Images de page
PDF
ePub

teaching, and all the miracles which they wrought in proof of their commission, and their doctrine. (Comp. John v. 19.-xvii. 8. And Acts iii. 16.-iv. 10.)

It was, I think, peculiarly with a view to the election which he was about to make of his apostles, that our Lord retired from his disciples, and passed a whole night in a proseucha, or house of prayer. In John xvii. 12, we find him referring to the answer of God to his prayers, on this important occasion; "those thou hast given me, I have kept." The expression indicates the efficacy of prayer; and his example, our duty of seeking divine direction, particularly in the great and most interesting concerns of life. Compare with this his expressions at the tomb of Lazarus. "Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me; and I know that thou hearest me always. But because of the people which stand by, I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. (John xi. 41, 42.)

[ocr errors]

The apostles were chosen for the immediate purpose of preaching the kingdom of God; or, that the kingdom of God-the king dom foretold by Daniel, (ch. vii. 13, 14.) and anticipated by the Jews was at hand. Our Lord very seldom, and only in places remote from Jerusalem, acknowledged in direct terms that he was a king, or the Messiah, till just as he was about to suffer. What the apostles were commissioned to preach, we learn from what Mark informs us of the manner, in which they executed their commission. "They went out, and preached that men should

repent. (ch. vi. 12.) Repentance was therefore the great preparation for the kingdom of God. (Compare Matt. iii. 1, 2, and iv, 17.)

Having performed the duties assigned to them, the apostles returned, and told Jesus all that they had done. (Luke ix. 10.) And as we do not find that they were again sent out, or again returned to him, the immediate object of their election seems at that time to have been accomplished. They were ordained as well to be with him, as witnesses of what he said and did, as to proclaim the approaching establishment of his kingdom. (Mark iii. 14.) Other seventy were now chosen, and sent two and two before his face, into every city, whither he himself would come. (Luke x. 1.) The instructions and powers which were given to these seventy disciples, were the same as were given to the apostles. But as the apostles were to be peculiarly his witnesses after his resurrection, they were from this time constantly with him.

After the resurrection of our Lord, we find in the company of apostles, Barnabas, a Levite, and Paul, who was educated at the feet of Gamaliel. But it is not difficult to account for the choice of twelve illiterate men, to be the first messengers of his great design. Men of birth and education, who believed in him, having much to lose from the enmity of their unbelieving countrymen, were afraid to acknowledge him, and therefore, very unfit to be apostles. Witness Nicodemus, and Joseph of Arimathea. The choice of distin

"

guished and influential men, night also have excited the jealousy of the Roman government. Nor would learned and inquisitive men, eager to know. his objects, and the manner in which they were to be effected, have waited patiently, as did those whom he elected, till he was ready fully to develop them. But a still more important reason for this choice was, that in the courage, the wisdom and mighty works of these unlearned men, the Jews and the world might know, that they were endued with power from on high.It may be added, that Jesus, knew from the beginning who

would betray him, and yet elected Judas into the number of the accredited witnesses of his teaching and miracles, and without doubt,it was one design of a choice so peculiar, that in the testimony, which the traitor would gladly have withholden, an evidence might be given as strong as that of testimony can be, that all which the Evangelists have writ ten of Jesus is true; that he is the Son of God, and the Savior of all who believe.

Hammond on the text. Lord Barrington's Miscellanea Sacra. b. i. pp. 1-6, and 101-4. Ed. 1725.

RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS IN GREAT BRITAIN, Abridged from Bigland's View of the World.

"The distinguishing character of the church of England is moderation; and its clergy, from the highest to the lowest orders, are more tolerant in their prineiples than those of most other national establishments.

The Roman Catholics are in some particular places pretty numerous; but bear a much less proportion to the whole popula tion of the kingdom than some other descriptions of nonconform ists. There are however among them many families of distinction, and others in opulent circumstances.

"The Quakers are a pretty numerous and a very opulent sect, and in regard to their principles and conduct, may be considered as one of the most respectable denominations of Chris

tians. This sect took its rise about the middle of the seventeenth century; their founder being the celebrated George Fox, a man of benevolent sentiments and exemplary piety. If some of their tenets and usages be tinctured with singularity, it must at least be acknowledged, that neither their principles nor their practices, are inimical to society, and as they have united, they have long enjoyed the protection of the legislature.

"The modern Presbyterians are the remains of the puritans, whose clerical aristocracy was, during the civil wars of the seventeenth century, so despotically obtruded on the English nation, and, by its intolerance, rendered so extremely odious to the majority, as, under the ostensible

pretext of establishing, it entire ly abolished religious freedom. Their intolerant spirit was extremely conducive to the exaltation of the Independents, who, either through motives of benevolence or policy, granted universal toleration.

"Every one knows the conspicuous part which the Independents acted in the civil war. Supported by the iron hand of Cromwell, and by the army, they soon gained the ascendency over the presbyterians, and are yet very numerous. The English presbyterians originally derived their discipline, as well as their doctrines, from Calvin's institutions in the church of Geneva, which vested the ecclesiastical government in councils of presbyters, while the Independents maintained the right of each congregation to regulate its own concerns. From this mode of church government, which has been considered as one of their most characteristic distinctions, the latter derived their appellations of independents or congregationalists, as holding the independency of congregational churches. In this respect, how ever, most of the protestant dissenters in England are now Independents. Even the presbyterians themselves have almost laid aside their Genevan discipline, and in their notions of ecclesiastical government have, in a great measure, adopted independent principles.

"The Baptists explode the doctrine of infant baptism, and baptize adults by immersion in water. This sect is divided in

to two branches, that of the gen

eral, and that of the particular baptists. The former hold the doctrines of Arminius, the latter those of Calvin.

The Swedenborgians derive their name from Baron Swedenborg, their founder, a Swedish nobleman, who left his native country to reside in England.

"The Unitarians are in many parts of the kingdom very numerous. Their principal tenet, from which their name is derived, is the unity of the godhead, without a trinity of persons. This doctrine, which is fundamentally the same as that of Socinus, appears to be rapidly spreading, and its professors not only form numerous and distinct societies, but are intermixed among almost all the other classes of dissidents. Among the members of the established church, this opinion also appears rapidly to gain ground; and the doctrine of the trinity, which was formerly considered as too saered to be opposed or even discussed, is now openly controverted, and in some societies publicly renounced.

"The Methodists, although they profess themselves members of the established church, are generally considered as a distinct class; but it is difficult to describe their tenets, as they are split into two grand divisions, one of which consists of the followers of Mr. Whitfield, and profess themselves Calvinists; the other, acknowledging Mr. Wesley as their founder, are for the most part Arminians. The truth, however, is, that among the Methodists, the Calvinistie and Arminian tenets seem to be

considerably blended; and the greatest part of the members of their societies, appear to adopt a system of independence with respect to speculative opinions, which they mostly regard as nonessentials, and which each one, therefore, models according to the light of his own understand ing, and the dictates of his own conscience.

"In regard to religion, England exhibits so diversified a picture, that it would require a considerable length of time, as well as great attention, to examine it minutely, and the opinions of different sects are so various, that it is impossible to trace them through all their ramifications. It is, indeed, to be observed, that the creeds of the English sectaries are far from being settled. Few, even of the members of the established church, at this day, think themselves conscientiously bound to believe the doctrinal theory of the thirty-nine articles. Several among the adherents of Calvinistical sects, entertain ideas

which nearly correspond with the tenets of Arminius, and a great number of the members of Arminian societies, in regard to their speculative opinions, approach very near to the doctrines of Calvinism.-The authoritative sway of the creeds and councils of former days, is, at this time, exceedingly diminished; and the Christians of the present age seem to revere their definitions and decisions, no farther than as they correspond with their own private opinions.

"Many of the ministers and others of the different sects of English dissidents have greatly distinguished themselves by their talents and learning; and several of their literary performances are held in high estimation. The clergy of the established church, and those of the various sects of nonconformists, treat one another with friendship and candor."

Perhaps the clergy in this country will yet become as wise as they are said to be in Great Britain.

THE ANCIENT METHOD OF SUPPORTING THE OPINIONS OF THE MAJORITY.

In the last July Number of the Christian Disciple we admitted a Dialogue, which gave some account of the light that prevailed at the time of the Westminster Assembly. Some other facts relating to that Assembly, and its influence on the English nation, may be useful. The facts now to be stated, will be taken from the third volume of Neale's History of the Puritans.

The Assembly sat five years, six months and twenty-two days. In which time they held eleven hundred and sixty-three sessions. The works produced by the Assembly were, "1. Their Humble Advice to the parliament for ordination of ministers, and settling the Presbyterian government. 2. A Directory for public worship. 3. A Confession of Faith. 4. A Larger and Shorter Cate

chism. 5. A Review of some of the thirty-nine articles." p. 452. The Assembly "subsisted until February 22, 1648-9," about three weeks after king Charles I. was beheaded.

May 2, 1648, the English parliament, having a majority of Presbyterians, passed an ordinance for the support of orthodoxy and the suppression of heresy, which shows in a striking manner the light and the spirit which then prevailed. The ordinance contains the following passages:

"That all persons who shall willingly maintain, publish, ok defend, by preaching or writing, the following heresies with obstinacy, shall upon complaint before two justices of the peace, or confession of the party, be committed to prison without bail or mainprize till the next gaol delivery; and in case the indictment shall then be found, and the party upon his trial shall not abjure his said error, and his defence and maintenance of the same, he shall suffer the pains of death, as in case of felony, without benefit of clergy."-The heresies errors are these following:

or

1. "That there is no God.

2. "That God is not omnipresent, omniscient, almighty, eternal and perfectly holy.

3. "That the Father is not God, that the Son is not God, that the Holy Ghost is not God, or that these three are not one eternal God; or that Christ is not God equal with the Father.

4. "The denial of the manhood of Christ, or that the GodVol. IV. No. 4.

14

[blocks in formation]

5. "The maintaining that Christ did not die, nor rise again, nor ascend into heaven bodily.

6. "The denying that the death of Christ is meritorious, on the behalf of believers; or that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

7. "The denying that the ho ly scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the word of God.

8. "The denying of the resurrection of the dead and a future judgment." pp. 458, 459.

By embracing any one of the foregoing supposed errors a man was exposed to suffer death. But the ordinance enumerates sixteen other opinions, to which the sentence of death was not annexed. The person accused, if found guilty, and would not publicly renounce his error or errors, was to "be committed to prison till he found sureties that he should not publish or maintain the said error or errors any more. The errors are these following:

ed.

1. "That all men shall be sav

2. "That man by nature hath free will to turn to God.

3. "That God may be worshipped in or by pictures or images.

4. "That the soul dies with the body, or, after death, goes neither to heaven nor hell, but to purgatory.

5. "That the soul of man sleeps when the body is dead.

6. "That the revelations or workings of the Spirit are a rule

« PrécédentContinuer »