Chapter VI: Preface (5)

The followers of the late Dr. Priestley are considered as Materialists, or philosophical Necessarians. According to the doctor’s writings, he believed,—

1. That man is no more than what we now see of him; his being commenced at the time of his conception, or perhaps at an earlier period. The corporeal and mental faculties, inhering in the same substance, grow, ripen, and decay together; and whenever the system is dissolved, it continues in a state of dissolution, till it shall please that Almighty Being who called it into existence, to restore it to life again. For if the mental principle were, in its own nature, immaterial and immortal, all its peculiar faculties would be so too; whereas we see that every faculty of the mind, without exception, is liable to be impaired, and even to become wholly extinct, before death. Since, therefore, all the faculties of the mind, separately taken, appear to be mortal, the substance or principle, in which they exist, must be pronounced mortal too. Thus we might conclude that the body was mortal, from observing that all the separate senses and limbs were liable to decay and perish.

This system gives a real value to the doctrine of the resurrection from the dead, which is peculiar to revelation; on which alone the sacred writers build all our hope of future life; and it explains the uniform language of the Scriptures, which speak of one day of judgment for all mankind, and represent all the rewards of virtue, and all the punishments of vice, as taking place at that awful day, and not before. In the Scriptures, the heathen are represented as without hope, and all mankind as perishing at death, if there be no resurrection of the dead.

The apostle Paul asserts, in 1 Cor. 15:16, that “if the dead rise not, then is not Christ risen; and if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain, ye are yet in your sins: then they also who are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.” And again, verse 32, “If the dead rise not, let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.” In the whole discourse, he does not even mention the doctrine of happiness or misery without the body.

If we search the Scriptures for passages expressive of the state of man at death, we shall find such declarations as expressly exclude any trace of sense, thought, or enjoyment. (See Ps. 6:5. Job 14:7, &c.)

2. That there is some fixed law of nature respecting the will, as well as the other powers of the mind, and every thing else in the constitution of nature; and consequently that it is never determined without some real or apparent cause foreign to itself, i. e., without some motive of choice; or that motives influence us in some definite and invariable manner, so that every volition, or choice, is constantly regulated and determined by what precedes it; and this constant determination of mind, according to the motives presented to it, is what is meant by its _necessary determination_. This being admitted to be fact, there will be a necessary connection between all things past, present, and to come, in the way of proper cause and effect, as much in the intellectual as in the natural world; so that, according to the established laws of nature, no event could have been otherwise than it _has been_, or _is to be_, and therefore all things past, present, and to come, are precisely what the Author of Nature really intended them to be, and has made provision for.

To establish this conclusion, nothing is necessary but that throughout all nature the same consequences should invariably result from the same circumstances. For if this be admitted, it will necessarily follow that, at the commencement of any system, since the several parts of it, and their respective situations, were appointed by the Deity, the first change would take place according to a certain rule established by himself, the result of which would be a new situation; after which the same laws containing another change would succeed, according to the same rules, and so on forever; every new situation invariably leading to another, and every event, from the commencement to the termination of the system, being strictly connected, so that, unless the fundamental laws of the system were changed, it would be impossible that any event should have been otherwise than it was. In all these cases, the circumstances preceding any change are called the causes of that change; and, since a determinate event, or effect, constantly follows certain circumstances, or causes, the connection between cause and effect is concluded to be invariable, and therefore necessary.

It is universally acknowledged that there can be no effect without an adequate cause. This is even the foundation on which the only proper argument for the being of a God rests. And the Necessarian asserts that if, in any given state of mind, with respect both to dispositions and motives, two different determinations, or volitions, be possible, it can be on no other principle, than that one of them should come under the description of an effect without a cause; just as if the beam of a balance might incline either way, though loaded with equal weights. And if any thing whatever—even a thought in the mind of man—could arise without an adequate cause, any thing else—the mind itself, or the whole universe—might likewise exist without an adequate cause.

This scheme of philosophical necessity implies a chain of causes and effects established by infinite wisdom, and terminating in the greatest good of the whole universe; evils of all kinds, natural and moral, being admitted, as far as they contribute to that end, or are in the nature of things inseparable from it. Vice is productive, not of good, but of evil, to us, both here and hereafter, though good may result from it to the whole system; and, according to the fixed laws of nature, our present and future happiness necessarily depends on our cultivating good dispositions.

ARMINIANS.

Those persons who follow the doctrines of Arminius, who was pastor at Amsterdam, and afterwards professor of divinity at Leyden. Arminius had been educated in the opinions of Calvin; but, thinking the doctrine of that great man, with regard to free will, predestination, and grace, too severe, he began to express his doubts concerning them in the year 1591, and, upon further inquiry, adopted the sentiments of those whose religious system extends the love of the Supreme Being and the merits of Jesus Christ to all mankind.

The distinguishing tenets of the Arminians may be comprised in the five following articles relative to predestination, universal redemption, the corruption of man, conversion, and perseverance, viz.:—

“1. That God determined to bestow pardon and present salvation on
all who repent and believe in Christ, and final salvation on all
who persevere to the end, and to inflict everlasting punishment on
those who should continue in their unbelief, and resist his divine
succors; so that election was conditional, and reprobation, in
like manner, the result of foreseen infidelity and persevering
wickedness, (See Ezek. 18:30-32. Acts 17:24-30. Matt. 23:37. Rom.
2:4, 5; 5:18. 1 Tim. 11:1-4. 2 Pet. 1:10; 3:9.)

“2. That Jesus Christ, by his sufferings and death, made an
atonement for the sins of all mankind in general, and of every
individual in particular; that, however, none but those who
believe in him can be partakers of divine benefits. (See John 2:2;
3:16, 17. Heb. 2:9. Isa. 50:19, 20. 1 Cor. 8:11.)

“3. That true faith cannot proceed from the exercise of our
natural faculties and powers, nor from the force and operation of
free will; since man, in consequence of his natural corruption, is
incapable either of thinking or doing any good thing; and that,
therefore, it is necessary, in order to his conversion and
salvation, that he be regenerated and renewed by the operation of
the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God through Jesus Christ.

“4. That this divine grace, or energy, of the Holy Ghost, begins
and perfects every thing that can be called good in man, and,
consequently, all good works are to be attributed to God alone;
that, nevertheless, this grace is offered to all, and does not
force men to act against their inclinations, but may be resisted,
and rendered ineffectual, by the perverse will of the impenitent
sinner. Some modern Arminians interpret this and the last article
with a greater latitude. (See Isa. 1:16. Deut. 10:16. Eph. 4:22.)

“5. That God gives to the truly faithful, who are regenerated by
his grace, the means of preserving themselves in this state.”

The first Armenians, indeed, had some doubt with respect to the closing part of the latter article; but their followers uniformly maintain, “that the regenerate may lose true, justifying faith, fall from a state of grace, and die in their sins.” (See Heb. 6:4-6. 2 Pet. 2:20, 21. Luke 21:35. 2 Pet. 3:17.)

METHODISTS, OR THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

This denomination arose in England, in 1729, and derived their name from the exact regularity of their lives. In 1741, they divided into two parties, under George Whitefield and John Wesley. The former adopted the sentiments of Calvin, and the latter those of Arminius. The Arminian class compose the great body of Methodists in this country and in Great Britain. Both of those men were eminently distinguished for the variety and extent of their labors.

The following are the articles of religion, as published in the “Doctrines and Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church:”—

“1. There is but one living and true God, everlasting, without
body or parts, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the Maker
and Preserver of all things, visible and invisible. And in unity
of this Godhead, there are three persons, of one substance, power
and eternity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

“2. The Son, who is the Word of the Father, the very and eternal
God, of one substance with the Father, took man’s nature in the
womb of the blessed Virgin; so that two whole and perfect natures,
that is to say, the Godhead and manhood, were joined together in
one person, never to be divided, whereof is one Christ, very God
and very man, who truly suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried,
to reconcile his Father to us, and to be a sacrifice, not only for
original guilt, but also for the actual sins of men.

“3. Christ did truly rise again from the dead, and took again his
body, with all things appertaining to the perfection of man’s
nature, wherewith he ascended into heaven, and there sitteth,
until he return to judge all men at the last day.

“4. The Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of
one substance, majesty, and glory, with the Father and the Son,
very and eternal God.

“5. The holy Scriptures contain all things necessary to salvation;
so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby,
is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an
article of faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to
salvation. By the name of the holy Scriptures, we do understand
those canonical books of the Old and New Testament, of whose
authority was never any doubt in the church. [Here follow the
names of the canonical books of the Scriptures.]

“6. The Old Testament is not contrary to the New; for, both in the
Old and New Testament, everlasting life is offered to mankind by
Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and man, being both
God and man. Wherefore they are not to be heard, who feign that
the old fathers did look only for transitory promises. Although
the law given from God by Moses, as touching ceremonies and rites,
doth not bind Christians, nor ought the civil precepts thereof of
necessity to be received in any commonwealth, yet,
notwithstanding, no Christian whatsoever is free from the
obedience of the commandments which are called moral.

“7. Original sin standeth not in the following of Adam, (as the
Pelagians do vainly talk,) but it is the corruption of the nature
of every man, that naturally is engendered of the offspring of
Adam, whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness,
and of his own nature inclined to evil, and that continually.

“8. The condition of man, after the fall of Adam, is such, that he
cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and
works, to faith, and calling upon God; wherefore we have no power
to do good works, pleasant and acceptable to God, without the
grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good
will, and working with us when we have that good will.

“9. We are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by faith, and not for our own
works or deservings. Wherefore, that we are justified by faith
only, is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort.

“10. Although good works, which are the fruits of faith, and
follow after justification, cannot put away our sins, and endure
the severity of God’s judgments, yet are they pleasing and
acceptable to God in Christ, and spring out of a true and lively
faith, insomuch that by them a lively faith may be as evidently
known, as a tree is discerned by its fruit.

“11. Voluntary works, being over and above God’s commandments,
which are called works of supererogation, cannot be taught without
arrogancy and impiety. For by them men do declare that they do not
only render unto God as much as they are bound to do, but they do
more for his sake than of bounden duty is required; whereas Christ
saith plainly, ‘When ye have done all that is commanded you, say,
We are unprofitable servants.’

“12. Not every sin willingly committed after justification, is the
sin against the Holy Ghost, and unpardonable. Wherefore, the grant
of repentance is not to be denied to such as fall into sin after
justification; after we have received the Holy Ghost, we may
depart from grace given, and fall into sin, and, by the grace of
God, rise again, and amend our lives. And, therefore, they are to
be condemned who say they can no more sin as long as they live
here, or deny the place of forgiveness to such as truly repent.

“13. The visible church of Christ is a congregation of faithful
men, in which the pure word of God is preached, and the sacraments
duly administered according to Christ’s ordinance, in all those
things that of necessity are requisite to the same.

“14. The Romish doctrine concerning purgatory, pardon, worshipping
and adoration as well of images as of relics, and also invocation
of saints, is a fond thing, vainly invented, and grounded upon no
warrant of Scripture, but repugnant to the word of God.

“15. It is a thing plainly repugnant to the word of God, and the
custom of the primitive church, to have public prayer in the
church, or to minister the sacraments, in a tongue not understood
by the people.

“16. Sacraments ordained of Christ are not only badges or tokens
of Christian men’s profession, but rather they are certain signs
of grace, and God’s good-will towards us, by the which he doth
work invisibly in us, and doth not only quicken, but also
strengthen and confirm, our faith in him.

“There are two sacraments ordained of Christ our Lord to the
gospel; that is to say, baptism and the supper of the Lord.

“Those five commonly called _sacraments_—that is to say,
confirmation, penance, orders, matrimony, and extreme unction—are
not to be counted for sacraments of the gospel, being such as have
partly grown out of the _corrupt_ following of the apostles, and
partly are states of life allowed in the Scriptures, but yet have
not the like nature of baptism and the Lord’s supper, because they
have not any visible sign or ceremony ordained of God.

“The sacraments were not ordained of Christ to be gazed upon, or
to be carried about, but that we should duly use them. And in such
only as worthily receive the same, they have a wholesome effect or
operation; but they that receive them unworthily, purchase to
themselves condemnation, as St. Paul saith. (1 Cor. 11:29.)

“17. Baptism is not only a sign of profession, and mark of
difference, whereby Christians are distinguished from others that
are not baptized, but it is also a sign of regeneration, or the
new birth. The baptism of young children is to be retained in the
church.

“18. The supper of the Lord is not only a sign of the love that
Christians ought to have among themselves one to another, but
rather is a sacrament of our redemption by Christ’s death;
insomuch that to such as rightly, worthily, and with faith,
receive the same, the bread which we break is a partaking of the
body of Christ, and likewise the cup of blessing is a partaking of
the blood of Christ.

“Transubstantiation, or the change of the substance of bread and
wine in the supper of our Lord, cannot be proved by Holy Writ, but
is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture, overthroweth the
nature of a sacrament, and hath given occasion to many
superstitions.

“The body of Christ is given, taken, and eaten, in the supper,
only after a heavenly and scriptural manner. And the means whereby
the body of Christ is received and eaten in the supper, is faith.

“The sacrament of the Lord’s supper was not by Christ’s ordinance
reserved, carried about, lifted up, or worshipped.

“19. The cup of the Lord is not to be denied to the lay people;
for both the parts of the Lord’s supper, by Christ’s ordinance and
commandment, ought to be administered to all Christians alike.

“20. The offering of Christ, once made, is that perfect
redemption, propitiation, and satisfaction, for all the sins of
the whole world, both original and actual; and there is none other
satisfaction for sin but that alone. Wherefore the sacrifice of
masses, in the which it is commonly said that the priest doth
offer Christ for the quick and the dead, to have remission of pain
or guilt, is a blasphemous fable and dangerous deceit.

“21. The ministers of Christ were not commanded by God’s law
either to vow the estate of single life, or to abstract from
marriage; therefore it is lawful for them, as for all other
Christians, to marry at their own discretion, as they shall judge
the same to serve best to godliness.

“22. It is not necessary that rites and ceremonies should in all
places be the same, or exactly alike; for they have been always
different, and may be changed according to the diversity of
countries, times, and men’s manners, so that nothing be ordained
against God’s word. Whosoever, through his private judgment,
willingly and purposely doth openly break the rites and ceremonies
of the church to which he belongs, which are not repugnant to the
word of God, and are ordained and approved by common authority,
ought to be rebuked openly, that others may fear to do the like,
as one that offendeth against the common order of the church, and
woundeth the consciences of weak brethren.

“Every particular church may ordain, change, and abolish, rites
and ceremonies, so that all things may be done to edification.

“23. The president, the congress, the general assemblies, the
governors, and the councils of state, _as the delegates of the
people_, are the rulers of the United States of America according
to the division of power made to them by the Constitution of the
United States, and by the constitutions of their respective
states. And the said states are a sovereign and independent
nation, and ought not to be subject to any foreign
jurisdiction.(2)

“24. The riches and goods of Christians are not common, as
touching the right, title, and possession, of the same, as some do
falsely boast. Notwithstanding every man ought, of such things as
he possesseth, liberally to give alms to the poor, according to
his ability.

“25. As we confess that vain and rash swearing is forbidden
Christian men by our Lord Jesus Christ and James his apostle, so
we judge that the Christian religion doth not prohibit but that a
man may swear when the magistrate requireth, in a cause of faith
and charity, so it be done according to the prophet’s teaching, in
justice, judgment, and truth.”

METHODISTS, OR THE METHODIST PROTESTANT CHURCH.

The Protestant Methodists adhere to the Wesleyan Methodist doctrines, but discard certain parts of the discipline, particularly those concerning episcopacy and the manner of constituting the general conference. They seceded from the _Methodist Episcopal Church_ in 1830, and formed a constitution and discipline of their own.

The following preamble and articles precede the constitution:—

“We, the representatives of the associated Methodist churches, in
general convention assembled, acknowledging the Lord Jesus Christ
as the only HEAD of the church, and the word of God as the
sufficient rule of faith and practice, in all things pertaining to
godliness, and being fully persuaded that the representative form
of church government is the most scriptural, best suited to our
condition, and most congenial with our views and feelings as
fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and
whereas, a written constitution, establishing the form of
government, and securing to the ministers and members of the
church their rights and privileges, is the best safeguard of
Christian liberty. We, therefore, trusting in the protection of
Almighty God, and acting in the name and by the authority of our
constituents, do ordain and establish, and agree to be governed
by, the following elementary principles and constitution:—

“1. A Christian church is a society of believers in Jesus Christ,
and is a divine institution.

“2. Christ is the only Head of the church, and the word of God the
only rule of faith and conduct.

“3. No person who loves the Lord Jesus Christ, and obeys the
gospel of God our Savior, ought to be deprived of church
membership.

“4. Every man has an inalienable right to private judgment in
matters of religion, and an equal right to express his opinion in
any way which will not violate the laws of God, or the rights of
his fellow-men.

“5. Church trials should be conducted on gospel principles only;
and no minister or member should be excommunicated except for
immorality, the propagation of unchristian doctrines, or for the
neglect of duties enjoined by the word of God.

“6. The pastoral or ministerial office and duties are of divine
appointment, and all elders in the church of God are equal; but
ministers are forbidden to be lords over God’s heritage, or to
have dominion over the faith of the saints.

“7. The church has a right to form and enforce such rules and
regulations only as are in accordance with the holy Scriptures,
and may be necessary or have a tendency to carry into effect the
great system of practical Christianity.

“8. Whatever power may be necessary to the formation of rules and
regulations, is inherent in the ministers and members of the
church; but so much of that power may be delegated, from time to
time, upon a plan of representation, as they may judge necessary
and proper.

“9. It is the duty of all ministers and members of the church, to
maintain godliness, and to oppose all moral evil.

“10. It is obligatory on ministers of the gospel to be faithful in
the discharge of their pastoral and ministerial duties, and it is
also obligatory on the members to esteem ministers highly for
their works’ sake, and to render them a righteous compensation for
their labors.

“11. The church ought to secure to all her official bodies the
necessary authority for the purposes of good government; but she
has no right to create any distinct or independent sovereignties.”

We omit the constitution, as the preceding elementary principles sufficiently develop the peculiarities of this denomination.

PROTESTANTS.

A name first given, in Germany, to those who adhered to the doctrine of Luther; because, in 1529, they protested against a decree of the emperor Charles V., and the diet of Spires, declaring that they appealed to a general council. The same name has also been given to the Calvinists, and is now become a common denomination for all sects which differ from the church of Rome.

SABELLIANS.

A sect, in the third century, that embraced the opinions of Sabellius, a philosopher of Egypt, who openly taught that there is but one person in the Godhead.

The Sabellians maintained that the Word and the Holy Spirit are only virtues, emanations, or functions of the Deity, and held that he who is in heaven is the Father of all things; that he descended into the Virgin, became a child, and was born of her as a Son; and that, having accomplished the mystery of our salvation, he diffused himself on the apostles in tongues of fire, and was then denominated the _Holy Ghost_. This they explained by resembling God to the sun; the illuminated virtue or quality of which was the Word, and its warming virtue the Holy Spirit. The Word, they taught, was darted, like a divine ray, to accomplish the work of redemption; and that, being re-ascended to heaven, the influences of the Father were communicated after a like manner to the apostles.

SANDEMANIANS.

So called from Mr. Robert Sandeman, a Scotchman, who published his sentiments in 1757. He afterwards came to America, and established societies at Boston, and other places in New England, and in Nova Scotia.

This sect arose in Scotland about the year 1728, where it is distinguished at the present day by the name of _Glassites_, after its founder, Mr. John Glass, a minister of the established church.

The Sandemanians consider that faith is neither more nor less than a simple assent to the divine testimony concerning Jesus Christ, delivered for the offences of men, and raised again for their justification, as recorded in the New Testament, They also maintain that the word _faith_, or belief, is constantly used by the apostles to signify what is denoted by it in common discourse, viz., a persuasion of the truth of any proposition, and that there is no difference between believing any common testimony and believing the apostolic testimony, except that which results from the testimony itself, and the divine authority on which it rests.

They differ from other Christians in their weekly administration of the Lord’s supper; their love-feasts, of which every member is not only allowed, but required, to partake, and which consist of their dining together at each other’s houses in the interval between the morning and afternoon service; their kiss of charity, used on this occasion, at the admission of a new member, and at other times, when they deem it necessary and proper; their weekly collection, before the Lord’s supper, for the support of the poor, and defraying other expenses; mutual exhortation; abstinence from blood and things strangled; washing each other’s feet, when, as a deed of mercy, it might be an expression of love, the precept concerning which, as well as other precepts, they understand literally; community of goods, so far as that every one is to consider all that he has in his possession and power liable to the calls of the poor and the church; and the unlawfulness of laying up treasures upon earth, by setting them apart for any distant, future, or uncertain use. They allow of public and private diversions, so far as they are not connected with circumstances really sinful; but, apprehending a lot to be sacred, disapprove of lotteries, playing at cards, dice, &c.

They maintain a plurality of elders, pastors, or bishops, in each church, and the necessity of the presence of two elders in every act of discipline, and at the administration of the Lord’s supper.

In the choice of these elders, want of learning and engagement in trade are no sufficient objections, if qualified according to the instructions given to Timothy and Titus; but second marriages disqualify for the office; and they are ordained by prayer and fasting, imposition of hands, and giving the right hand of fellowship.

In their discipline they are strict and severe, and think themselves obliged to separate from communion and worship of all such religious societies as appear to them not to profess the simple truth for their only ground of hope, and who do not walk in obedience to it. (See John 13:14, 15; 16:13. Acts 6:7. Rom. 3:27; 4:4, 5; 16:16. 1 Cor. 16:20. 2 Cor. 4:13. 1 Pet. 1:22.)

ANTINOMIANS.

As we elsewhere give the sentiments of the ancient _Bereans_, _Pelagians_, and _Sabellians_, it is proper to notice those of Agricola, an eminent doctor in the Lutheran church, who flourished about the middle of the sixteenth century. The word _Antinomian_ is derived from two Greek words, signifying _against law_.

It will be observed that the above names are used to denote sentiments or opinions, rather than sects or denominations.

The principal doctrines of the Antinomians, together with a short specimen of the arguments made use of in their defence, are comprehended in the following summary:—

“1. That the law ought not to be proposed to the people as a rule
of manners, nor used in the church as a means of instruction; and
that the gospel alone is to be inculcated and explained, both in
the churches and in the schools of learning.

“For the Scriptures declare that Christ is not the lawgiver; as it
is said, ‘The law was given by Moses; but grace and truth came by
Jesus Christ.’ Therefore the ministers of the _gospel_ ought not
to teach the _law_. Christians are not ruled by the law, but by
the spirit of regeneration; according as it is said, ‘Ye are not
under the law, but under grace.’ Therefore the law ought not to be
taught in the church of Christ.

“2. That the justification of sinners is an immanent and eternal
act of God, not only preceding all acts of sin, but the existence
of the sinner himself.

“For nothing new can arise in God; on which account, he calls
things that are not, as though they were; and the apostle saith,
‘Who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly
places, in Christ Jesus, before the foundation of the world.’
Besides, Christ was set up from everlasting, not only as the Head
of the church, but as the surety of his people; by virtue of which
engagement, the Father decreed never to impute unto them their
sins. (See 2 Cor. 5: 19.)

“3. That justification by faith is no more than a manifestation to
us of what was done before we had a being.

“For it is thus expressed, in Heb. 11:1: ‘Now, faith is the
substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.’
We are justified only by Christ; but by faith we perceive it, and
by faith rejoice in it, as we apprehend it to be our own.

“4. That men ought not to doubt of their faith, nor question
whether they believe in Christ.

“For we are commanded to ‘draw near in full assurance of faith.’
(Heb. 10:22.) ‘He that believeth on the Son of God, hath the
witness in himself,’ (2 John 5:10;) i. e., he has as much evidence
as can be desired.

“5. That God sees no sin in believers; and they are not bound to
confess sin, mourn for it, or pray that it may be forgiven.

“For God has declared, (Heb. 10:17,) ‘Their sins and iniquities I
will remember no more.’ And in Jer. 50:20, ‘In those days, and in
that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought
for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they
shall not be found; for I will pardon them whom I reserve.’

“6. That God is not angry with the elect, nor doth he punish them
for their sins.

“For Christ has made ample satisfaction for their sins. See Isaiah
53:5, ‘He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for
our iniquities,’ &c. And to inflict punishment once upon the
surety, and again upon the believer, is contrary to the justice of
God, as well as derogatory to the satisfaction of Christ.

“7. That by God’s laying our iniquities upon Christ, he became as
completely sinful as we, and we as completely righteous as Christ.

“For Christ represents our persons to the Father; and we represent
the person of Christ to him. The loveliness of Christ is
transferred to us. On the other hand, all that is hateful in our
nature is put upon Christ, who was forsaken by the father for a
time. See 2 Cor. 5:21, ‘He was made sin for us, who knew no sin;
that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.’

“8. That believers need not fear either their own sins or the sins
of others, since neither can do them any injury.

“See Rom. 8:33, 34, ‘Who shall lay any thing to the charge of
God’s elect?’ &c. The apostle does not say that they never
transgress, but triumphs in the thought that no curse can be
executed against them.

“9. That the new covenant is not made properly with us, but with
Christ for us; and that this covenant is all of it a promise,
having no conditions for us to perform; for faith, repentance, and
obedience, are not conditions on our part, but Christ’s; and he
repented, believed, and obeyed for us.

“For the covenant is so expressed, that the performance lies upon
the Deity himself. ‘For this is the covenant that I will make with
the house of Israel, after those days, saith the Lord; I will put
my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts; and I
will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.’ Heb.
8:10.

“10. That sanctification is not a proper evidence of
justification.

“For those who endeavor to evidence their justification by their
sanctification, are looking to their own attainments, and not to
Christ’s righteousness, for hopes of salvation.”

PELAGIANS.

A denomination which arose in the fifth century, so called from Pelagius, a monk, who looked upon the doctrines which were commonly received, concerning the original corruption of human nature, and the necessity of divine grace to enlighten the understanding and purify the heart, as prejudicial to the progress of holiness and virtue, and tending to establish mankind in a presumptuous and fatal security. He maintained the following doctrines:—

“1. That the sins of our first parents were imputed to them only,
and not to their posterity; and that we derive no corruption from
their fall, but are born as pure and unspotted as Adam came out of
the forming hand of his Creator.

“2. That mankind, therefore, are capable of repentance and
amendment, and of arriving to the highest degrees of piety and
virtue, by the use of their natural faculties and powers. That,
indeed, external grace is necessary to excite their endeavors, but
that they have no need of the internal succors of the divine
Spirit.

“3. That Adam was, by nature, mortal, and, whether he had sinned
or not, would certainly have died.

“4. That the grace of God is given in proportion to our merits.

“5. That mankind may arrive at a state of perfection in this life.

“6. That the law qualified men for the kingdom of heaven, and was
founded upon equal promises with the gospel.”

PRE-ADAMITES.

This denomination began about the middle of the sixteenth century. Their principal tenet is _that there must have been men before Adam_. One proof of this they bring from Rom. 5:12, 13, 14. The apostle says, “_Sin was in the world till the law_;” meaning the law given to Adam. But sin, it is evident, was not imputed, though it might have been committed, till the time of the pretended first man. “_For sin is not imputed when there is no law._”

The election of the Jews, they say, is a consequence of the same system. It began at Adam, who is called their father or founder. God is also their Father, having espoused the Judaical church. The Gentiles are only adopted children, as being Pre-Adamites. Men (or Gentiles) are said to be made by the word of God. (Gen. 1:26, 27.) Adam, the founder of the Jewish nation, whose history alone Moses wrote, is introduced in the second chapter, as the workmanship of God’s own hands, and as created apart from other men.

They argue thus:—Cain, having killed his brother Abel, was afraid of being killed himself. By whom? He married—yet Adam had then no daughter. What wife could he get? He built a town—what architects, masons, carpenters, and workmen, did he employ? The answer to all these questions is in one word—Pre-Adamites.

This reasoning is opposed by sundry texts of Scripture, (See Gen. 1:26; 2:7; 3:20. Mark 10:6. I Cor. 15:45, 47.)

PREDESTINARIANS.

Are those who believe that God, for his own glory, hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass. (See Matt. 25:34. Rom. 8:29, 30. Eph. 1:3, 6, 11. 2 Tim. 1:9. 2 Thess. 11:13. 1 Pet. 1:1, 2. John 6:37; 17:2-24. Rev. 13:8; 17:8. Dan. 4:35. 1 Thess. 5:19. Matt. 11:26. Exod. 4:21. Prov. 16:4. Acts 13:48.)

ORTHODOX CREEDS.

Orthodoxy literally signifies _correct opinions_. The word is generally used to denote those who are attached to the Trinitarian scheme of Christian doctrine.

The following article is found in the “Spirit of the Pilgrims,” vol. v. No. 1, and is supposed to have been written by the late Rev. BENJAMIN B. WISNER, D. D., pastor of the Old South church, Boston.

The following summary contains the more material parts of the Orthodox faith. Those who embrace this system believe,—

“That, since the fall of Adam, men are, in their natural state,
altogether destitute of true holiness, and entirely depraved.

“That men, though thus depraved, are justly required to love God
with all the heart, and justly punishable for disobedience; or, in
other words, they are complete moral agents, proper subjects of
moral government, and truly accountable to God for their actions.

“That in the unspeakable wisdom and love of God was disclosed a
plan of redemption for sinful men.

“That, in the development of this plan, God saw fit to reveal so
much concerning the nature and the mode of the divine existence,
as that he is manifested to his creatures as the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Ghost; and that these three, each partaking of all
the attributes of the Deity, and being entitled to receive divine
worship and adoration, are the one living and true God.

“That the Son of God, laying aside the glory which he had with the
Father from everlasting, came down from heaven, took upon himself
man’s nature, and by his humiliation, sufferings, and death, made
an atonement for the sins of the world.

“That, in consequence of this atonement, the offer of pardon and
eternal life was freely made to all; so that those who truly
repent of sin, and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, will be
saved.

“That men are naturally so averse to God and holiness, that, if
left to themselves, they reject the offers of salvation, and
neither repent of sin nor truly believe in a Savior.

“That God, being moved with infinite love and compassion, sends
forth the Holy Spirit, according to his sovereign pleasure, by
whose beneficent energy an innumerable multitude of the human
family are renewed, sanctified, and prepared for heaven; while
others are suffered to pursue the course which they have freely
chosen, and in which they obstinately persevere till the day of
salvation is past.

“That God, in his providential dispensations, in the bestowment of
his saving mercy, and in his universal government, exhibits his
adorable perfections, in such a manner as will call forth the
admiration and love of all holy beings forever.

“That believers are justified by faith, through the efficacy of
the atonement, so that all claims of human merit, and all grounds
of boasting, are forever excluded.

“That the law of God is perpetually binding upon all moral beings,
and upon believers not less than other men, as a rule of life; and
that no repentance is genuine unless it bring forth fruits meet
for repentance, and no faith is saving unless it produce good
works.

“That those who have been renewed by the Spirit will be preserved
by the power of God, and advanced in holiness unto final
salvation. And,

“That Christ, as the great King of the universe, the Lord and
Proprietor of created beings, will judge the world at the last
day, when the righteous will be received to life eternal, and the
wicked will be consigned to endless punishment.”

-------------------------------------

“Since the reformation from Popery, those who profess to admit
these doctrines, and others necessarily connected with them, and
forming a part of the same system, have been denominated Orthodox,
while to those who openly reject them, or any considerable part of
them, this appellation has been denied.

“It is not to be inferred, however, that the Orthodox have been,
or are, entirely _unanimous_ on the subject of religion. In
matters comparatively unessential, and in their modes of stating,
explaining, and establishing essential truths, there has always
been more or less a diversity. Thus persons may disagree as to the
form of church government, or as to the mode of administering
ordinances, and yet have an equal claim to be entitled Orthodox.
Or persons may disagree in their interpretation of particular
passages of Scripture, and as to the manner in which these bear on
the doctrines of religion, without forfeiting their title to the
some honorable appellation. For instance, one person may regard a
particular passage as proof conclusive of the divinity of Christ,
while another may be in doubt respecting it, or may apply it
differently, and yet both be firm believers in the divinity of
Christ. Many passages which the old writers quoted as proof-texts,
have, in the progress of critical science, been differently
interpreted; and yet the evidence in support of the Orthodox
system, so far from being weakened in this way, has been
constantly gaining strength.

“Again: persons may disagree, to a certain extent, at least, in
their statements and explanations of the most essential doctrines,
and yet be properly and equally Orthodox. In illustration of this
remark, several examples will be given.

“All Orthodox Christians believe in the full inspiration of the
sacred Scriptures; or that the holy men, through whose
instrumentality the world originally received these Scriptures,
spake and wrote ‘as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.’ They
believe in this as a _fact_ of the utmost importance. But there
have been various modes of stating, explaining, and illustrating
this fact. Some, for instance, have spoken of two or three kinds
of inspiration; others have insisted that there can be but one
kind; while others have thought it better to state the subject in
general terms, without attempting very minutely to define or
explain them.

“All Orthodox Christians believe in the doctrine of the Trinity,
or that the one God exists in a threefold distinction, commonly
called persons,—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. They
believe this as a revealed fact, and as an essential part of the
Christian doctrine. But how differently has this fact been stated
by different individuals! What different explanations have been
put upon it! While not a few have preferred to leave the
subject—as God seems to have left it—altogether unexplained.

“All Orthodox Christians believe in the universality of God’s
eternal purposes, in the certainty of their execution, and that
they are so executed as not to obstruct or impair the free agency
of man. But respecting the _manner_ of God’s executing his
purposes,—whether by the instrumentality of motives, or by a
direct efficiency,—persons having equal claims to the appellation
of Orthodox, have not been agreed.

“All the Orthodox believe in the natural and entire depravity of
man; or that, in consequence of the sin of his first progenitors,
and previous to regeneration, every thing within him, going to
constitute moral character, is sinful. But how many theories have
been framed to account for the connection of our sin with that of
Adam! And how many explanations have been put upon the doctrine of
entire depravity! Some have made this depravity to extend to all
the powers of the soul; others have restricted it to our voluntary
exercises and actions; while others have confined it chiefly to a
moral taste, disposition, or instinct, which is regarded as back
of our voluntary exercises, and the source of them.

“All the Orthodox believe in the doctrine of atonement; but all do
not state or explain this important doctrine after the same
manner. Some suppose the atonement of Christ to consist wholly in
his obedience, others wholly in his sufferings, and others in both
his obedience and sufferings. Some hold that Christ suffered the
penalty of the law for sinners, and others that he only opened a
way in which, on condition of repentance, this penalty may be
remitted. Some think the atonement made only for the elect, while
others regard it as the propitiation for the sins of the whole
world.

“The doctrine of instantaneous regeneration by the special
operations of the Holy Spirit, is believed by all who have any
claim to be called Orthodox. But this doctrine, like the others
mentioned, is variously stated and explained. Some consider man as
entirely active in regeneration, others as entirely passive, and
others as not entirely the one or the other. Some believe there is
a holy principle implanted in regeneration, which ever afterwards
remains in the heart of the subject, while others believe the
change to consist in the commencement of holy exercises, which may
be subsequently interrupted, though not finally lost. As to the
manner in which the Spirit operates in regeneration, there is also
a difference of opinion; some holding that he changes the heart by
a direct efficiency, and others that this is done by the more
powerful presentation and impression of motives.

“Another doctrine of the Orthodox system is, that of justification
by faith in Christ. But this, also, has been differently stated
and explained. Some think the believer justified by Christ’s
righteousness, others by the influence of his sufferings and
death, and others by the joint efficacy of both his obedience and
sufferings. Some believe justification to be the same as
forgiveness, while others regard it as implying, not only
forgiveness, but also a title to eternal life.

“It is evident, from the examples here given, that, although
Orthodoxy denotes a general system of important doctrines or facts
on the subject of religion, it is not to be inferred, either by
friends or foes, that Orthodox Christians are tied up to precisely
the same views of subjects, or that there exists no diversity of
sentiment among them. There is, and always has been, a diversity
of sentiment, in regard not only to modes and forms, but to the
statement, proofs, and explanations, of the most important
doctrines. Some of them, to be sure, are little more than verbal;
but others are _real_, are fitted to excite interest, and are
entitled to very serious consideration. Still, as they are all
held in avowed consistency with that great series of facts which
go to constitute the Orthodox system, they should not be regarded
as placing their advocates beyond the proper limits of Orthodoxy.
They constitute a wide field of important discussion, over which
those who agree in holding the Head,—in holding the great
doctrines of redemption by the blood of Christ, and of
sanctification by the Holy Spirit,—may freely and fraternally
traverse. Modes and forms, the interpretation of passages, and
explanations of particular doctrines, (so long as essential
doctrines are not discarded,) may be discussed without the
interruption of brotherly affection, and without the imputation
and reproach of heresy. One person may hold that all Scripture is
given by the inspiration of _suggestion_; and another that, while
some parts are the fruit of immediate suggestion, others may more
properly be attributed to the inspiration of _superintendence_;
and neither should charge the other with denying the inspiration
of the Scriptures, or with being a heretic, or an infidel. One
person may insist that the passage in 1 John 5:7, is authentic
Scripture, and strong proof of the doctrine of the Trinity; and
another may doubt this, or deny it altogether; and neither should
be charged with intentionally corrupting the Scriptures, or with
being a Unitarian. One person may hold that God executes his
immutable and eternal decrees by a direct efficiency, and another
that he does it by the intervention of motives, and yet one be no
more an Arminian than the other.”

ANDOVER ORTHODOX CREED.

Every person appointed or elected a professor in the Theological Institution at Andover, in the state of Massachusetts, shall, on the day of his inauguration into office, publicly make and subscribe the following CREED and DECLARATION:—

Creed.