1 foon abandoned, as tedious, from the prolixity of your effusions; as unprofitable, from their wildness; as impracticable, from their indistinction. Your fundamental principles are, in my judgement, so essentially erroneous, your whole conception of the Gospel so absolutely incompatible with the undisputed conduct and with the unequivocal dictates of CHRIST himself, as to render such a specific discussion of your fentiments an undertaking of inextricable and hopeless perplexity. Every avenue to conviction, by which such arguments, as have been deemed effectual with rational enquirers, might be expected to approach, is obstructed by fantastical prepoffeffions, by vifionary feelings, by an experimental perception of truth, not explicable on the known elements of vulgar reasoning, and only in telligible to the happy illuminated devotee; Φωναντα συνετοισιν' ες Your ear alone the mystic sounds can gain: Among this vulgar herd of unenlightened fluggish catechumens I profess my name also. -Suffer us, therefore, in the profecution of this this subject, to adopt a method of argumentation better suited to our scantier knowledge and our gross conceptions: and, if we prove at once mistaken and presumptuous, let your superior illuminations, with charitable interposition, repress our arrogance, and confute our errors. I. My first object, then, shall be an attempt to delineate some striking features of genuine Christianity, according to my notion of that pure, fublime, and simple institution: not by a deduction from imaginary theories, but from indifputable premises; namely, 1. The conduct and character of our Saviour himself: and, 2. From his precepts. At this equitable arbitration, yourself, I trust, will feel no inclination to demur. II. I shall take the liberty of bringing the question home to your own "life and bo"fom." I shall venture to examine your public conduct in the crucible of these criterions: well aware at the same time, from the multiplicity and critical nature of the topics, which so comprehenfive an excursion will involve, of the delicacy and danger of my project from the baffled malignity of a despairing and flagitious faction; who have riveted their power against the public voice by the most extenfive bribery, and malignant calumnies; who are prepared to hazard their own lives with the fortunes of royalty and the constitution in an attempt to maintain their stations by the anarchy of military despotifm. well I. 1. I shall attempt a delineation of the fincere Christian gospel by a few capital strokes from the practice of our Lord himfelf. You will readily allow me, that his example is propounded in the scriptures as a model of imitation for all his followers. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me: (Mat. xi. 29.) Let this mind be in you, which was alfo in Christ Jesus: (Philipp. ii. 5.) Christ also fuffered for us; leaving us an example, that ye should' follow his steps: (1 Pet. ii. 21.) He, that faith be abideth in him, ought himself alfo fo to walk, even even as he walked: (1 John, ii. 6.) We conclude, then, from these and other explicit declarations, that, in the proportion of our approximation to the life of Christ, will our advances be towards the transcendental excellence of evangelical perfection. Indeed, one previous propofition, not applicable to himself, must be prefumed with relation to his difciples, as the passport to life eternal: (John, xvii. 3.) That, in addition to a common belief of one true God, his brethren acknowledge himself also to be the anointed fervant of Jehovah, (Acts, iv. 27.) the long-expected Meffiah of the Jews, (John, iv. 25, 26.) who died, and was buried, and rose again on the third day, (1 Cor. xv. 3, 4.) that he might deliver us from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the fons of God: (Rom. viii. 21.) With this single exception only, the life of Christ must be confidered as a complete exemplar for the zealous emulation of his votaries. Now, a most comprehensive summary of our Lord's practical virtues is exhibited in one short, but emphatic, fentence of his apoftle apostle Peter; (Acts, x. 38.) Who went about, If fome of our modern fanatics have conceived accurately of gospel-truth, the epitome of our Saviour's excellence should have been circumscribed by very different lines of character; by a copious display of comfortable illuminations, powerful converfions, fecret influences, lookings unto God, or fome equivalent impressions; provided only, that the things themselves were equally unintelligible and undefinable: the wild phantoms of defpicable ignorance, and befotted superstition. No, Sir! the sublime representation of consummate excellence is depicted in full beauty, and in matchlefs proportion, by five words only of fimplicity and soberness: HE WENT ABOUT, DOING GOOD. The relief of human misery in all it's varieties and complications of distress, the reformation of the vicious, the instruction of the ignorant, the confirmation of the virtuous, the consolation of the meek, the encouragement of the docile, the generous and indignant reprobation of demure hypocrify with sharp untempered expreffion; |