FROM THE COMMUNION OF THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH.

wherein," while men slept, their enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat." These jarring principles might be contradistinguished as the word of God, and as the word of Satan, or the word of man.

The Bible, and nothing but the Bible, should be the religion of Protestants, or rather of true Christians; but there are doctrines, rites, traditions, and ceremonies, decidedly contrary to the spirit, and clearly unwarranted by the precepts and precedents contained in our only codethe New Testament. Those innovations and corruptions would have long since been annihilated, if the Word of God had had its free course; and the word of man could never have prevailed to so alarming an extent as we have seen it reach to, had it not been defended, like the KORAN, by the secular power of religious Establishments. By the same gradual, mild, and irresistible progress, which destroyed Paganism, and evangelized a considerable portion of our hemisphere, the Paganism of Christianity must ultimately be, not only undermined and impaired, but even consumed. "The Lord shall consume the mystery of iniquity with the Spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy it with the brightness of his coming."

I extract, with pleasure, from a Waldensic document of the twelfth century, the following curious passage, trusting that Christian charity is not violated by its application to the case in point. I recommend it to the serious consideration of all those who regard the Bible as dangerous, Missionaries as incendiaries, and evangelical preachers as satellites of the Devil.

"By God's permission, Antichrist is breaking fast, for his power and authority are on the decline, and the Lord already slays that wicked one by the spirit of his mouth-by the instrumentality of many well-intentioned persons, in raising a power contrary to his, and to that of his adherents-in destroying his place and his possessions-and in dividing Babylon."

As intolerance has long been one of the distinguishing characteristics of Establishments; and as, to a certain degree, it still forms an essential ingredient of that dangerous combination of "the powers of heaven and earth," as

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a northern genius happily terms them, this taint of the old leaven would alone induce me to dissent from a communion, whose claims are presumptuous, and whose privileges are burdensome.

That "little invincible band of the Vallies," as the French Wickliff, Robert Olivetan, styles his countrymen, the WALDENSES, Could declaim against Antichrist, not only because it was "a lie tending to everlasting damnation," but because it was "obstinately defended by the spiritual and the secular arm."Del Antechrist. They did actually separate from Rome, from its traditions, and from its government, as soon as that pretended Church became one of the kingdoms of this world. "The venom of temporalities," according to their primitive and genuine Reformers, "entered the Church in the days of Constantine and Sylvester; and Rome is, therefore, the Apocalyptic harlot."-Reyner Sacc. apud Jean Leger. tom. i. p. 125.

I dissent from the Church of England, not merely on account of its arrogant claims to superiority, and of its oppressive maintenance of those claims, by the unjust measure of involuntary contributions ;-not only because I regard its pretensions as presumptuous;-not only because no Protestant, Scottish, German, Danish, Swedish, or French Church, now ventures to boast of its Confession, of its Liturgy, and of its forms, in such hyperbolical, vain-glorious, and unbecoming language-but I also dissent from it because some of its doctrines are impure.

Now lest I should set down so serious a charge without marking its nature and extent, I observe that this impurity is authorized, and even transformed into a law, by her Articles of Faith,* as well as incorporated with the most solemn part of divine worship, in her sacramental and other offices. It is not, as in other cases, exclusively attributable to the imprudence or wickedness of a few preachers and divines-it belongs to the Church of England as a National Establishment: and is recognized by all those who have ratified its doctrines by their signature, as far as we may judge from the natural purport of that solemn act, and from the very simple and intelligible manner in which those doctrines are stated. It is to me

* "Whosoever shall affirm that any of the thirty-nine Articles are, in any part, superstitious or erroneous, shall be excommunicated, ipso facto, and not restored, but only by the Archbishop, after his repentance and public revocation of such wicked errors."-Canon V. of the Church of England.

a mystery, how several ministers who into the kingdom of God, except he be officiate in that Church, can overlook regenerate and born anew of water and and so glaringly disobey His Majesty's of the Holy Ghost,' I beseech you to declaration prefixed to the Articles-call upon God the Father, &c. that he

"that no man hereafter shall either print or preach to draw the Article aside any way, but shall submit to it in the plain and full meaning thereof, and shall not put his own sense or comment to be the meaning of the Article, but shall take it in the literal and grammatical

sense."

Now, no son of the Church will presume to declare that its Articles and Offices are at variance-that different modes of faith and worship are inculcated by each-or that there is not between them, what an eminent female writer of the day would call, "a dovetailed congruity." It is even my opinion, that the latter, as the most ancient, and as familiarly and constantly illustrating the Established Creed, have a superior claim to the Church's veneration-they must be regarded as infallible Commentaries on the National Confession of Faith.

will grant this child that thing, which by nature he cannot have; that he may be baptized with water and with the Holy Ghost, and received into Christ's holy Church, and be made a lively member of the same."

The Priest then reminds the Almighty and everlasting God, that " by the baptism of his well-beloved Son Jesus Christ, he did sanctify water to the mystical washing away of sin;" and prays for "this infant:-That he, coming to thy holy baptism, may receive remission of his sins, or spiritual regeneration; and may enjoy the everlasting benedietion of thy heavenly washing."

Again: Almighty and everlasting God, give thy Holy Spirit to this infant, that he may be born again, and be made an heir of everlasting salvation."

"The Priest. Wilt thou be baptized in faith?

To another question, about keeping God's commandments, it answers-"I will." God is then requested to sanctify this water to the mystical washing away of sin ;" and as to the child "now to be baptized therein," the request is, that "he may receive the fulness of thy grace, and ever remain in the number of thy faithful and elect children.”

"The Infant. That is my desire." (A In the Church's twenty-seventh Ar-"fiction of law," according to the inticle, its Reformers thus lay down their genious British Reviewers!!) doctrine of Baptism :-"Baptism is not only a sign of profession, and mark of difference, whereby Christian men are discerned from others that be not christened; but it is also a sign of Regenera- | tion or new birth, whereby, as by an instrument, they that receive Baptism rightly are grafted into the Church: the promises of forgiveness of sins, and of our adoption to be the sons of God by the Holy Ghost, are visibly signed and sealed; faith is confirmed, and grace increased by virtue of prayer unto God. The baptism of young children is in any wise to be retained in the Church, as most agreeable with the institution of Christ."

(After the sprinkling, called baptism,) "Then shall the Priest say :-Seeing now, dearly beloved brethren, that this child is regenerate, and grafted into the body of Christ's church, let us give thanks unto Almighty God for these benefits, and with one accord make our prayers unto him, that this child may lead the rest of his life according to this beginning."

Charity may suppose, that the Anglican Reformers would not have attempted to disguise the doctrines so plainly expressed in their Church Offices and Catechism, when they compiled their twenty-seventh Article, for charity believeth all things; and that Regeneration is affirmed in the former to be the invariable effect of baptism, no reason-him into thy holy Church." able or impartial reader of the following passages can possibly doubt;

"Then shall the Priest say :- -We yield thee hearty thanks, most merciful Father, that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this infant with thy Holy Spirit, to receive him for thine own child by adoption, and to incorporate

"It is certain by God's word, that children which are baptized, dying be"Public Baptism of Infants.Dearly fore they commit actual sin, are unbeloved, forasmuch as all men are con-doubtedly saved."

ceived and born in sin, and that our Private Baptism of Children.—“The Saviour Christ saith, 'None can enter Minister shall receive him (the infant)

FROM THE COMMUNION OF THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH.

as one of the flock of true Christian | people, saying thus, I satisfy you that, in this case, all is well done, &c. concerning the baptizing of this child; who being born in original sin, and in the wrath of God, is now, by the laver of regeneration in baptism, received into the number of the children of God, and heirs of everlasting life," &c.

Catechism. Q. Who gave you this name? 4. My godfathers and godmothers in my baptism, wherein I was made a member of Christ, the child of God, and an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven.

Q. What is the outward visible sign or form in baptism?-A. Water,* wherein the person is baptized, &c. Q. What is the inward spiritual grace?-A. A death unto sin, and a new birth unto righteousness; for being by nature born in sin, and the children of wrath, we are hereby made the children of grace." A learned Prelatet of the Establishment has satisfactorily shewn that, according to its Articles, Homilies, Liturgic offices, &c. Baptismal Regeneration is the only possible Regeneration; and as there is nothing in its services, that indicates any difference of opinion in this matter, between the Church of England and the Church of Rome, whose offices it has borrowed and improved, we must judge the model and copy by the same rule; that is, take the words both "in their natural and grammatical sense."

As I firmly believe, with the PUREST Church of its day, the Waldenses of the twelfth century, "That the third sin of Antichrist consists, in his attributing the renewing of the Holy Spirit to a dead and strange (that is, a vicarious) FAITH, and baptizes infants in that faith: teaching that baptism and regeneration follow such a faith,' I declare the Church of England's baptismal doctrine erroneous, pernicious, and antichristian. This alone would fully justify my sepa ration from its communion.

That so grievous an error should have survived the Reformation three long centuries, is a clear proof, and familiar illustration of the fact, that Ecclesiastical Establishments are one of Satan's cunning devices for perpetuating heresy. "The government of God's church under the Gospel," says the judicious

* Water-a form!!

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Warburton, "not being administered as under the law, in person, but by a written rule; the ministers of the word, under pretence of interpreting it, took occasion to introduce their own authority; and on that, by insensible degrees, a very wicked usurpation. The business of interpreting was, at first, modestly assumed as a mere act of charity, to assist the brethren in the study of God's word. But the employment being commonly confined to a certain order, this act of charity soon grew into an office of authority, which at last put the law and the gloss upon an equal footing." -Sermons, vol. ii. p. 108.

I abhor the GLOSS, and revere the LAW-I reject the word of man, and turn from it to the word of God.

"To change the fundamental laws of Christ's spiritual kingdom, where he is the only Lawgiver, is an offence of the highest nature, as not only implying simple disobedience, but usurpation likewise. A Church acting with this spirit, not only throws off subjection, but assumes the sovereignty; and is no longer the sheep-fold of the good Shepherd, but the den of Antichrist, the thief and the robber."-Ib. p. 161.

Such are the remarks of an Anglican Divine, who reprobates the Churches which presume to alter "the terms of salvation, as they are delivered in the Gospel, which are faith in Christ, and repentance towards God; by adding others to them," (such as regeneration without faith and repentance.)

"If," adds the same impartial writer, "for the sake of uniformity of worship, we disguise, or betray, or give up any fundamental truth, it becomes a confederacy of this world; at best, a politic union for the preservation of civil peace -a peace, where religion is not the actuating principle, but only the cloke and cover."-p. 183.

[To be concluded in our next.]

ON LIVING TO GOD.

THE Scriptures are the only standard of divine truth. They are the only rule of faith and practice-the only test of real experimental religion. Whatever there may be, then, in the precepts of + Bishop Mant.

La tersa obra de l'Ante-Christ ès que el attribuis la reformacion del Sanct. Sperit. à la Fè morta de fera, e bapteia l'enfant en aquella Fè, enseignant esserà consegre per ley lo baptisme e la Regeneracion.

men, eminent for learning and godliness, that is not expressly stated or clearly implied in the New Testament, ought not to be regarded by those who wish to excel in the divine life. If any man desire to attain to eminence in the knowledge of God, and conformity to him, he must become a little child; he must unlearn all his predilections, and be willing to sit at the feet of Jesus, and hear his word alone.

That all mankind are under obligation to love and serve their Maker, is manifest both from Scripture and reason, all being the offspring of God, and all supplied by his bounty: for " in him we live, and move, and have our being." But that ungenerate men, or in other words, unbelievers, are to be indiscriminately addressed with real believers in Christ, and called to the exercise of certain dispositions and duties peculiar to a life devoted to God, is, I humbly conceive, highly unscriptural. For how can one who is under the dominion of sin, bring forth fruit unto holiness; seeing the tree must be made good, before it can produce this fruit! We

"To present their bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, as their reasonable service." Their first duty is to believe the Gospel; for until they do that, they are not principled for any one act of holy obedience. Our Lord in addressing the Jews, preached unto them repentance and faith; and plainly told them, if they did not believe in him, they should die in their sins. On the other hand, he instructed his own disciples in the particular duties they owed to himself, and to each other. When they were alone, he explained all things to them. Having made these preliminary remarks, I submit the following thoughts, on living a life devoted to God, to the consideration of the reader.

If a man be made a new creature in Christ Jesus, old things are passed away, and all things are become new. He is no longer his own, he is bought with a price; and therefore is under the highest obligations to glorify God in his body and spirit, which are God's. In this, the sum of a life of godliness consists. The renewed soul no sooner has tasted that the Lord is gracious, than be voluntarily surrenders himself up to God, to be his for time and eternity—he next gives himself to the people of God, to walk with them in all the ordinances and commandments of the Lord blameless.

It is said of Enoch, that he "walked with God." This implies a knowledge of him, and faith in his revealed character. There was an intimacy between God and man, a friendship, a union of the most blessed nature, founded in peace and harmony never to be destroyed-for how can two walk together except they are agreed? Precisely such is the case with the believer in Christ: he walks with God. Being made a partaker of the divine nature by faith in the righteousness of God his Saviour, he becomes entitled to the privileges of the children of God by adoption and grace. As a son and heir of God through Christ, he has his intercourse with him in all his institu tions and appointments. Hence he comes to have fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

never find either Christ or his apostles telling men, while living in rebellion against God, that they are the children of God: and as such, admonish them to the Christian duties, to be united to a church? &c. Some, indeed, tell us, that if unbelievers are to be addressed at all, they ought to be called to do the same things as those who do believe. But if this were true, it would follow, that all those distinctions which the Scriptures make between characters are superfluous and unnecessary; and that those peculiar duties to which believers are exhorted, are nothing else than the duties of unbelievers; but I cannot find this sort of reasoning in the Scriptures of truth. The Gospel being a revelation of mercy to sinners, as such it proclaims pardon to the guilty, and healing to the diseased, not to be enjoyed in the way of working, but believing on him that justifies the ungodly: it comes to them as a free gift, without money and without price: "The gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord." And were I addressing a company of profligates, I should call on them to He stands in quite a new relation to repent and believe the Gospel; I should God; and not only has he a correct tell them in plain terms, that continuing knowledge of the relationship, but enin sin and unbelief, they are in the ters into the spirit and enjoyment of its direct road to eternal ruin. It would be advantages and blessings. He has re very unscriptural to exhort such personsceived an understanding to know him

ON LIVING TO GOD.