris, when upwards of 70,000 Protestants perished. 1582 Pope Gregery introduces the new style. 1588 The destruction of the Spanish armada, whose object was to re- establish Popery throughout England. 1598 Henry IV. passes the edict of Nantz in favour of the Protestants. 1618 The synod of Dort begins. 1621 The civil war with the Hugonots in France. 1649 King Charles beheaded. 1659 Oliver Cromwell died. 1660 The restoration of Charles II. 1662 Bartholomew Act, or Act of Uniformity, passed, by which 2000 ministers were ejected from the Church of England. 1685 The revocation of the Edict of Nantz, by which the exercise of the Protestant religion was prohibited in France. 268 A. D. 16S8 The revolution of King- William, when the family of the Stuarts were banished, for attempting- to introduce Popery and arbitra- ry power into England. 1^91 The battle of the Boyne in Ireland, when King William defeated James II., and established the Protestant religion. 1709 Dr. Sacheverel tried and suspended for High Churchism. 1715 Suppression of a rebellion in Scotland, when the Pretender at- tempted to recover the throne of these kingdoms. 1722 Bishob Atterbury banished for supporting the Pretender. - Yong Tching-, Emperor of China, banished the Jesuits and other Popish missionaries, and imprisoned those of his subjects that refused to renounce Christianity. 1733 The Jesuits expelled from Parag-ua, in South America. 1746 Suppression of the rebellion in Scotland, the object of which was by the return of the Stuart family, to restore arbitrary power and Papacy in these king-doms. 1757 Damien, a religious fanatic, attempts to assassinate the French king-. 1763 The Jesuits expelled France, for their intrig-ues against the state. 1766 The Jesuits expelled from Bohemia and Denmark. 1767 The Jesuits expelled from Spain, Venice, and Genoa. 1768 The Jesuits expelled Naples, Malta, and Parma. 1773 The society of the Jesuits suppressed by the Pope. 1775 American war commences with Great Britian. 1779 The Protestant Dissenters in Eng-land relieved from certain g-rievances under which they laboured. 1780 Riots in London, occasioned by the extension of civil rights to the Papists. 1783 The termination of the American war, by which the United States became independent of Great Britian. 1789 French Revolution commences, by which both church and state were overturned and annihilated. 1791 Riots at Birmingham, in which the houses and property of many Dissenters were destroyed. 1793 Lewis XVI., king of France, beheaded. 1794 Missions established by the Calvinists, both of the Church of England and amongst the Dissenters, with the veiw of conver- ting the inhabitants of the South Sea Islands, and other remote parts of the earth. 1798 Pope Pious VI. dethroned by the French at Rome. 1806 Bonaparte assembles the Jews at Paris for civil purposes, though at that time it was thought by some that he meant to restore them to the Promised Land. 1813 Statue against Unitarians for denying the Trinity repealed, by means of William Smith's (M. P. for Norwich) Bill for that pur- pose. 1814 March 31. The allied armies, with the Emperors of Russia and Aastria, together with the King of Prussia at their head, enter Paris, dethrone Bonaparte, liberate the Pope, proclaim the resto- ration of the Bourbons, in unison with the French people, avow civil and religious freedom, and announce peace and harmony to the whole world. — — June 20. Peace proclaimed at London with its usual formali- ties, amidst the acclamatious of an immense multitude. 269 1820 Jan. 29. Georg-e III. died in the 82d year of his a^e, and in the 60th year of his reig-n — a reig-n distinguished for the abolition of African slavery, the education of the poor, and the extension of relig-ious liberty. — — Jan. 31. Georg-e IV. proclaimed. May his reig-n prove condu- cive to the interests of knowledg-e, virtue, and piety ! These form the only adamantine basis of national prosperity. There is a shape, upon whose wrinkled brow Deeds dark and g-ood in many a line of light Are charactered ; and they who read aright Hence learn to live uprightly : — you may know Him by his murderous scythe and beard of snow, And glittering eye, for piercing is his sight As still in early youth — the blakest night, Past, present, and to come, he looketh through ! He is immortal — yet shall he be swept Away and die, when from its lap the world Shall cast its victims that have soundly slept For ages — then the judgment-flag unfurl'd, Shall wave o'er man, and all his worth and crime Be copied from that brow — the shape is Time ! Glorv to God in the highest, and on earth peace — eoOB WILL towards men. — Luke ii. 14. 23* INDEX. Articles of the Church of England Anabaptists Anti-Burg-hers and Burg-hers Anti-Psedobaptists Antinomians Avians Arminians Athanasians Atheists Atonement, doctrine of Bacon, Lord, on atheism Balg-uy, Dr. on atheism Baptists, General and Particular Barkers and Jerkers Bartholemew, massacre, at Paris Baxter's, Richard, admirable remarks on moral evidence Baxterians .... Bellarmine on the corrupt state of the Church Belsham on infant baptism Brownists .... Burk, Mr., on bigot ry . Burnet, Bishop, charity of Bryanites .... Calvinists .... Carpenter, Dr., against Bishop Magee . Charles V., Emperor, cured of bigotry Christianity, including Pacts, Evidences, and Objections, with an enconium on its moral tendency Christians, number of . Collyer, Dr. W. B., on Calvinism Common Prayer reformed Congregationalists Consubstautiation Dissenting Academies Dort, synod of Deists Destructionists De Thou, on toleration Dissenters Dunkers Emlyn, Mr. T., a sufferer iu the cause of Arianism England, Reformation in English Presbyterians Episcopalians Erskine, Lady Ann Agnes Flower's Mr. B., edition of Robinson's Works Free Communion Fifth Monarchy men 271 Five points, the Francis I., bigotry of Freethinking Christians Gang-anclli, the Protestant Pope General Assembly, Baptists,. Germany, the Reformation in Glassites God, arg-uments for the being- of Greek Church Haldanites Hernhunters Hugonots Humanitarians Huntingdon, Countess Dowager Hutchinsonians Independents . . . ' In-dwelling scheme Irish Presbyterians Jesuits . - . Jerkers and Barkers Judaism their confession of faith -number of Jews Jumpers Kippis, Dr., on difference of religious opinions Kirk of Scotland Locke, Mr. John, on Reason Lutherans Lyttleton, Lord, on bigotry Mahometanism Dr. White's opinion of Materialists Methodists Calvinistic and Arminian Primitive, or Ranters Millenarians, and Millennium, with, the opinions of Bishop Newton Dr. Priestley, Mr. Winchester, and the Rev. E. Irving Mixed communion Moravians Muggleton, Ludovick Mystics .... Nantz, edict of . Necessariaus New American Sect -remarks on American slavery New Methodits Connexion Nonjurors Paine, Thomas, an assertor of the existence of God Paley, Dr., on the Christian religion Papists. See Roman Catholics. Page 86 257 '212 309 193 115 77 173 198 272 PcBdobaptists ...... Predestination, doctrine of ... . Presbyterians ...... Irish ..... Prettyman (now Bishop Tomline) on the Athanasian creed Price' Dr., on Arianism .... Priestley, Dr., his controversy with Bishop Horsley Protestants, French, persecuted Puritans ....... Quakers ....... Ranters ....... Rees, Dr Thomas, his Racovian catechism Recapitulatory Schedule .... Red-cross Sreet Library . • . . Reflections ..... i Refugees in Holland .... Relief . . Roman Catholics ..... Russian Church. See Greek Church. Sabbatarians ..... Sabellians ..... Sacraments, seven, of the Catholics Sandemanians .... Sauds, new Indian sect . . . Saurin, M., his apostrophe to Louis XVI. on moral heresy Scotland, Reformation in . . . Seceders, Scotch .... Seceders, recent, from the Church of England Servetus, Michael, burnt Shakers ..... Sion College ..... Smith, Dr. Pye, on the person of the Messiah . Socinians ..... difference between ancient and modern Socinus, Faustus, some account of ■ accused of persecuting Francis Davides Southcott, Joanna, death and epitaph of Sublapsarians and Supralapsarians Swedenborgians ..... Swift's personification of three classes of religious professors Test Act . Theists, See Deists. Theophilanthropisls ..... Tillotson, Archbishop, his aversion to the creed of St. Athanasius Transubstantiation .... Trent, council of .... Trinitarians, and origin of the term — — variety of views of the Trinity, pictures of the .... Tritheists ..... Tunkers in America .... 273 Page Unitarians ....... 73 Universalists ....... 185 -opinions of Dr. Estlin, Dr. Willams, Dr. Watts, and Dr. S. Smith, on Restoration ..... 190 Watts, Dr., his last thoughts on the Trinity ... 72 Wesley, John, character ol, by Southey . . . 172 Whitefield, Rev. George . . . . '. 172 Wickliffe, John 119 Williams, Dr. Daniel ...... 162 Zeal, its tendency to bigotry ..... 259 1 1012 01055 5938