صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

of God's law being set aside by a fondness for little things is to deny the fact just referred to, and discovers but a slender acquaintance with the human heart, which certainly can burn in zeal for a ceremony, when as to the love of God and man, it is as cold as death.

If the nature of Christ's kingdom were placed in those things in which the apostle places it, the government and discipline of the church would be considered as means and not as ends. The design of order and discipline in an army is to enable it to encounter the enemy to advantage; and such was the order and discipline of the primitive churches. It was still, peaceable, and affectionate; without parade, and without disputes. It consisted in all things being done to edifying, and in such an arrangement of energies as that every gift should be employed to the best advantage in building up the church, and attacking the kingdom of satan. But is this the order and discipline of which so much has of late been written? Surely not! From the days of GLASS and SANDEMAN until now, it does not appear to have been their object to convert men to Christ from amongst the ungodly, but to make proselytes of other christians. And is this to understand the true nature of Christ's kingdom? If there were not another fact, this alone is sufficient to prove that their religion, though it may contain a portion of truth, and though godly men may have been misled by it, yet, taken as a whole, is not of God. There is not a surer mark of false religion than its tendency and aim being to make proselytes to ourselves rather than converts to Christ.*

* Acts, xx. 30.

That there is neither tendency in the system, nor aim in those who enter fully into it, to promote the kingdom of Christ, is manifest and easily accounted for. They neither expect, nor, as it would seem, desire its progress; but even look with a jealous eye on all opinions and efforts in favour of its enlargement; as though, should it be greatly extended, it must needs be a kingdom of this world! This I am aware is a serious charge: but it does not originate with me. Mr. BRAIDWOOD, of Edinburgh, who must be allowed to have the best opportunities of knowing the system and its adherents, and who cannot be supposed to write under the influence of prejudice, seeing he acknowledges he has learned many things from the ancient writings of this class of professing christians in relation to the simple doctrine of the gospel, and the nature of Christ's kingdom."-Mr. BRAIDWOOD, I say, writes as follows:-"I feel it incumbent on me to warn the disciples of Jesus against that state of mind which makes them slow to believe the prophecies relating to the extent of the Redeemer's kingdom."- “It is remarkable that some gentile christians now show a disposition toward the jews similar to that which in the apostolic age, the jews manifested towards the gentiles, namely, a dislike to their salvation! It is truly mortifying to reflect that the greater number of those who indulge this state of mind, are persons much instructed in the knowledge of the gospel, and of the things concerning the kingdom of God. They call it a jewish notion to expect an extensive influence of the word of God among all nations. The very opposite is the fact; for the apostle Paul, describing his countrymen, says, They please not God, and are contrary to

all men, forbidding us to speak unto the gentiles that they might be saved. And even believing jews were not very willing to acknowledge the first gentile converts, and were surprised when they heard that God had also granted to the gentiles repentance unto life. But the apostle thus describes the spirit by which he regulated his own conduct, I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

"The freeness of divine grace, its sovereignty, its opposition to the most darling inclinations of the human heart, the spiritual and heavenly nature of Christ's kingdom-all these have been used as arguments against the conversion of the jews, or any signal prosperity of the gospel among the gentiles! And they whose heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel, and for the nations, is, that they may be saved, are accused of ignorance of the gospel, and of wishing to see a corrupt faith prevail, especially if they dare to express a hope that their prayers will be answered!"

It would seem from hence to be the interest of this class of professing christians, that the world and the church should continue what they are. They glory in the latter being few in number: if therefore any considerable part of mankind were to embrace even what they account the truth, they would have nothing left, in comparison, whereof to glory!

Mr. BRAIDWOOD addresses the party on whom he animadverts as follows:-" Will the purest and simplest views that can be entertained of the truth concerning Jesus have any tendency to make us less concerned about the salvation of men, and more anxious to darken the things revealed in the

scriptures concerning the success of the gospel among all nations? No, my friend, let us beware of imputing to the gospel a state of mind which so ill accords with its genuine influence, and which can only arise from prejudice and from mistaken viens of the Messiah's kingdom. That glorious kingdom, instead of dying away, as some have supposed, like an expiring lamp, before the advent of its eternal king, shall break in pieces, and consume all opposing kingdoms, and shall stand for ever, although its own subjects, acting consistently, use no carnal weapons.*

The writer to whom these excellent remarks are addressed signs himself Palamon. I know not who he is; but as the signature is the same as that affixed to Mr. SANDEMAN's Letters on Theron and Aspasio, I conclude he is, and wishes to be thought a Sandemanian. Mr. BRAIDWOOD calls him his "friend," and speaks of his being "mortified" by these his erroneous sentiments, as though he had a feeling for Palæmon's general creed, or that "instruction in the knowledge of the gospel, and of the things concerning the kingdom of God" which he and others had received. For my part, without deciding upon the state of individuals, I am persuaded that these people with all their professions of "clear views," "simple truth," and "simple belief," have imbibed a corrupt and dangerous system of doctrine.

Palamon, whoever he is would do well to examine himself whether he be in the faith; and were I in Mr. BRAIDWOOD's place, I should feel it to be my duty to re-examine what I had "learned from the ancient writings of this class of professing chris* Letters on a variety of Subjects, pp. 28, 30.

tians relative to the simple doctrine of the gospel, and the nature of Christ's kingdom;" and to ask myself what I had asked my friend, Whether that CAN be pure and simple truth which is productive of such effects?

Yours, &c.

LETTER XII.

The Spirit of the System compared with that of Primitive Christianity.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

You are aware that doctrines, whether true or false, if really believed, become principles of action. They are a mould into which the mind is cast, and from which it receives its impression. An observant eye will easily perceive a spirit which attends different religions, and different systems of the same religion; which over and above the diversities arising from natural temper, will manifest itself in their respective adherents. Paganism, mahometism, deism, apostate judaism, and various systems which have appeared under the name of christianity, have each discovered a spirit of their own; and so has christianity itself. Thus it was from the beginning: those who received" another doctrine" received with it "another spirit;" and hence we are told of "the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error:" be that had the one was said to be "of God," and he that had the other "not of God."*

I hope it will be understood that in what I write on this subject there is no reference to individuals, nor any wish to judge men indiscriminately by the * 2 Cor. xi. 4-1 John iv. 6.

« السابقةمتابعة »