Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

bliged fome of your parishioners, the denial of a God, they deny in your fermons yesterday.

Clergyman. That would be painful to my feelings, if it could have been avoided, confiftent with my obligations, both to him who fent me, and to those to whom I am fent. P. I fuppofed fo, and for that reafon called to discourse with you on the fubject.

C. Sir, I thank you. You refer, I conclude, to the doctrines of God's decrees, and his agency in their accomplishment. I am fenfible, that fome very much oppofe these fentiments, and may poffibly be offended at hearing them preached.

P. No fir, I have no doubt on thefe fubjects: I view them as being the only ground of fecurity and confolation to the people of God, and abundantly fupported by the numerous paffages of fcripture, which you adduced, and by many others. They are fentiments expreffed by the Prophets, and preached by Chrift and his Apoftles, and may not be fuppreffed. But after you had proved and elucidated these great and precious truths, you adverted to the finful nature and pernicious tendency of the oppofite opinions, and was lengthy, and I think fevere in your remarks. Indeed you fet thofe principles in a criminal and odious point of light.

his real Divinity, and leave him little more than the empty title. I think also, that the fcriptures you quoted, and the observations you made on those who faid, The Lord will not do good, neither will he do evil.-How doth God know? Can he judge through the dark cloud? &c. are a full evidence of the truth of all you faid on this fubject: But you are fenfible, that there are some men of influence among your hearers, who avow thofe principles; and they will be very uneafy, at having their opinions publicly reprefented, not only as erroneous, but fo very criminal and odious. They doubtlefs will reprefent you as highly uncatholic, and illiberal in your reflections on their fentiments: They are not likely to be convinced; for they are at perfect enmity against your doctrines, and all their feelings are interested in their prefent opinions. It is a queftion in my mind, whether it be not imprudent, to infift on the evilnature, and pernicious effects, of such sentiments, at least for the prefent, while they are fo fixed and engaged in them: They cannot bear it now, and you should be wife as a ferpent, and provide milk, where ftrong meat cannot be borne.

C. I did. I think however, that the reprefentation was fcriptural. My office is but ministerial. The fcriptures contain my inftructions, and I must conform to them, or be unfaithful to my Employer. P. I have no doubt, that the opinions which you opposed are false, and their tendency as pernicious, as you reprefented. Indeed I view them in a light worfe afferted; they appear to me atheistical, and go almoft to VOL. I. No. 2.

than you

C. I am fenfible, that fomething is left to the difcretion of Ministers, how they time and introduce the instructions of the gofpel, and how they shall prove and illuftrate their fubjects; and I know, that to be wife and prudent in these things, the ftate and circumstances of a people must be taken into view, and that they fhould be introduced in the most advantageous and inoffenfive manner; and am glad to confult with you, and learn your opinion, and your reafons to fupport it.

G

P. It appears to me, that after you had proved and illuftrated the doctrines of decrees, and divine

etly, and perhaps do more good. in the end, if you would confine yourself to the evidence of the

agency, as you did in the fore-doctrines you teach, and fay little

noon, it might have been more ac-
ceptable, had you closed the sub-
ject, with fome natural and
proper
inferences, without thofe remarks
on the wickedness of the contrary
fentiments, which made a large
portion of
your difcourfe in the af

ternoon.

C. But if the doctrines advanced in the morning were true, and for the glory of God, as you have granted, the fentiments oppofed in the afternoon muft neceffarily be falfe and difhonorable to him.

or nothing, of the falfehood and
the pernicious nature of the oppo-
fite
unlefs in matters, in
which we are all of one opinion.

errors,

C. In this way, I fear, I fhould be unable to fay much, against the prevailing errors of our age, or in the beft, and moft convincing manner to illuftrate any of the peculiar, and moft effential truths of the gofpcl. It greatly difcovers the importance, and confirms the truth of any doctrine, to place its excellency in contraft, with the mifchievous nature, and tendency of the contrary opinion; and certainly, religious truth is of fuch infinite importance, that it ought to be prefented, in its most convincing and powerful light.

P. That is true. But if people will not at prefent endure it, I think it would now be prudent, on

P. True-and people of reAlection must have feen it-But your oppofers will admit, that you, and every man, has a right to advance his own opinion, and fupport it in the beft manner he is able, and though it may displease and vex them, to hear fuch truths delivered, and the evidence of them clearly stated, yet accordingly to ftate your direct evidence in to their own conceffions, they must favor of truth, and leave your endure it. But I cannot think, hearers to draw the confequences they will bear to have their avowfor themselves.--You had better ed fentiments, directly attacked, do this, than lofe a confiderable and expofed as they were yefter- part of your congregation, and day. Indeed I perceive, they perhaps be difmiffed. You may have already made pointed re- at the fame time point out the immarks, on the uncatholic and illib-portance of the truth, and urge the eral spirit of your afternoon dif- abfolute neceffity of believing it, in courfe-have faid it was perfonal, the effential things of the gofpel, and defigned to expofe and injure in oppofition to falfehood; and them; and I fear, they will gather that men cannot otherwife be faa party, by reprefenting themfelves ved. as injured and playing in that way, upon the feelings of the people. Befides, there are many, who would be ready to fall in with their opinions, if they could fee any color of evidence to fupport them, or if they fhould become prejudiced against you, who preach the oppolite truths It is my opinion, that you would proceed more qui

C. This could be done but very indifferently, without illuftrating the importance of doctrinal truth, by comparing its excellency and effects, with the wickednefs and effects of falfehood. Besides, if as you fay, the belief of the peculiar doctrines of the gospel is neceffary to falvation, and falfe opinions concerning these things fatal, then this

is an idea, which you juftly acknowledge must be preached; but if I fhould not fhew the evil tendency of particular falfe opinions, but Simply inculcate the truth by direct evidence, and among others, this truth which you have now mentioned, do you think my oppofers would be lefs troublesome, or be lefs difpofed to represent me as uncatholic and illiberal?

P. I do not know indeed.However, I am clear that this must be held up as a truth, and a truth that applies efpecially to people, who enjoy our privileges and inftructions. It would be abfurd to say, that faith is neceffary to falvation, and yet leave it as tho' any faith, fcriptural or unfcriptural

-faith in truth, or faith in falfehood, would answer the great purpofe. You may however treat the matter in fuch a general way, as would not fo directly expofe and offend your oppofers.

C. Would the method, you have fuggefted, anfwer the purpofe, un

whether they have ever conceded, that any one has a right to affert, and undertake to vindicate, that any truths of the gospel, which they oppose, are effential to falvation; or is authorised to name any doctrine, or fyftem of doctrines whatever, which are abfolutely neceffary, even under our opportunities for inftruction. I believe they generally plead, that all may deliver and advocate their fentiments without oppofition or offence, that they may prepare the way, to claim the privilege, of introducing their unfcriptural and pernicious opinions, without contradiction, or being thought the worfe for propagating them, that in the end, they may fubvert the precious and important truths, which, tho' painful to them, are the diftinguishing and comforting doctrines of the gofpel.

I

P. This is indeed poffible.-I know they have a bitter enmity against the doctrines, which I fully believe, were delivered to us by Chrift and his difciples. And Í know alfo, that they have been far more fevere, in ridicule and farcafm, against your fentiments, than ever you have been, in your ferious obfervations, on their errors; and that they have been quite perfonal in their remarks against you, which I have never noticed in you against them, or any body of men: You only point out the evil of

lefs I fhould deal in fuch words as would not be generally understood, which I know would not meet your approbation? Befides, fhould they find, that their clamour or influence had prevailed on me, to give up one important point, would they not be encouraged to increase their exertions, in the expectation, that I fhould foon be driven to give over urging the neceflity of believ-falfehood and error, whereever it ing the fundamental doctrines of may be found. Indeed from their the gofpel, or explaining them, pleas in favor of extensive cathoand pointing them out particularly licifm I have expected more canto the people, if not to abandon dour in them than I have generally them altogether? found.

P. I cannot fay what they might do. But this would certainly be contrary to that liberty and catholicifm, which they plead for, and we might attack them with their own conceffions.

C. Perhaps not.-I queftion

C. Are you confident, that all of them believe, that there is any thing criminal in holding erroneous opinions? Do they all expect, that men will be called to an account, or punished for them in the world to come?

P. They generally fay, that the truth is important, and hence urge, that all men fhould be left to feek it out for themselves, without any one to teach them, and inculcate upon them one fentiment, in preference to another, left they fhould be biaffed, and 'led into error. (Though for myfelf, I cannot fee why people, and especially parents fhould not attend as much to the religion, as to the reputation of their children.) But I know, it is a maxim with fome of them, that no one will be condemned for his opinions at the last day, provided he be fincere in them.

C. Is not fincerity in this matter, a very vague and unmeaning word? Are not Chriftians, Deifts, Pagans and Mahometans, fincere in their opinions, do they not fincerely believe what they do believe? And can it be fuppofed, that it will never be brought up against men, that they have difbelieved God, rejec ted truth, and embraced error, against the clear evidence of the holy fcriptures, provided only that they really disbelieved God, really rejected truth, and really embraced error, notwithstanding a clear evidence of divine teftimony?

P. The fcriptures are plain and exprefs on this fubject. God did condemn the worshippers of Moloch, though they gave the greateft poffible proof of their real belief, in their abominable religion, by facrificing their own babes.He has threatened, that he that believeth not on the Lord Jefus Christ, shall be damned.-He has declared, that there are damnable herefies, and doctrines of devilsand that he fometimes gives up men, to strong delufions, to believe a lie, that they may be damned, which he does by way of wrath, because they have pleasure in unrighteoufnefs.-And to this

import he fays, how can they believe on him of whom they have not heard?-Faith comes by hearing. And he has borne teftimony against false fentiments, as much as against evil practices, by commanding, that heretics fhould be caft out of the church.-Indeed a compliance with, and belief in the religion of the furrounding nations, was death to a Jew, by the law of God, given to Mofes. am therefore perfuaded, that false fentiments refpecting religion are highly criminal in the fight of God.

C. From what fource do errors concerning the leading doctrines of the gospel arife among us?

P. I cannot account for them, in any way, but from depravity of heart. I fee not, why rejecting the teftimony of God must not arife from the fame fpirit, as rejecting the law of God. The fcriptures teach us, that they that do evil, hate the light, and will not come to the light.-I think God provided fufficiently for the inftruction of this world, at an early age, fo that religious truth never would have been loft, or falfehood taken place, if men had not loved darknefs rather than light, and even now, I conceive, that if men were well difpofed, and ready to embrace truth, a very little time would fuffice, to have all the earth filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord. I have thought, that it is an awful defamation of God, to accufe him with being the author of inftructions fo ambiguous, that men of honeft minds are liable to make grofs mistakes, concerning the doctrines he would communicate; or to fay, that he has left the fcriptures fo ill fupported with evidence, that honeft men are liable, after candid enquiries, to be in doubt of their authenticity.-An evil heart must be the fource of all

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

grofs errors in religion, and they are as criminal and dangerous, as wicked conduct: thefe reciprocally increase and strengthen each

other.

C. But you would not have me ceafe preaching against evil practices, because fome of my hearers live in them. You would have me expose the evil and danger of them, and warn people against them, though fome are very unwilling to endure fuch preaching; and are ready to fay, I am pointed and perfonal against them. Why then fhould I not preach in the fame manner again herefies, fince they are equally finful, and contrary to the word of God: The one, as contrary to the teftimony; as the other, to the law he has given us.

P. Doubtless it would be propper, if people would endure it.

ity, depravity of manners, perfecutions, affaffinations, and defpotifm in France, are more owing to the prevalency of this fpecious liberality of opinion, than to any other caufe, and perhaps than to all others put together.

P. You are certainly right.-I am fully convinced. And fhall henceforth justify you, in bearing teftimony againft heretical opinions, and efpecially against this unbounded catholicifm, which is the rage of the day.-I am perfuaded, that both our civil government, and religion, are in much greater danger from this falfe character, than from any other quarter. I befeech you, if poffible, effectually to convince your hearers of this, and make it a leading object your public inftructions." C. I thank you for your vifit, and hope you will confider, that you, and I, and all good people, have but one intereft; and that it is the duty of all, to unite our exertions, in our several stations, in favor of religious truth, and the importance of it; to rally round the word of God, oppofe wickednefs in every fhape it may af fume, whether in doctrine or man

in

C. People are equally attached to both, and from nearly the fame cause to one, for the gratification of their avarice and carnal affections; and to the other, that they may rid themselves from restraints on thefe lufts and gratify their pride and affumed independerce on God. In reality they are no lefs oppofed to the one, than to the other. The truth is, they wish to fet all opin-ners, and especially, that by ferions on a level, which in its confequence muft effectually deftroy the credibility and influence of all,and free men from all the reftraints of religion, and fo open the floodgates to every fpecies of irreligion and iniquity.

P. It must be a moft impious and blafphemous Catholicism, which aims, under the mask of lib

vent prayer, and holy lives and converfation we exemplify the reality, neceffity, and excellency of true and experimental religion.

P. I feel the importance of it, and hope I may not weaken, but affift, and promote the precious common caufe.

Paul's Experiences.
HE fcriptures teach the necef-

erality to banish every thing defir- fity of experimental religion.

able from the world.

C. Its effects are now awfully vifible in the wretched fituation, of one which till lately, was among the most refined nations of Europe. There is no doubt, that the infidel

The prefent revival of religion, in many places, is a work of God, by which he confirms this doctrine. It is illuftrated by many examples on holy record; they are all ufe

« AnteriorContinuar »