TO DIVERSE, NOTABLE FOOLS AND ASSES. from pitying them; yet, at the same time, we cannot hold them guiltless in the matter of giving up their perception. We, at the present day, who have been so happy as to enjoy better instruction than those who remain in ignorance, upon a little reflection, may find that many amongst us have little, in a religious view, whereof to boast. The people of Italy, and Spain, are not the only people who have received absurdities, and been cursed by loco focos. Not, however, to come nearer home at present, the land of our English ancestors, not two hundred years since, where they then boasted of freedom, compared with those upon the continent of Europe, presents to our view thousands, who submitted tamely enough to many atrocious absurdities. Yes, even in Britain, a land then renowned for all sorts of liberty a nation to which there was then none equal upon the face of the earth the people had reason, indeed, to give thanks to the Almighty, that they were, comparatively free. But they were only comparatively so. It matters not whether men become slaves, or are made so, if they are really in bondage. Issachar couched down and became a slave. To the charge of their sovereign, in Britain, at the time referred to, nothing could be laid respecting their liberties; but their laws, fixed a burden upon every subject in the kingdom. There were those among the people then, who said and preached, that no man is entirely free, who is subjected to losses and disappointments by the laws of his country, on account of his religion. They could not see how a man can be free, who, when faithful to civil government, and whose principles taught him to be so, was yet deprived of some of the important advantages of the government, by his choice of a mode in which to worship God! Could he be free from a burden, who must either submit to the "test act," contrary to the dictates of his conscience, or lose a privilege, which might promote the welfare of himself and his country? The complainants at that time reasoned, and they OR EVANGELICAL BONUS. reasoned correctly, that perhaps it might be easy for such as had enlarged consciences, to call this no hardship; and for such as loved to make a monopoly of privileges, to say, you may just let it alone; but where then is our boasted liberty when it only consists in negatives of this sort? but even this, is not always the case. Suppose a good subject were to refuse the calls of his king and his country, in the time of danger, to protect them or help them out of difficulty? On the one hand, he might be reckoned disaffected, and on the other, he would most clearly act unconscientiously. Here then the laws of his country lay such a subject under bondage, and bring him into a grievous dilemma. This was a burden, undoubtedly; however light it might seem to such as are not immediately concerned; but could such slavery be necessary, to make faithful subjects, and good members of society? Or on the contrary, did not such restrictions tend to fill all places of power and influence, with the worst of men? Strange, indeed, it was, and ever will be, that men cannot be supposed faithful, just and good, unless they kneel down before such a particular altar as the madness of the times may erect, and there commune with the loco foco church, at the expense of a gross sacrifice of their own conscience! This was nothing less than a snare to catch the silly brotherhood. There certainly, was no reason, to suspect the loyalty of all such as scrupled to communicate with their loco foco church, nor would such a compliance have been any evidence of a faithful member of society, or a good subject. There is every reason to suppose, that persons who had been otherwise brought up, did not and could not have acted sincerely, in such a compliance; and it was a most execrable snare to their integrity. Can the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ be so dependent upon the kingdoms of this world, as that it cannot subsist, if any be admitted to civil preferment or to preach his gospel without giving such security for their behavior towards it? In what TO DIVERSE, NOTABLE FOOLS AND ASSES. part of the New Testament do we find this alliance between church and state founded, so that a man cannot be found qualified for any office in the one, without first becoming a member of the other? It is but reasonable to have some New Testament warrant, in a matter of so great importance. Arguments taken from convenience, and the alteration of circumstances, will not bear any weight, with an enlightened and sincere conscience; till it is made good, once for all, that the alterations of the kingdoms of this world, make a change in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ! Novel mongers, often have affirmed, as an excuse for this innovation, that our circumstances are much altered, since the time of our Saviour, and his apostles; which is undoubtedly true; but this, we trust, does not lead to their inference, that the laws of Christ's kingdom have undergone any alteration. There have been many great alterations since the Magna Charta of England was granted; yet, that has been allowed to be the foundation of their civil privileges to the present hour. And if it be true, as has been often stated, their constitution would be destroyed, if this was taken away. The New Testament is the Magna Charta of the Church of God, which is the kingdom of Jesus Christ; if once we make encroachments upon it, then the liberties of the Christian Church are at . an end. In scripture account, adding or diminishing are equally destructive of privilege; and I think, before additions or any thing is taken from these laws and rules of Jesus Christ, and his apostles; they should be proved first defective and insufficient, or redundant. And if either of these can be made evident, the divinity of the scriptures will be at an end, and there will be no gospel congregation, on earth. There has been, at times, much noise about the increase and spreading of infidelity; and none have made more noise concerning it, than those who have been the principal agents in bringing it to pass. When ghostly fathers in councils, OR EVANGELICAL BONUS. and bishops in convocations, have made so free with the scriptures, as to add to the worship of God, so many "decent" appendages, that never were appointed by Christ, nor by his apostles, and at the same time attempt to prove the necessity of these innovations and appendages,—the legitimate inference from this, is very natural and plain that the scriptures are not perfect in things belonging to Christian duty. If any man may begin to add any one thing which is not specified in the word of God, who can tell where the end may be? Has the Holy Spirit been so exact in all things pertaining to faith and practice among Christians; and yet been deficient as to what is decent and comely in the service of God; and as to the periods and manner in which we are to meet to worship him? What a blasphemous reflection this, upon the Holy Spirit of the Most High God! The apostles of our Lord must have been rude and unpolished mortals indeed, to have had no rules of decency and order, as to times, places, and periods for their worship of the Almighty! Strange, that they should have been so faithful and jealous in all matters which Christ deemed of importance, and yet left us in the dark as to what many now-a-days consider indispensables! I am inclined, to think, after all, that it will ultimately appear, that though the apostles had been fishermen, and were not learned like many modern teachers, that the Holy Ghost who inspired them, knew what was necessary, decent, and orderly; and much better what was well pleasing to God, than all the modern councils and convocations that will ever be known on earth. It is no hard matter to account for infidelity, and never has been, when those who have assumed sacred functions, have made thus free to alter and add at their pleasure, in things pertaining to our holy religion. What could such as are inquiring and unsettled in their principles, infer from these foul changes, but that there is nothing certain in Divine revelation. Now is it not using men as though they were asses indeed, to tell them they TO DIVERSE, NOTABLE FOOLS AND ASSES. have a complete revelation of the will of God, in the scriptures; and then proceed to impose many things upon them, which are nowhere mentioned in that revelation? What, say to me, in one breath, the will of God is plain and perfect in all things pertaining to holiness; and with the next, allege that it cannot sufficiently direct us into truth, and guard us against error, unless it is set forth by a certain council, or convocation, or assembly, in, for instance, "thirty-nine articles, or thirty-three chapters," sounds, in our ears, very much like a contradiction. Much need have men to be strong in faith, who are thus required to believe without evidence. Rome has been far in the practice of absurdities, but she never required any other foundation, except implicit faith to build them all upon; what is not manifestly evident in the word of God, to every man, who is required to give his assent, can never be an article of his faith; he may be so complaisant in his words and public profession, as to believe as the church believes; but he is an infidel at heart, notwithstanding such complaisance. corner stone. But why should men thus be led into temptation, to prevaricate before God? Were there open access to church offices and preferments, to such as professed to believe the scriptures, and were found qualified; some might still be infidels, it is true; but the church here, would have no hand in making them such; and there is the strongest reason to believe that infidelity could never be reared upon the doctrines of the apostles, as Jesus Christ is their chief The purity of the sacred oracles, when directly presented to the conscience, is more likely to present prevarication, than any human compositions; in all which, there is some reason for suspecting there may be a mistake. So long as the pure oracles of God, were the only creed of the church or congregation of believers, we find the members more candid and sincere, than they ever have been since. As soon as the doctrine of revelation began to be clothed with a fig-leaf-human dress, it ceased to strike the |