Page images
PDF
EPUB

intoxication, they should become partakers of other mens' sins: A very few professors have honoured God in the occupation of innkeepers; for it requires great grace, and a degree of temperauce, firmness, and resolution, which but few possess, to be able to act in such a calling as becomes the gospel. A Christian who attempts to support his family by making weapons of war, will need peculiar sincerity and self-denial to make him sufficiently earnest in prayer for the peace of mankind. I suppose that many others, in those sca-ports which are most frequented by ships of war, would be found in the same predicament.

I enter not into the dispute about privateering: I know some of the pleas that are urged in its excuse: but let them that think they can reconcile it to the eighth and the tenth commandments have all their gains to themselves! I should expect it would discolour all the silver in my pocket, like sulphur from the bottomless pit.

Some trades, though not unlawful, yet are ordinarily carried. on in an iniquitous manner; e. g. by adulteration, which must in many cases tend to the great injury of health, as in the article of drugs especially this often leads to falsehood, and, I fear, in too many instances to absolute perjury *.

Persons who profess to believe the plenary inspiration of the scriptures, and yet scruple not to defraud the government of the imposts and duties laid on them by law, should seriously ask their own consciences, what meaning they put upon our Lord's charge, "to render to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's, and to pay tribute to whom tribute, and custom to whom custom is due?" Did our Lord, or his servant Peter, mean to intimate that all the imposts of the Roman empire were more perfectly equitable than those of Britain now are? Or did they design to give a sanction, beyond what a Christian is now bound to acknowledge in the powers that rule over us, to the government of Tiberius or Nero?

If I mention exorbitant gain as certainly one of the iniquities of traflic, it will be, not with a design to put your readers upon censuring others, in cases wherein they have only an uncertain guess at their profits and losses; but with a view to excite every one who would depart from all iniquity, to be strict with himself on this head †.

* I fear this enormous crime is much the mare common in our fand, through the great multiplication of oaths, and the unscriptural mode of swearing generally used, as well as the irreverent manner in which oaths are administered; to which must be added, the continued enforcement of ouths become obsolete and impracticable; in which no change must be made, though no one is expected punctually and literally to fulfil them. These things excruciate tender consciences, and so totally deaden others, as to defeat the end of an oath

When one toid Bishop Latimer that he was cozened in paying for a knife double to what it was worth, "No," said he, "the man who sold it as not cozened me, but his own conscience." See an excellent book,

Let him also who would keep himself from idolatry, watch against the inordinate love of gain, which may exceedingly injure the soul, and deaden the heart to God, even where the profits are not so exorbitant, as to render a man chargeable with injustice to his customers. The iniquity of covetousness may offend the Lord, and cause him to hide himself from your soul, though worldly prudence should keep you from falling into those temptations, which would injure your character for probity aud. fair dealing.

The extravagance and discontent of many among the poor, may frequently induce them to murmur at their employers without cause; but let not richer professors, on that account, disregard ail charges of oppressing the poor, by beating them down in their wages, while they themselves are making vast fortunes by their labour. Such iniquity, wherever it really exists, is very heinous in the eyes of Jehovah; and the cries of the needy will assuredly bring down a curse on them that grind the faces of the poor; even a terrible curse, which cannot be averted by an orthodox creed, nor by occasional donations to the support of the gospel: "for the Lord hateth robbery for burnt-offering."

I will now add but one branch more of the Iniquity of Traffic, from which I am afraid the professors of the present day are not universally clear. May God and conscience find it out, wherever it may exist! I refer to the guilt which is contracted, by monopoly and injurious competition. If God be displeased by them" that join house to house, and lay field to field, till there be no place, and they have their dwelling alone to themselves in the midst of the land," must he not also be displeased wirh those overgrown traders, who labour to get profitable articles so entirely into their own hands, as to command what price they please? And is it not an instance of the deceitfulness of riches, that men, pretending to the fear of God, and who shew considerable benevolence and compassion to those of their fellow-creatures that are under their immediate view, can yet be so bewitched by the cursed love of gain, as to be willing to ruin hundreds, if not thousands, who are out of sight, for the sake of securing to themselves and their connections an inordinate advantage? Verily, there is a God that judgeth in the earth; and these evils will cause him to send a blast, either on the property, or on the souls of the guilty, if not upon both.

I profess not to enter into particulars; and have no design of reference to individuals: I only throw out hints, grounded on an expression contained in the Scriptures of truth. I conjure your unknown readers, who would not be condemned for ever,

entitled, a Gospel Glass. representing the miscarriages of English profes sors, by the Rev. Lewis Stuckley, ejected in 1662, from the cathedral in Exeter. I wish it were reprinted, with a very few omissions of obsolete phrases,

on account of the Iniquity of Traffic, to ponder on the subject and apply it to their consciences.

Let all persons professing godliness, be on their guard against the least approach to any part of this iniquity.

Let them be willing to apply scripture rules in the strictest sense. Surely, it is better to enter into life ten thousand pounds poorer, than, having fifty thousand pounds, to be cast into Hell fire..

Let those be most careful whose gains are the greatest; for tho' I have heard of curing slight disorders of the eyes, by rubbing them with a small piece of gold, yet I suspect that a large quantity of that metal will have a very opposite effect on the eyes of the mind.

ש כ

ON HERESY.

HAVING in a former paper considered what is the real nature of Schism, and against whom the charge can be correctly urged, according to the plain meaning of the Scriptures, we will next investigate the words Heresy and Heretic, and enquire to whom they are most properly applied.

According to the common acceptation of these words, Heresy is a doctrine fundamentally erroneous; and the Heretic is a person who obstinately maintains such a doctrine. We next take into consideration the more correct meaning of the original terms themselves. The verb (Ag) means to lift up, to bear up, to take away. It is used in the following passages: "Lest the Romans should come and take away our place and nation ;"*" He shall give his angels charge concerning thee; and in their hands shall they bear thee up"-" Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world." Many other references might be made, if these were not sufficient to shew that the original verb in itself is perfectly innocent or neutral (like that of ow, in the former paper): on other occasions, however, we shall find it rather in a way of approbation than otherwise; for instance, Paul says, "After the straitest sect aigeois, Heresy, I lived a Pharisee;" + here it cannot be supposed he vindicated himself as being an Heretic, according to the common acceptation of the word. Similar to this, it is further said, "Many of the sect (agics) of the Pharisees believed on Christ; here also the word Heresy would have sounded inconsistent.

In other places, we find the word used in a bad point of view. St. Paul was accused by Tertullus as "a pestilent fellow, a mover of sedition among the Jews throughout all the world, and a ringleader of the sect (ag) of the Nazarenes: so that here Acts xxiv.

John ii. .

Acts xxvi. 5.

§ Acts xv. 5.

the crime of Heresy is charged by Jews and Heathens against the Christians. No wonder that an Heathen orator, and a set of enraged Jews, could adopt such opprobrious language against the apostle Paul; but when professing Christians can hurl such indignant expressions against each other, on account of some slight differences about mere empty forms or modes of speech, it is a plain evidence that they are very little acquainted with the nature and spirit of that religion they profess.

We find that St. Paul further vindicates himself against the accusations of the Jews, and the Heathen orator they had employed against him. After the way which they call Heresy," so worship I the God of my Fathers." Thus by a mild auswer, he attempts to turn away the wrath of so vehement accusers,

The same opprobrious language was further urged against the Apostle by the Jews at Rome : "As concerning this sect (a) we know that it is everywhere spoken against."

In the same bad sense the passage is applied by St. Paul in his epistles. "I hear that there are divisions (x) among you; for there must be also Heresies (gs) among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest §." So the same apostle enumerating the works of the flesh, such as adultery, fornication, uncleanness, and a variety of other evil tempers, he mentions also Heresies; that is, not wrong notions in religion, but a wrathful dividing spirit which takes its rise from the fleshly pride of the human heart.

In the same sense Peter also once uses the expression concerning some "false teachers, who privily brought in damhable Heresies;" and by the chapter at large, we find, both in doetrine and practice, the most horrid and disgraceful divisions were the consequence.

Thus have I traced every passage where this word is found in the New Testament, excepting one, which speaks of the sect (aigos) of the Saducees without any iminediate reference to their moral character: and upon a fair review of the whole, I think the reader will determine, that this word also is innocent in itself, and is only taken in a good or a bad sense, as it relates to the different characters to whom it is applied. Sometimes it only means a denomination or a party; at other times, it expresses the bad spirit of that denomination or party. Having in this and a former paper gone through a mere critieism on the words schism and heresy, I shall further claim the reader's attention to some serious observations, which may naturally present themselves for our further consideration. If real Christians are but brought into better temper with each other, without entering into all the lax ideas of a set of careless latitudinarians, the writer's design will be accomplished, according to the utmost wishes of his heart.

Surry Chapel.

Acts xxviii. 22.
2 Pet. ii. 1.

R. H.

§ 1 Cor. xi, 19.
Acts v. 17.

Gal. v. 19, 20.

QUERIES ANSWERED,

ON THE DUTY OF THE UNREGENERATE.

1. Does God require any worship from the unregenerate? And if he does, of what nature is it,whether spiritual or formal?

THAT God requires all men to worship him, and that in spirit and truth, one would expect to be as obvious to every one who reads the Bible with attention, as the brightness of the sun when it shineth in its strength. The very Heathen are represented as inexcusable in not glorifying God as God; and as worthy of his displeasure for worshipping and serving the creature more than the Creator *. To the people of Israel God says, "Know thou, and see, that it is an evil and bitter thing, that my fear is not in thee;" and thus he charged their fathers with sin, for " not setting their hearts aright; and because their spirit was not steadfast with God, for not believ ing in God, nor trusting in his salvation." All which expressions surely imply a requisition of spiritual, and not of formal worship. Indeed, no instance, I am persuaded, can be found in all the Old or New Testament, of God's requiring less than the whole heart, under the idea that spiritual worship could not be required of carnal men. Never did God propose to accept of the shell, because his rival claimed, or had gotten the kernel. He never directed men to do some external service, such as might be done by those whose hearts were enmity against God, as a substitute for that sort of obedience which could imply holy love.

No farther evidence is necessary to prove this point, than the suminary of the divine law, given by our Lord, in Matt. xxii. 37-40 §. Unless it can be proved, that all unregenerate men are free from the law of God, this must clearly evince that they ought to love God supremely, to love their neighbours disinterestedly, and to act accordingly, in the whole tenor of their conduct; and that every thing short of this is

sin.

2. Is the inability of the unregenerate of such a nature as to excuse them from the obligation of worshipping God in spirit and truth? And if it be, of what fault are they guilty who attend worship regularly and decently, and are moral in their conduct? and whence is their condemnation?

To this it may suffice to reply, That the inability of the sin

Rom. i. 21, 25. † Jer. ii. 19.

Ps.lxxviii. 8, 22, 32, 36, 37.

See a Sermon, entitled, "The Dependence of the Whole Law and the Prophets on the Two Primary Commandments," by Dr. Ryland, of Bristol, published by desire of the Ministers of the Association at Salisbury, 1798.

« PreviousContinue »