refute the above arguments of Deifts upon Pro teftant principles; and will probably in this find the melancholy cause of that deluge of infidelity which at prefent fo univerfally gains ground in thefe kingdoms t. But leaving what more might be faid on this fubject to your own reflections, let us proceed to confider the account our author gives us of the caufes of the diffenfions among Chriftians. He begins it, p 44. thus: "One great fpring of this "evil was, that rage of dogmatizing which fo "early fhowed itself in a variety of fhapes. "When the doctrine of Jefus began to fpread "through all the ftates of Greece, and to make many profelytes among that ingenious, inquifi"tive and difputatious people, who were then divided into philofophical fects, it might na"turally be expected that converts from differ"ent fects, who had not thoroughly imbibed "the fpirit of the religion they had fo recently “been taught, still retaining a tincture of their "former fentiments, in regard to Theology and "morals, and fo warped from the truth in differ ent ways, would foon difagree among them "felves, concerning the doctrine of that gospel "which they had received. Even in the apo"ftolick age these feeds of diffenfion were beginning to fpring up-Now, what would be the confequences of this prefumption on the doc"trinal part of our religion? It cannot be 66 + The learned authors of the Chriftian Magazine, in their Vindi cation of the Chriftian Religion against Rousseau, are so fenfible of this, that they expressly maintain and uphold the infallibility of the Church, without which Rouffeau defies all the strongest reafonings against him; and they take the very fame way to explain and illuftrate it, and to clear it of the objections made against it, that the Roman-Catholicks do themselves. See their Differtation upon the Scripture. "doubted, but that fome of the truths of re"velation would be explained away to make ་་ room for the dreams of vifionaries-Another, " and more common confequence, was, to incorporate into the body of the Chriftian doc"trine a number of adventitious tenets, to which "it had no affinity, and with which it was very "ill fuited to coalefce-A third confequence “would be, that men getting beyond the fphere "of human knowledge, would come at laft, in "their airy flights, to mistake shadows for reali"ties, &c.—On all these points men have dared 66 to pronounce most dogmatically. Other dog"matifts have arifen, no lefs confident of their "own abilities, who have entered into the que"ftion, and given a contrary decifion. Then was kindled the Theologic war. The people ડ were divided; fome lifted themselves under one captain, others under another. Each party had recourse to fcripture as a common magazine for arms wherewith to encounter the ad"verfe party. Each imagined he fucceeded in "the application, and, confident of his own prowess and ability, each boasted of the victory. "In process of time, Councils were called to end "the ftrife. Councils thought that it fuited "their dignity on every queftion to be decifive; "and out of their decifion of one queftion fe"veral others have arifen. Now the radical er"ror was a notion, that religion was concerned on a particular fide, or THAT SCRIPTURE HAD 6.6 SAID ANY THING WHICH COULD SERVE TO I thought it necessary to give an extract of this paffage in our author's own words, that the obfervations I have to make npon it may be the more clearly perceived. In the first place then, I obferve, that what he fays here of the caufes from whence divifions have fprung among Chriftians, is a mere hypothefis of his own, and ferves to give us a very unjuft idea of the Chriftian religion, which it represents as a matter of uncertainty, even at its firft promulgation, and as embracing in its communion those who explained away the truths of revelation, to make room for the dreams of vifionaries; those who embraced adventitious tenets, though quite difcordant with revealed truths; and those who took fhadows for realities, as well as the orthodox believers themselves. And this reprefentation he carries on fo far towards the end of his fermon, that, p. 91. he tells us, that even St Paul allows, that there are in religion matters of "doubtful difputation, which ought never to "disturb the harmony of Chriftians, much lefs "make a rent in their communion;" for which he cites Rom. xiv. Again, the attention of the apoftles in frequenting the fynagogues and the temples, in order to have an occafion of preaching the gofpel to their countrymen, he brings in, p. 93. 94. as a proof, that, according to modern ideas, the apostles were Latitudinarians, and adınitted into their communion any fect that believed in one God: and, laftly the difpute, whether the converted Gentiles were obliged to circumcifion? he alledges as a proof, that "even the Chriftians them"felves were not wholly without diverfity of opi"nions in the apoftolick age," p. 94. Our author no doubt has his reafons for reprefenting things in this light; but nothing can be more contrary to the light in which they are represented by the holy fcripture than what he has advanced. The apostles were not only most affiduous in instruct Ing their converts in all revealed truths, but they used the utmost attention in exhorting their people to preferve the fame inviolated, and tó be all of one mind, allowing no diffenfions on these points; and they laid their commands upon them in the strongest terms for this purpose. St Jude declares to us, that it was needful for him to write his epiftle, to exhort us, that we should EARNESTLY CONTEND for the faith which was once delivered unto the faints, Jude v. 3. St Paul fervently prays to God, that the faithful among the Romans may be all of the fame mind: Now, fays he, the God of patience and confolation grant you to be like-minded one towards another, according to Chrift Jefus, that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, Rom. xv. 5. 6. He exhorts the Co rinthians to be of one mind, and to live in peace, 2 Cor. xiii. 11.; and after he had feverely reprimanded the Galatians for admitting but one fingle point of falfe doctrine, viz. that circumcifion was neceffary under the gospel, he concludes, by expreffing the confidence he had in the Lord, that they would be no more otherwife minded than what he had taught them; and he threatens judgment to any one, whoever he be, who fhould trouble them again. And in this the apostles only follow the example of their Mafter, who, John xvii. prayed with fo much ardour to his heavenly Father, that all his followers might be one, without fchifm, rent or divifion, even as He and his Father were united together in the most perfect union; and that this was actually the case with the Christians in the apoftolick age, only confider the character the scripture gives of them: And they continued stedfastly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, Acts ii. 42. And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one foul, Acts iv. 32. How different a description is this of the first Christians from what our author gives us of them! Now, in order to preferye the faithful ftedfaft in the profeffion and unity of the true faith, we find four powerful means used by the Holy Ghost, befides the warm exhortations to unity, which, as we have feen above, the apoftles made use of for this purpofe. The first was to pronounce a curfe upon all those who should dare to teach any one thing contrary or different from what the apostles had taught, and to declare, that all who did fo were out of the way of falvation; thus St Paul, Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other golpel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accurfed. As we faid before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gofpel unto you, than that ye have received, let him be accurfed, Gal. i. 8. 9. What stronger terms could be used to perfuade the world to adhere to the faith once delivered to the faints, and to avoid all novelties in doctrine, than what is here used? Again, fpeaking of those that cause divifions, contrary to the doctrine taught by the apostles, he fays, They that are fuch ferve not our Lord Jefus Chrift, but their own belly, Rom. xvi. 18. And St John declares, that all fuch as abide not in the doctrine of Christ have not God, 2 John v. 9. where we fee, that all innovators, all who do not remain in the doctrine of Christ, but who bring in novelties and caufe divifions, contrary to the old doctrine, are by that means feparated from Chrift and from God, and have no more connection with them? Hence St John calls them antichrifts, Even now, fays he, there. X |