Page images
PDF
EPUB

acts for himself, but because in my judgment (and my judgment must be the rule of my conduct) he thinks and acts wrong. We may think and act for ourselves, and yet do both in such a way as shall subject us to the just abhorrence of every friend of truth and righteousness. The worst of beings thinks for himself: when he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own.'

You do not desire the friendship of any one who makes a similarity of opinion the condition of it." I am not fond of calling the great articles of my faith "opinions." Faith and opinion are different things. If you mean sentiment, I acknowledge I do desire the friendship of many who make a similarity in the one the condition of the other, and am willing they should ask me any question they think proper concerning my faith. Nay, I may say farther, I wish to be on terms of religious friendship with no man, unless he be a friend to what I consider as the first principles of the oracles of God. Nor can I persuade myself that you, notwithstanding your strong language, will "despise" me on that account. If it be so however, I must bear it as well as I can.

Christian love appears to me to be, for the truth sake that dwelleth in us.' Every kind of union that has not truth for its bond, is of no value in the sight of God, and ought to be of none in ours.

You tell me, "there are those who consider me as unsound in other doctrines, but this does not diminish your regard for me." Perhaps not: it were rather singular to suppose it should. You have too much good sense, sir, to disregard me for what other people think of me. But if you yourself thought me unsound, you would; or at least, I should say, you ought; and perhaps it may make you smile, if I add, I should think the worse of you if you did not. As to others, who may think me unsound, I imagine they do not as such regard me; nay, I hope for their sakes, that so far they disregard me. I may think they misjudge me, and may wish to set them right. I may think ill of their sentiments, as they do of mine; but

while they judge me unsound, I neither expect nor desire their approbation. I had rather they should disesteem me, than pretend to esteem me in a religious way, irrespective of my religious principles. All the esteem that I desire of you, sir, or of any man, towards me, is for the truth that in your judgment dwelleth in me, and operateth in a way of righteousness.

I have heard a great deal of union without sentiment; but I can neither feel nor perceive any such thing, either in myself or others. All the union that I can feel or perceive, arises from a similarity of views and pursuits. No two persons may think exactly alike; but so far as they are unlike, so far there is a want of union. We are united to God himself by becoming of one mind and one heart with him. Consider the force and design of Amos iii. 3. 'Can two walk together except they be agreed?' You might live neighbourly with Dr. Priestley, but you would not feel so united with him in heart, as if he had been of your sentiments; nor he with you, as if you had been of his. You may esteem a churchman, if he agree with you in doctrine, and be of an amiable disposition; but you would feel much more united with him, if in addition to this he were a dissenter. You may regard some men who are rigid Calvinists, on some considerations; but you would regard them more, if they were what you account more liberal in their views, and more moderate towards others who differ from them; that is, if they were of your mind upon the doctrine of christian forbearance.

Men of one age may have quarrelled about religious differences, and have persecuted one another, as papists and protestants have done in France; and the same desscriptions of men in another age may despise these litigations, as the French have lately done, and not care at all whether a man be papist or protestant, provided he enters heartily into revolutionary principles. But all this arises from their having substituted the importance of an agreement in a political creed, in the place of one that is reli

gious. Agreement in sentiment and pursuit is still the bond of union.-Even those who unite in church fellowship, upon the principle of what they term free enquiry, or universal toleration, are in that principle agreed: and this is the bond of their union. They consider this as the all in all, and consent to exercise forbearance towards each other in every thing else. Such a communion, I confess, appears to me just as scriptural and as rational as if a number of persons should agree to worship together, but consent that every one should be at liberty to act as he thought proper, and so admit the universal toleration of every species of immorality. Nevertheless, even here, a similarity of sentiments would be the bond of union.

You can unite with men "who are not exactly of your sentiments”—So can I—But that in which I unite with them, is not any thing in which sentiment has no concern. It is that wherein we are agreed that is the bond of our union; and those things wherein we differ are considered as objects of forbearance, on account of human imperfection. Such forbearance ought undoubtedly to be exercised in a degree, especially in things which both sides must admit to be not clearly revealed; which are properly called Opinions; and are little other than mere speculations. And even in things which in our judgment are clearly revealed, there ought to be a degree of forbearance; much in the same way as we forbear with each other's imperfections of a practical nature, where the essential principles of morality are not affected.

You are "not a party man, and hope you never shall be, to please any set of people whatever." I hope so too but I wish inflexibly to adhere to the side of truth and righteousness, so far as I understand them, in every punctilio, in order to please God.

"A decided judgment on some points, you consider as unimportant, and think there is room for mutual candour." If those points are unrevealed, I say so too: but I do not consider either the deity or the atonement of Christ

as coming under this description, and I hope you think the same. Without the former, we cannot with any consistency call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord,' which is the characteristic of a primitive believer; and without the latter, I need not say to you sir, that the gospel is rendered of none effect. As to "candour," it is due to all men, even infidels and atheists; but candour will not lead me to treat them as objects of divine favour, but to speak the truth to them in love.

Possibly you may think it unfair to reason as I have done, from practices to principles, and that we ought to make a wide difference between the one and the other. But the difference, as it appears to me, is only as the difference between root and branch. Faith is not a mere speculation of the understanding, nor unbelief a mere mistake in judgment. They are both of a moral nature, or salvation would not be connected with the former, and final condemnation with the latter.

I ought perhaps to apologise for having written so much, in the manner I have done; but I think you will not take it amiss. The collision of thoughts from persons who have been in different habits and connections, are sometimes of mutual advantage. If you should disapprove of my remarks, try and set me right, and you will be entitled to my grateful acknowledgments.

DEITY OF CHRIST ESSENTIAL TO OUR CALLING ON HIS NAME

AND TRUSTING IN HIM FOR SALVATION.

THERE are some doctrines of greater importance than others, and which may properly be termed fundamental truths. Whatever difficulty may attend the specification of those doctrines, it will not be found more difficult than a distinct enumeration of those christian graces, which are essential to true religion. The precise degree of holiness necessary to salvation, is not more easily to be defined, than the degree of truth to be believed; yet no one can doubt, that a certain degree of truth and holiness is essential to christianity.

The importance of a principle must be determined by the relation it bears to other principles and duties of religion. Truth is a system, though it is not taught in the scriptures in a systematic form. The gospel is not a mass of discordant sentiments, but possesses a lovely proportion, a beautiful analogy.* The oracles of God contain their first principles,' + which suppose a scheme or system of principles. To show the importance of the doctrine of the resurrection, the apostle proceeds to prove that it involves in it the resurrection of Christ, and that this involves in it the truth of christianity. There is no part of the works of God but what bears a relation to the great system. The infinitely wise God does nothing in a loose, unconnected, or inharmonious form: connection and consistency run through all his works. And it would be strange if Redemption, the greatest of all his works, were accomplished without a plan, or without a system. But if the work itself form a complete system, just conceptions of it will be the same: otherwise our conceptions must be at variance with truth.

• Rom. xii. 6.

+ Heb. v. 12.

1 Cor. xv. 13-15.

« PreviousContinue »