Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

cepted, he rose again from the dead! He has accomplished this for us! When we apply to him, that we may be delivered from the wrath to come, he is able to do this; for as he is 'Immanuel, God with us,' he is mighty to save! He drank the cup of wrath to the bottom, which had otherwise been put into our hands to drink for ever! He redeems us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us; and he delivers us from the wrath to come. When we apply to him for a change of heart and nature, he is able to answer our needs: for we are created 6 anew in Christ Jesus unto good works!' When we apply for life to our souls, this also is what the Lord Jesus is competent to bestow; for as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself, that he might give eternal life to as many as God hath given him.' It is not merely allowed him as a matter of condescension, but possessed by him as a matter of right. In short, all things which we need are to be found in him. In him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily; and in him are to be found all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Do not these things prove his ability to save, and shew that he is really God? Allow the Scriptures to speak out, and attend to their plain scope and evident meaning, and you overturn Socinianism by the roots.

[ocr errors]

6

[ocr errors]

Observe: Jesus sustains divine titles. Is he not called the Ever-blessed God, the Only wise Go!, our Saviour *?' Did he not perform divine works? Says he not, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work?' He forgiveth sins, which is God's work. When he said to one, Thy sins be forgiven thee,' the Scribes and Pharisees said he blasphemed; for who could forgive sins but God only: -- their objection could not be obviated on Socinian principles; which shews that their Saviour is a different character from the Christ of God. But Jesus said, "Whether is easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say, Arise and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power to forgive sins, he saith to the sick of the palsy, Arise, take up thy bed, and walk and he did so!' He is, therefore, God. He claims divine worship, and that with the Father's approbation. This is the Father's will, That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. These things shew that Jesus is either the true God, or idolatry is sanctioned by the authority of God. Let Socinians

[ocr errors]

:

get rid of the dilemma if they can. Their scheme must be given up as dangerous error, or God must be said to be the greatest promoter of error in existence! so that they must either pronounce sentence on themselves or their Maker. A scheme clogged with such difficulties, and drawing after it such consequences, could not be of God. URIEL,

Rom. ix. 5. Jude 25.

[ocr errors][ocr errors]

REMARKS ON THE TERM CALVINISM,

Dear Sir,

VINDICATED.

To the Editor.

I AM reluctant to offer for your Magazine any thing that has the air of controversy; but, in the present case, it seems to be necessary.

1. If the whole of what I had advanced in p. 101 of this vahume, be considered in connection, I think that the contradiction supposed by B. L. will not appear justly imputable to it. It is capable of the fullest proof, that the distinguishing sentiments and the relative difference,' of Calvinists, Lutherans, and Socinians, are not the same as were those of the individuals Calvin, Luther, and Socinus. My letter furnishes some evidence of this; and much more might be adduced. To assert this undeniable. fact, is perfectly consistent with the position of a great and general coincidence, in certain leading points, between the sects in question, and the persons from whom they have deduced their appellations.

2. I gratefully acknowledge the kindness of B. L. in pointing out my error with respect to Arminius. The source of that error was a real misunderstanding of your correspondent's words. Nor, indeed, did even Arminius himself hesitate to subscribe to Calvin's doctrine, as it is explained in the 3d book of his Institutes. This sentence, I unhappily understood to refer to Cal-. vin's doctrine in general, as contained in his 3d book; whereas it had only a specific reference to one particular doctrine. The circumstance of the 3d book of the Institutes, containing the ample statement and proof of Calvin's sentiments on the DivineDecrees, was, I apprehend, an occasion of my mistake.

The passage of Arminius produced by B. I completely justifies his asserting that that Divine was ready to have subscribed to Calvin's sentiments on Justification. But he or the printer (I have no doubt unintentionally, as there are other omissions) has left out some very material words in the citation, which seem to shew that Arminius himself was aware that his profession could not be taken in full latitude. The omission is in the last sentence; which should have run thus: Sed quidquid hic sit, mea sententia non usque adeo discrepat a sententia Calvini, quem tamen, &c.. There appears an unworthy artifice in the assertion, of which I had not thought Armin us would have been guilty. He had decidedly professed the sentiment, That faith justifies as an act, being graciously accepted by God for righteousness,' This is avowed in a letter to his bosom-friend Uytenbogaert, dated April 10, 1599, but not published til long after his death, in the valuable collection of Epistolæ Præstantium ac Erudi

[ocr errors]

6

torum Virorum, p. 97, Amst. 1684. His Address to the States is not dated; but I apprehend it was not written before 1608. — Calvin teaches a widely different doctrine, namely, That the ground of justification is the righteousness of Christ, imputed to the sinner, and received by faith*.'

I am, dear Sir, &c.

* V. Inst. l. iii. cap. xi. § 3, 7, 10, 23.

S.

[ocr errors]

ON PROFESSORS TRADING WITH EACH OTHER.

Ir must be acknowledged that the English are humane, and that in general those who hear the gospel do many things to help one another in temporal matters; but notwithstanding this, it is a fact that, in most country towns, several who make a profession do not sufficiently encourage each other in the way of their respective trades. I have for many years travelled through different parts of Great Britain; and having been at various places where congregations are established, I am certain of the truth of the above remark.

Perhaps, some may be ready to say, We are under no obli gations to deal chiefly with those who attend the gospel; and we have a right to do as we please in this respect.' To this it may be truly answered, That professors are under moral and spiritual obligations to help each other in their outward circumstances, inasmuch as they, in the judgment of charity, are members of the same spiritual body; and it is also to be done in obedience to the commands of God. To mention only one passage of sacred writ:-The apostle Paul says, in Gal. vi. 10, 'Do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.' From this and various other Scriptures, it is evidently the will of God that the preference should be given to those who make a credible profession of truth; and we are not to wait until they ask us for our custom, as many of the most serious persons are too modest to do that. Some, indeed, are convinced that it is their duty to encourage such as attend the gospel in their temporal affairs; but their excuse is, That they have been deceived by some professors, and perhaps injured by others. This is often a mere excuse, to justify their conduct; but supposing the plea strictly true, yet it is no good reason why sincere professors should be neglected, because others have proved false. It should teach us to be cautious; but it is no just cause for suspecting all who attend the gospel. We should charitably hope that every professor is sincere, until we find it otherwise.

It must, however, be allowed, that there are some peculiar cir cumstances under which it is not the duty of those who hear the gospel at particular times to traffic with each other; such as the following: 1st, When the articles of a professing tradesman

XVII.

LI

are dearer, or worse ia quality, than those which we can pur chase elsewhere for the same price; 2dly, When he has not a sufficient variety, so that if we buy of him it will be to a considerable disadvantage; -3dly, When our relations, though not professors, sell the same articles in which professors deal; - 4th, When any one who hears the gospel is really incompetent for that which he professes to teach, or to transact that business properly in which he engages. In these, and perhaps a few more instances, any professor is justified in giving the preference to such as make no profession; but we must be certain that these are not pretended excuses.

If we enquire, What are the reasons why so many hearers of the gospel do not deal with each other? we shall find the following some of the principal:- ist, Many professors act thus from ignorance of their duty, or perhaps want of thought at the time;

2dly, Some, through pride, deal with capital tradesmen, to look great like their neighbours, rather than with those who hear the gospel, who, perhaps, are not in such a large way, although their articles may be equally good ; — 3dly, Others, from party, spirit, will trade with those who are no friends to the gospel, rather than with professors, who are not of their own party; 4th, Covetous persons, though hearers of the word, will disregard all professors and even their own minister, to put their children to cheaper schools, or to deal with any one for cheapness. From these and other bad motives, many of the honsehold of faith are sadly neglected, while sometimes immoral characters, and generally such as are enemies to the gospel, are encouraged. Thus, within these few years, I have known some widows, and many diligent and frugal persons, of considerable abilities in their profession or trade, have declined in their circumstances, and been forced to remove from places where they were not sufficiently encouraged by professors.

But none suffer more from this kind of neglect than gospelministers in country towns, whose scanty income from their people obliges them to keep schools, or carry on some business. It is true indeed, that some of their people will encourage them; but others do not, or on the most trivial excuses, withdraw their assistance. Now, it is very unfavourable for a minister or his wife to set up a boarding-school in a country town, for not many, who have children and dislike the gospel, will place them in such a seminary; and perhaps there are many schools in the neighbourhood, and but few professors, who have children, or can afford to place them there. If, therefore, these few do not give encouragement, the minister and his family are not likely to be properly supported. My business being chiefly in schoolarticles, I have frequently had opportunities to ascertain, this to be a fact. I have found that worthy and well-qualified ministers, who keep schools, have not had above £60 per ann. from their

[ocr errors]

935

ON PROFESSORS TRADING WITH EACH OTHER. people; and yet some of them have been so hard-hearted as to place their children elsewhere, and sometimes even with masters or governesses who are enemies to the gospel. Here I would solemnly put the following questions to those professors who do not help their minister or their brethren in their temporal concerns: 1st, What proof do you give of love to Christ, the Spiritual Head, when you will not obey his commands, and refuse to help his ministers and servants? - 2dly, As our love to the brethren is a scriptural sign of grace, and you do not prove it by assisting them as much as you can, what evidence have you of being true disciples?- 3dly, How can you be said to be any friend of the gospel, when you strengthen the hands of its enemies, and strive to keep its friends in a low state? Besides, what has been already written, the following considerations should induce professors to be more attentive to deal with each other:1st, They should consider that serious persons are often injured in their circumstances by some of their best customers leaving them, because they will not serve on the Sabbath-day; 2dly, Others have not much trade in some places, merely because they attend the gospel, or because they will not spend their evenings in public-houses, or in vain amusements, as others do, with their customers; 3dly, The great and increasing pressure of the times should also be another inducement; for many diligent and frugal persons who could keep their families very comfortably some years ago, can now scarcely support them. Let all these things be taken into serious and immediate consideration, and let professors make it a point of conscience to encourage each other more than they have hitherto done. R. W.

Sir,

HINTS,

ADDRESSED TO YOUTH.

To the Editor.

[ocr errors]

EXAMPLE has ever been acknowledged to be important; and its influence, in the higher ranks of society upon those below them, is such, that every thing which concerns public example should be watched; and where it is evil, should be, as early as possible, and by every means, coun teracted. The subject which has lately almost engrossed the attention of the Senate, has greatly occupied that of all inferior classes, and has been much looked at by the rising generation, for whose welfare I am every anxious. I have thought that your most extensive, laudable, and valuable publication might be peculiarly useful, by bringing seasonably to the attention of the young, the following Extracts from the writings of Him who was the wisest of all mere men, and which have been verified in the case alluded to; and may it please the Spirit of Truth so

« AnteriorContinuar »