۱۰ their zeal in bringing every one within its pale, which can never be urged by Proteftants, with any shadow of justice and propriety. There are many questions in Divinity, in the investigating of which the mind fluctuates with an irksome uncertainty, unable to perceive fuch a preponderance of argument as will warrant it in embracing as true, either the one fide or the other. This hesitation arises, in many cafes, from our not understanding the full meaning of the language, be it common or figurative, in which a doctrine is revealed. In fome, it proceeds from our attempting to apprehend definitely, what is expressed indeterminately or clearly, what God hath not thought proper clearly to reveal; in others, it is to be attributed to an indecifion of temper, to which fome men are peculiarly subject: but let it originate from what cause it may, it is far more tolerable than an arrogant temerity of judgment. A fufpicion of fallibility would have been an useful principle to the profeffors of Chriftianity in every age; it would have choaked the spirit of persecution in its birth, and have rendered not only the church of Rome, but every church in Christendom, more shy of assuming to itself the proud title of Orthodox, and of branding every other with the opprobrious one of Heterodox, than any of them have hitherto been. There are, you will say, doubtless, some fundamental doctrines in Christianity.--Paul, the Apostle, has laid down one foundation; and he tells us, that other foundation can no man lay, than that is laid, which is Jefus-The Christ. But this proposition--Jesus is the Meffiah-includes, you will reply, several others, which are equally true. I acknowledge that it does fo; and it is every man's duty to fearch the Scriptures, that he may know what those truths are; but I do not conceive it to be any man's duty, to anathematize those who cannot fubfcribe to his catalogue of fundamental Christian verities. That mian is not to be esteemed an Atheist, who acknowledges the existence of a God, the Creator of the universe, though he cannot affent to all the truths of natural religion, which other men may undertake to deduce from that principle: nor is he to be esteemed a Deist, who acknowledges that Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world, though he cannot affent to all the truths of revealed religion, which other men may think themselves warranted in deducing from thence. Still you will probably rejoin, there must be many truths in the Christian religion, concerning which no one ought to hefitate, inasmuch as, without a belief in them, he cannot be reputed a Christian. -Reputed! by whom? By Jefus Jesus Christ his Lord and his God, or by you?-Rash expo fitors of points of doubtful disputation; intolerant fabricators of metaphyfical Creeds, and incongruous Systems of Theology! Do you undertake to measure the extent of any man's understanding, except your own; to estimate the strength and origin of his habits of thinking; to appreciate his merit or demerit in the use of the talent which God has given him, so as unerringly to pronounce that the belief of this or that doctrine is necessary to his falvation? It is undoubtedly necessary to yours, if you are perfuaded that it comes from God; but you take too much upon you, when you erect yourself into an infallible judge of truth and falsehood. We, as Chriftians, are under no uncertainty as to the being of a God; as to his moral government of the world; as to the terms on which sinners may be reconciled to him; as to the redemption that is in Jesus Christ; as to a refurrection from the dead; as of a future state of retribution; nor with respect to other important questions, concerning which the wifeft of the Heathen Philosophers were either wholly ignorant, or had no settled notions. But there are other subjects on which the Academicorum εποχη may be admitted, I apprehend, without injuring the foundations of our Religion: such are the questions which relate to the power of Evil Spirits to suspend the laws of nature, or to actuate the minds of men; to the materiality or immateriality of the human foul; the state of the dead before the general refurrection; the resurrection of the fame body; the duration of future punishments; and many others of the fame kind. Some one will think that I here speak too freely, and accuse me, probably, as an encourager of sceptical and latitudinarian principles. What! Shall the church of Chrift never be freed from the narrow-minded contentions of bigots; from the insults of men who know not what spirit they are of, when they would stint the Omnipotent in the exercise of his mercy, and bar the doors of heaven against every sect but their own? Shall we never learn to think more humbly of ourselves, and less despicably of others? to believe that the Father of the universe accommodates not his judgments to the wretched wranglings of pedantic Theologues; but that every one, who, with an honest intention, and to the best of his ability seeketh the truth, whether he findeth it or not, and worketh righteousness, will be accepted of him? I have no regard for latitudinarian principles, nor for any principles, but the principles of Truth; and Truth every man must endeavour to investigate for himself; and, ordinarily speaking, he will be most fuccefsful fuccefsful in his endeavours, who examines, with candour and care, what can be urged on each fide of a greatly controverted question. This fort of examination may, in fome instances, produce a doubt, an hesitation, a difident suspension of judgment; but it will at the same time produce mutual forbearance and good temper towards those who differ from us; our charity will be enlarged, as our understanding is improved. Partial examination is the parent of pertinacity of opinion; and a froward propensity to be angry with those who question the validity of our principles, or deny the justness of our conclusions, in any matter respecting philofophy, policy, or religion, is an infallible mark of prejudice; of our having grounded our opinions on fashion, fancy, interest; on the unexamined tenets of our family, fect, or party; on any thing rather than on the solid foundation of cool and difpaffionate reasoning-Iliacos intra muros peccatur et extraChurchmen as well as Diffenters, and difssenters as well as churchmen, are apt to give a degree of affent to opinions beyond what they can give a reason for; this is the very effence of prejudice: it is difficult for any man entirely to divest himself of all prejudice, but he may furely take care that it be not accompanied with an uncharitable propenfity to stigmatize with reproachful appellations, those who cannot measure the rectitude of the Divine dispensations by his rule, nor feek their way to heaven, by infifting on the path which he, in his overweening wisdom, has arrogantly prescribed as the only one which can lead men thither. This intolerant spirit has abated much of its violence in the course of this century amongst ourselves: we pray to God that it may be utterly extinguished in every part of Christendon, and that the true spirit of Chriftianity, which is the spirit of meekness, peace, and love, may be introduced in its stead. If different men, in carefully and confcientioufly examining the Scriptures, should arrive at different conclusions, even on points of the last importance; we trust that God, who alone knows what every man is capable of, will be merciful to him that is in error. We trust that he will pardon the Unitarian, if he be in an error, because he has fallen into it from the dread of becoming an Idolater, of giving that glory to another which he conceives to be due to God alone. If the worshipper of. Jesus Christ be in an error, we trust that God will pardon his mistake, because he has fallen into it from a dread of disobeying what he conceives to be revealed concerning the nature of the Son, or commanded concerning the honour to be given him. Both are actuated by the fame principle-THE FEAR VOL. I. b OF 1 OF GOD; and, though that principle impels them into different roads, it is our hope and belief, that, if they add to their faith charity, they will meet in heaven. --If any one thinks differently on the subject, I will have no contention with him; for I feel no disposition to proselyte others to any opinion of mine: esteeming it a duty to speak what I think, I have no fcruple in doing that; but to do more is to affect a tyranny over other men's minds; it is to encounter not only the reason, but the passions, prejudices, and interests of mankind; it is to engage in a conflict, in which Christian charity feldom escapes unhurt on either fide. Too much pains cannot be taken by the Clergy in examining the external and internal evidences of the truth of the Gofpel, in order that they may generate in their own minds a full conviction of the unspeakable importance of the work in which they are engaged; but that conviction being once produced, their time will be far more usefully employed in difcharging their pastoral office with fidelity, than in weighing the importance of all the difcordant systems of faith, which have in different ages and countries, not merely occupied the attention of Schoolmen and Monks, but unsheathed the swords of princes, and polluted the temple of Christ with more blood than was ever shed on the altars of Moloch, or in honour of Vitzliliputzuli, the God of Mexico. Happily for our age, this fpirit of persecution is well nigh extinguished; for notwithstanding the fad fate of the Calas family in France; notwithstanding the demon of fanaticism which spread its delufion over London and Edinburgh, on the relaxation of the laws against Popery; notwithstanding the burning zeal of a few furious bigots amongst every fect of Christians; still may we foretel, from obferving the signs of the times, that the æra is approaching very faft, when Theological Acrimony shall be swallowed up in Evangelical Charity, and a liberal toleration become the diftinguishing feature of every church in Christendom. The ruling powers in Proteftant and Catholic states begin at length every where to perceive, that an uniformity of fentiment in matters of religion is a circumstance impoffible to be obtained; that it has never yet existed in the church of Christ; from the Apof tolic age to our own; and they begin to be ashamed of the fines, confifcations, imprisonments, tortures, of all the unjust and fanguinary efforts which they have severally made use of to procure it. They perceive too that a diversity in religious opinions may subsist among the subjects of the same state, without endangering the common weal; and they begin to think it reasonable, that no no man should be abridged in the exercise of natural rights, merely on the score of Religion. These enlarged sentiments proceed not, I would willingly hope, from what the Germans have called Indifferentism in Religion; but partly from a perfect knowledge of its true end, which is Charity; and partly from that confciousness of intellectual weakness, which is ever most confpicuous in minds the most enlightened; and which, whereever it subsists, puts a stop to dogmatism and intolerance of every kind. The Books and Tracts which I have here printed, are all of them so well known, that there is little need to give a long account of any of them. I have chosen them out of a great variety, which suggested themselves to my mind; but I have no expectation that every one should be pleased with the choice which I have made. I once knew a Divine of the Church of England, of great eminence in it, and deservedly esteemed a good scholar, who, having accidentally taken up, in a friend's apartment, a book written by a Dissenter, hastily laid it down again, declaring, that "he never read dissenting Divinity." I 1 ought to apologize to Men of this Gentleman's opinion, for having made so much use of the works of the Diffenters in this Collection; but the truth is, I did not at all confider the quarter from whence the matter was taken, but whether it was good, and fuited to my purpose; it was a circumstance of utter indifference to me, whether it was of Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, provided it was of Christ. As this Collection will probably fall into the hands of fome, who may wish to become acquainted with the fort of Questions which are usually maintained by those who proceed to the degree of Bachelor or Doctor in Divinity, I thought it might be of fervice to them, if I put down a few of those which have been publicly difputed on in the Theological Schools at Cambridge, within the last twenty-five or thirty years. I have not observed much order in arranging the questions: the reader will rernark, that they are not all of equal importance; and, what he may judge more extraordinary, he will perceive, that the fame doctrine is not maintained in them all. With regard to their importance, that must be expected to be variable, as they have been proposed by men of very different talents and judgements. A fameness of doctrine might indeed have been fecured by the Profeffor, without whose approbation no question can be proposed for difputation: but I, for my part, (though some will probably blame me for it) have thought it more liberal and reasonable to fuffer this contrariety, b2 |