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. 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 corner stone. 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 OR EVANGELICAL BONUS. mind with such reverence and Godly fear; shortly after, men began to make free with sin, and to find church authority for committing it. At last, this produced indulgences for any and every kind of wickedness! Now, what influence could articles of religion, framed by such men, have, who, when they were forming canons for the church, at the same time were forming licenses for all kinds of wickedness and enormities? Even in England, it is not difficult to find the same authority that has authorized and sanctioned the book of canons, meanwhile authorizing a book of sports, by which a license is given for any who please to profane the Sabbath, to the dishonor of Christians of every name. Would any person, of the least consideration, attempt to reconcile two things so absolutely contrary the one to the other, viz: articles of religion, and yet a license to break them, in their constant practice? It would, therefore, clearly, have been next to a miracle, if infidelity had not gained ground, when it has received such strength and support from the leaders in religion. Out of the same mouths, could not, consistently, come, both blessing and cursing-laws for religion, and a license for impiety. Can any people be accounted of any other character but that of Issachar, in the text, who suffer such religious slavery and absurdity to be imposed upon them? Is the word of God imperfect, that it cannot direct men in all matters of religion, without it is clothed with human inventions, and the authority of the church? He is a Christian, who submits to the yoke of Christ but a slave, who takes on any other. Shall men dare impose any other burdens than the "easy and light burden" which has been offered by the Saviour? Now, therefore, let us be Christians - not slaves; not couch down between two burdens; but stand fast in that liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free; and not suffer ourselves to be entangled in any yoke of bondage. To conclude: whenever men are required to believe any thing upon human authority in matters of reli TO DIVERSE, NOTABLE FOOLS AND ASSES. gion; or to worship God, in any other manner than they are required in the scriptures, it is a burden of religious slavery, and not the yoke of Christ. They do not deserve to be recognized as rational creatures, to say nothing of Christian character, who tamely give up their reason and their Bible, to the hands of religious seducers and oppressors. Well do they deserve a burden of a religious slavery, who thus tamely couch down to take it on. But will you part with common sense-give up your right of private judgment to the dictates of religious loco focos? Rather emulate the character of Napthali, who is represented as "a hind let loose," an asserter of liberty; but "Issachar is a strong ass, forever-he will couch down between two burdens. O! my God-give all men a knowledge of their privileges; and wisdom, and zeal, and skill, to maintain them; and to Thy name, be glory, forever, amen |