with the writings more or less of the most celebrated Divines, with the questions which have been discussed, and which have convulsed the whole Christian world, with the errors, the strange and contradictory opinions, which prevail ; and above all, to see Christians at the present day split into so many sects and denominations, each envying, hating, and often reviling, at least writing, against one another,-how is it possible to see all this, and yet not inquire into many of those points which have been so much agitated? We have sentences of one Council against the sentence of another; Pope against Pope; book against book; sects rising up and dying away, and new ones succeeding them; -the Pope against Protestants and Protestants against the Pope, and against each other; Arians, Socinians, Southcotians, Methodists, Quakers, Harmonists, and I do not know where to end. Why do these exist to perplex and puzzle the mind? and does it not seem a fair conclusion, let it alone, and let these people fight among themselves, and when they have settled what religion is, then we can begin to study it. 66 "I like, however," he continued, your mode of religion very much; you knock away the decrees of councils; you cast away everything that disagrees with Scripture; the books full of Greek and Latin, of high church and low church divines. You would remove too, I dare say, many of the abuses which have crept into church establishments. I doubt whether the archbishop of Canterbury would consider you a very great friend, nor the Scotch presbytery perhaps. On predestination, however, I do not think as S. and M.; for it appears to me, just from my own reflections and experiences, that I am influenced in a way which is incomprehensible, and am led to do things which I never intended; and if there is, as we all admit, a Supreme Ruler of the universe, and if, as you say, he has the actions of the devils, as well as of his own angels, completely at his command, then those influences, or those arrangements of circumstances, which lead us to do things against our will, or with ill-will, must be also under his direction. But I have never entered into the depths of the subject, but contented myself with believing that there is a predestination of events, and that that predestination depends on the will of God." "You have placed it," I said, " on its proper foundation. With regard to some of your observations, the difficulties you mention as lying in the way of Christianity are more apparent than real, and are used only as excuses by those who have no inclination to study it. The differences among Christians, the corruption and abuses of church establishments, are certainly to be much lamented, and if I could remedy them, I would, and so would every honest man, of whatever sect to which he might belong. If each who professed Christianity, not only understood its doctrines clearly, in all their simplicity and spirituality, but reduced them to practice in his life and conversation, the aspect of our religion would be more bright and alluring than it has ever been, or is at present. But, it must be observed, that many profess Christianity, who are not Christians; nay, some teach it who are not so, since it is taken up by many as a liberal profession; such as medicine, or law, by which they gain their daily bread. That such should act according to their dispositions, characters, and circumstances, in a way different to that which religion prescribes, and consequently, in a manner so contrary to its precepts, as to throw a sort of odium and stigma on religion itself, in the estimation of the careless and superficial, is not to be wondered at: it is equally true, and still more to be regretted, that there are many weak Christians, whose zeal and sincerity are undoubted, yet who, from the weakness of their understanding, attribute an importance to things which are either indifferent or unessential, and who (according to circumstances) either persecute those who think differently, or are persecuted by others equally weak, who differ from them in opinion. From these two classes of people, from their actions, and writings, and conduct, much mischief ensues. Divisions, schisms, and dissensions, are produced; and the more keenly each writes and reasons in defence of his own notions, or those of the party to which he belongs, the more firmly he flatters himself he is in the right, and imagines he is animated with a pure zeal for the church; when, in reality, he is simply gratifying a busy, pragmatical disposition, and confounds the applause of an active partisan to a particular church, with the fervour of a true Christian and follower of Christ. Though, in consequence of these principles, divisions exist in name and external practice among Christians, they afford no excuse to the deist; because a little attention would shew him, that these differences are chiefly in things indifferent, and unessential, arising from the imperfection of human nature, or from the imperfection of the Christian character, or from hypocrites who mix among them; but, among all those sects that are entitled to the name of Christian, there is a perfect agreement with respect to the fundamental principles. Though a Scotchman, for example, I can conscientiously subscribe to all the articles of the church of England; every Scotchman can do the same ; so can all the Independents, Congregationalists, and Methodists; and perhaps all real Church-of-Englandmen would subscribe to the fundamental articles of the other denominations. The absurdity is, that a Scotchman passing the Tweed becomes a dissenter, and an Englishman going to Scotland, becomes the same ; a zealous Presbyterian thinks that every church, not founded on presbyteries and synods, is corrupt and unapostolical; a Church-of-Englandman attaches the same importance to bishops, archbishops, deans, &c.; a zealous Independent thinks that the church should be separated from the state, and each church independent of another. |