was that of the cross; has redeemed man: nevertheless, that it is incumbent on man to overcome also, agreeably to those words, he that overcometh shall sit down with me in my throne, even as I have overcome and am set down with my Father in his throne; that man is to overcome sin as if the power of overcoming was from himself, but at the same time he must be sensible that the power to overcome is from the Lord, who overcomes in man; that when man dies as to the material body, he rises again immediately in his spiritual, or eternal body, agreeably to the words of the Apostle, there is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body, in which spiritual body, man after death exists in a perfect human form. that the day of death in this natural world, is the day of his resurrection in the spiritual or eternal world, agreeably to the words of the Apostle, absent from the body, present with the Lord; That the scriptures have a spiritual, as well as a literal sense; and that in their spiritual sense consists their sanctity; that the spiritual sense refers primarily to Christ as redeeming man, and secondly to the regeneration of man, agreeably to those words, and beginning at Moses, and all the prophets, he expounded unto them, in all the scriptures, the things concerning himself.

When they settled as a body in public worship, the dress of their ministers was the same as that

which is used in the church of England. But when they began to increase in numbers, a few intemperate individuals introduced peculiar garments for the priest to officiate in. These, as they were only calculated to create disgust among the more rational part of the community, were soon laid. aside, and they returned to their original dress, which is the same as is used by the ministers of the church of England. They use a liturgy, which is nearly the same as that of the established church, and they have adopted the episcopal form of ordination, which order, they think, was established by the Apostles, agreeably to those words, Acts i. 20. and his bishoprick let another take. Phil. i. 1. with the bishops and deacons.

bishop,

1st Tim. iii. 1. desire the office of

DISSENTERS.

By these, in England, are understood the complex body of Calvinists, Arians, Socinians, Methodists, and all, (except the Roman Catholics) who dissent from the doctrines, service, and form of worship, of the church of England. They are distinguished by their respective names, as Calvinist, Arian, Socinian, and Baptist dissenters. They dissent from each other in principle and profession, as much as they all do from the established church.

But the first dissenters in England, were those, who, in the time of Queen Elizabeth, proposed a more strict kind of worship, and who were on that account called Puritans.

About 100 years after this period, in the reign of Charles II. the act called the Act of Uniformity was passed, which took place on Bartholomew-day, and many ministers refusing to conform, left the established church, and were called NON-CONFORMISTS.

SABATARIANS

Are those who observe the seventh day, instead of the first day of the week. This custom is not of modern date, but as early as the time of the Apostle St. John. It was observed by the Jewish converts, who found no command in scripture for the observance of the first day of the week. They are principally to be found among the Baptists, who are distinguished by the term, Seventh-day Baptists,

They say that the change from the seventh to the first day of the week, took place at the time of Constantine when he embraced Christianity. The reason they give for keeping the seventh day of the week as the sabbath, is, that God hath commanded it to be observed; and that there is not any authority

in scripture for its being changed from the seventh, to the first day of the week.

BAXTERIANS.

These professors are the followers of Richard Baxter, a noted writer, and preacher in the last century. His plan was to reconcile the Calvinists and Arminians, by pointing out a middle path. He taught that a certain number were predestinated to eternal life from eternity, that the rest were not reprobated, but that they have common grace, which, if improved, will finally end in saving grace. This is to be proved by a life of faith and obedience, and consequently they maintain, that Christ died for all men; that by his death the sins of the elect were forgiven, and that those who were not of the elect, were through his death placed in a salvable state, by an offer of that light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

In order to show that all men are placed in a salvable state by the death of Christ; they say,

1st. It is the nature of all mankind which Christ assumed at his incarnation, and the sins of all mankind were the occasion of his suffering.

endly. It was to Adam as the common father of lapsed man, that God made the promise, Gen. iii. 15. The conditional grant is universal, Whosoever believeth shall be saved.

3dly. It is not to the elect only, but to all mankind, that Christ has commanded his ministers to proclaim his gospel, and offer the benefits of his procuring.

NECESSITARIANS.

So called, because they hold the doctrine of necessity, or fatality; that all the actions of men are inevitably consequent on a superior over-ruling agency, which cannot be counteracted by finite beings. Necessity is but another word for predestination; for predestination teaches that moral agents act from necessity. They teach that the will is in every case necessarily determined by the strongest motives, and that this moral necessity may be as absolute as natural necessity; or that a moral effect may be as perfectly connected with its moral cause, as a naturally effect is with its natural cause.

necessary

The Necessitarian believes that no event, either respecting the body or the soul, could possibly have been contrary to what it has been, is and is to be;