sential doctrine of salvation? Yet, strange as it is, there is not a Methodist, Presbyterian, Calvinist Baptist, or Orthodox, who have joined the church, but what have solemnly declared that they BELIEVED all this fictitious doctrine, and solemnly PROMISED to defend it, with other dogmas still more strange and unscriptural, and mentioned in the following pages. [See chapter on creeds. Let us hear more witnesses. 1 "This threefold distinction in the Godhead is mentioned by Paul, 2 Cor, xiii. 14. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all, Amen.' This is evidently a prayer of the apostle addressed to the sacred Three, that all spiritual blessings might be granted to his Christian friends at Corinth he could bless them in no other sense than by praying for them. To what has been said, I shall only add, 1 John, v. 7. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one."" [Stillman p. 148. "The Christian who receives the sacred scriptures as the ground of his faith and practice, will also admit the doctrine of a Trinity in Unity. That there are three who bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one God." [Stillman, 286.] Col. ii. 9. For in him," i. e. Christ, "dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." It seems that Paul could say no more than this to establish the deity of his master. What a striking gradation is here; in Christ dwells the Godhead the fullness of the Godhead--yea, all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. Then surely he is very and eternally God."* (Stillman's sermons, p. 140.) 3 *The reader will find these passages with many others, noticed in another place, on Difficult Passages. The following extract is from the Litany used in the Episcopal Church. ners. "O God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy upon us, miserable sin "O God, the Sor., Redeemer of the world, have mercy upon us, miserable sinners. "O God, the Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, have mercy upon us, miserable sinners. "O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, three persons and one God, have mercy upon us, miserable sinners." If we are to understand language in its common acceptation, the above extract inculcates the worship of four Gods. The Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost, and the Trinity, are here addressed separately, and respectively, under the title of God. If your confusion is not completed read the following. "Christ's satisfaction for sin was only by his last sufferings, though it was principally by them; but all his sufferings, and all the humiliation that he was subject to from the first moment of his incarnation to his resurrection, were propitiatory or satisfactory." (President Edward's Hist. Redemption.) I shall only refer you to the chapter on Atonement for an exposition of these sentiments. Let me now have your attention while I examine some of the hymns, which are universally used in worship, by the believers in a Mangod. "Ye worship ye know not what." "The lands, that long in darkness lay, In what did this divine light consist? answer, "The virgin's promis'd Son is born; Here we have a hymn of praise to the infant GOD, and hundreds of others can be given, if necessary to prove their absurdity, contradiction, cruelty, idolatry! and abominable superstition. Look at it! Here you have GOD ALMIGHTY, (sacred name) a poor, helpless INFANT! SUCKLED and nursed by a delicate female! What horrid blasphemy! Yet, the very men who preach such nonsense, tell us our carnal reason cannot comprehend such MYSTERIES! Now reader, let me plainly tell you, that Unitarians Now observe, Jesus is here called the do not teach or believe such non-sense Son; and the titles given to him are cor- and for this very reason, and no other, rect. But, do the orthodox, the Calvin- the Trinitarians, whom 1 have named, ist Baptists', the Presbyterians, the Me- charge the Unitarians with denying the thodist's, and other Trinitarians, really God who made them, the atonement, rebelieve that Jesus was the Son of God? in generation, faith in Christ, and some oththe same sense in which we speak of a er doctrines, all of which are mentioned father and son? No. They all profess in this book. But, the Trinitarians not truly and sincerely to regard and believe only worship the infant God on his him the FATHER himself! And ac- mother's breast, but believe this infant cordingly, we find, in all their hymn begat himself! and more than all, was books, these idolatrous and abominable the FATHER, the Son, and the Holy sentiments, which nobody can understand, Ghost !!!!!! This is the Orthodox Trinand which, we are told, our carnal rea- ity-" three persons in one God," and son cannot comprehend, for they are sa- this God an helpless infant !!!! Truly, cred mysteries!! Thus have such sen- it is not only beyond carnal wisdom to timents been propagated; and to this hour comprehend such a God, but a violation men assemble to worship this imaginary of common sense to attempt it. And this deity, and sing these hymns to his praise; is far from being the worst part of the like the following: "This infant is the MIGHTY GOD, See Watts' 13th H. 1st b. monstrous system of Orthodoxy; the reader must peruse this whole work to learn what it is. I shall now produce some Hymns, which are sung every Sabbath in Trinitarian churches, and found in their Sunday School books. As these hymns are read, remember they are ascriptions of praise and devout thanksgiving to How sublime! Poor souls! [will some our Heavenly Father. See if you can of the great D. D's. inform me when this sing and make melody in your HEART took place?] My bible says nothing about to the Lord, in the use of these Spiritual casting angels or men down to hell pursuSongs, these heavenly and melodious or-ed by thunder-bolts and flaming wrath!' thodox hymns, now in common use by all Only think, these sentiments are ascribed Trinitarians throughout these United to God as an expression of praise! Do States. they make your heart burn with love and admiration? If not, let us proceed, Jesus, the man of constant grief, "Down from the top of earthly bliss, Here the infant God is addressed as And burn in quenchless fire- "Father, I thank thy wondrous love. Here observe, the Father is thanked for the gift of the Son-and yet the Son is the Father! according to all orthodox creeds-so that the next verse says, "The mysteries of redeeming grace To swell and blind their eyes! Thus does the Lord of heaven and earth H.96, 2 b. If a man should use such language to a fellow man, he would be liable to prosecution and punishment-but ministers can preach such blasphemous STUFF—and more than this-ministers can make the people sing these songs, or any others.In this hymn, we see all the horrid dogmas of orthodoxy, which teaches, in addition to the foregoing, that GOD was actually put to death!!! It is said above, 'While God forsakes his shining throne,' that refers to the time when our Father left heaven, as all the orthodox teach, to become a mourner and die!! According to this shocking idea, we find the Trinitarian hymn books, abound with songs of this character. Hear this, Let the old heathens tune their song H. 21, 2 b. Such are the confused ideas and sentiments now taught at all Trinitarian schools, academies, and colleges !! in the United States-and I challenge all the Presidents' of our colleges, all the Theo- It truly makes my heart ache to read logical professors, and all the Doctors in such monstrous words-and when I conDivinity, [or Divination more properly] sider that these hymns are sung in meetin America, to deny or refute this truth. ing houses dedicated to the God and FaLet us read more of these beautiful, ther of all men, as songs of devotion and elevating, and inspiring songs. Hear this, praise, I am at a loss to express my sur prise and astonishment. As the Saviour "Down headlong from their native skies said to the woman of Samaria, so I may 'The rebel angels fell; And thunder-bolts of flaming wrath Pursued them down to hell. truly say to all Trinitarians, "Ye worship ye know not what." [See article on atonement, original sin, and Satan, in this book.] I will close with some more ex- Terrible God, who reign'st on high, Here, let me say, is no mistake.-the Father truly DIES and for what? 'for man, the creature's sin! So then, there was a time when there was NO GOD, no Governor of the Universe! for he left heaven to take care of itself, and came on earth and died for man, the creature's sin. Or, as other orthodox will have it, men hated God so much when they saw Him on earth they hung him!! or crucified him, if this suits any better. This the old rebel angels knew, This Sodom felt and feels it still, boy, in any common school, should be known to use such language, he would be whipped severely-and justly too. But the great Trinitarian Professors at Andover, Princeton, South Reading, and at New Hampton, can teach this blasphemy! and if any student is known to dissent All these abominable hymns are now from these outrages on reason and comzealously taught to children in orthodox mon sense he is expelled!-And no persunday schools. Hear another, H. 22, 2b. . "Here, at thy cross, my dying GOD, I lay my soul beneath thy love! Beneath the droppings of thy blood, son of a rational faith can receive one cent from the American Education Society, to aid him in pursuing his studies; though Liberal Christians have contributed of their thonsands to this fund, unless Jesus-nor shall it e'er remove."-ib. 4. this person will first promise to support Again, Hymn 9, 2d book: Alas! and did my Saviour bleed? And did my Sovereign die? Would he devote that sacred head, For such a worm as I!.. this grand system of orthodox Idolatry! I speak from experience. Now, reader, look at this subject-here are the orthodox striving after money to send missionaries to the heathen to teach them these worse than heathenish doctrines-and because Unitarians, with others, will not support this deception and imposition of orthodoxy, they are spoken evil of, slandered; and excluded from the privileges of the church of Christ; for no man can join à Baptist, Orthodox, or Presbyterian Well might the sun in darkness hide, church, unless he agrees to support their And shut his glories in, creed and solemnly promises to defend this When GOD, the Mighty Maker, dy'd faith! [See article on Creeds.] For man, the creature's sin. Was it for crimes-that I had done→→→ Allow me now to pause, and ask, Why are people so loth to read the Bible? I think it is because designing men have taught them to regard it as a sealed book, full of mysteries; a book which dethrones REASON, and which fallen man cannot comprehend ! "Carnal Reason must bow to revelation;" that is, the people must believe all that the minister says, right or wrong for the reason of the minister can tell what is true though his whole preaching is full of mystery and contradiction-so deep is his wisdom that the carnal reason of his hearers cannot understand him. Let me now give you a short sermon, to prove the COMPLETE DECEPTION which is to this hour carried on by the Orthodox clergy. My text is founded on Matt. ch. iv. ver. 5; and though not expressed in the words of the Evangelist, yet they are nearer the sacred truth, than two thirds of the doctrines taught us by the orthodox, and said to be found REVEALED in the bible. It is very strange that common people cannot find these revealed mysteries, when they make use of reason or common sense. My text may send a thrill of horror to the heart of the reader, it is, however, strictly Orthodox, and preached in the same sense in which it reads, by all Trinitarians who believe in the devil and the trinity, as the sequel will prove. "And the DEVIL took ALMIGHTY GOD and made him straddle the Weathercock, on the meeting house."-Matt. iv. 5. My friends and brethren-in the foregoing quotations, I have presented some things, which are taught in our schools, academies and colleges. We learn by them, that the Being, called the Christian's God, forsook heaven, came on earthand was really put to death! Now I ask, can you conceive of any thing more monstrous? Yet the worst remains to be told, about the conspicuous part acted by the christian devil, which is preached by the orthodox, and claims attention. To follow the fashionable mode of preaching, I presume to be excused, if I do not once name my text or keep very close to it. Therefore, I shall make a digression, to ask, Can any one tell me who governed the world after God forsook heaven? or, Who directed the vast machinery of Nature, when God was a sucking infant? or, What became of God, after he was put to death? Some tell us he went to hell!!!* These things, the Trinitarians say, are sacred mysteries!—which carnal reason cannot understand. And yet all the Trinitarian theological schools are established to teach these very mysteries!O, shocking! how strange and perfectly ridiculous! No wonder that the advocates of this monstrous doctrine, (that God died for man) also believe in the devil and total depravity-for their whole system of doctrine, is as totally destitute of heavenly truth, as it is contrary to common sense. In further addressing you, let me do it in the language of a departed brother, who was made to suffer in his reputation as a minister of Jesus, by the unceasing slanders of the orthodox. He, though dead, yet speaketh, and says, Hades. See chapter on Difficult Passages. |