CHAP. III. church upon earth, refusing to swear, to persecute, shed blood, pay tithes, &c., were particularly branded with enthusiasm, on account of their doctrine of an inward Christ. 36. To such as had any acquaintance with the writings of the Apostles, the doctrine, simply considered, could not appear new; but the fact was, the day of Christ's second appearing was near at hand, and these people, by the true spirit of prophecy, had received an inward sense of it, and as Christ is actually formed in the hearts of his people, they neither knew nor could testify of any other than Christ within. 37. And for this very purpose they were raised up, by the special power of God, and qualified by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, not only to bear a full and pointed testimony against all the corrupt and antichristian establishments of both Papists and Protestants, but also to announce their certain downfall, and the setting up of that everlasting kingdom of Christ which should be established in the latter day. 38. And, when we consider the sufferings of these people, both in Europe and America, for the honesty and integrity of their lives, the innocence and simplicity of their manners, the marked distinction between them and the great Christian world must be evident, without any other comment. Grounds of 5. Amer. Conf. F. CHAPTER III. REMARKS ON THE PRESENT STATE OF THE CHRISTIAN WORLD. AMONG the various religions adopted by the lost nations of the earth, a profession of Christianity doubtless has the most plausible pretence to divine authority, inasmuch as it claims for its original author, Jesus Christ, who was manifested as the Son of God. But, if Christianity, as professed in the world, with all its superior pretensions, has not delivered its subjects from the deplorable effects of the fall, it is easy to judge in what state the whole world must be. 2. The present popish profession of Catholic faith says: I acknowledge the holy, Catholic, apostolic, Roman church for the mother and mistress of all churches. The present Protestant confession of faith says: The visible church, which is also Ca tholic or universal-consists of all those throughout the world, CHAP. III. that profess the true religion, together with their children. 3. These two great oracles of Christianity have a right to mark the extent of the Christian world, which, according to the above, must include the church of Rome, with all her daughters, and all those throughout the world who profess the true religion, (as they call it) with their children. 4. The very foundation, principles, and progress of Papists and Protestants, and dissenters of past ages, have been already made clear, from their own writings, to have been a very sink of corruption, calamity, and cruelty to mankind: it now remains to examine, after so long a time, and so much reforming, what the present world of Christians possess, that distinguishes them from the past, or from the rest of the human race. 5. How much soever these Catholic professors differ among themselves, there are certain fundamental principles in which they hold each a visible agreement as to distinguish themselves, and each other, from heathens, infidels, heretics, and incurable fanatics; and these professed general Christian principles are such as respect their faith, their rules of church government, and their morals. 6. It would be unncessary to make any further remarks on the established faith, government, and morals of the mother church, and her immediate daughters, as they have so abundantly exposed each other, and are so universally known: the only part of the Christian world which can promise any thing better to mankind, are those denominations which have dissented from both, and have reformed the same Christianity more to the taste of the present times. 7. Modern Christians, forced by the progress of civil and religious liberty, will acknowledge that their forefathers were very wrong in many things; but what is their Christianity better, while the same faith, the same principles of government, and the same manners, exist in all their churches? 8. In professing the present true Christian religion, so called, it is absolutely necessary to profess a belief of Three persons in the Godhead; of two natures in Christ; Imputed righteousness; the Resurrection of all human bodies, the same in substance; the establishment of a visible kingdom by the imperial power of Christ at the last day; and such fundamental doctrines as were held sacred by SAINT AUGUSTIN, LEO THE GREAT, Doctor MARTIN LUTHER, Bishop CALVIN, and the true Catholic church in every age. 9. These same doctrines that smothered every principle of reason, and inflamed the passions of mankind to fill the earth with bloodshed and cruelty, are considered as the only sound Christian principles of the present day, as may be seen in all CHAP. III. their modern creeds: and no more altered are their present * means of christianizing, or their principles of church government. 10. All that were born after the flesh in the mother church, were christened by an outward ceremony. By the outward rite of baptism, and the sign of the cross on the forehead, they were received as members of the Protestant church; and at Directory, present the most reformed institution for christening is, the minister is to baptize the child with water, by pouring or sprinkling it on the face of the child. In this way the church is increased, for every baptized person, who has not been formally excommunicated, is a lawful member. In this, present christianity differs nothing from the past. chap. vii. 11. As to government, a majority always ruled in the Christian world, the stronger tyrannized over the weaker; and, upon the same principle, the Christian parties of the present day, only want the necessary means in order to christianize and convert the nations over again after the old fashion. 12. Every sect and denomination claim the ancient ecclesiastical power: Presbyterian bishops have been duly consecrated by the authority of the national kirk of Scotland, whose ministers were duly ordained according to the church laws of Geneva, and her great bishop, CALVIN, received his holy orders from the pope. 13. In the same manner the Episcopalian, or bishop-ruled Methodists are duly ordained by the laying on of the hands of one who was duly consecrated by the laying on of the hands of JOHN WESLEY, whose holy orders were duly transmitted from BISHOP CRANMER, who was consecrated by the pope: And so of the rest. And what is their laying on of hands without the Holy Spirit, but a mock to God and man? 14. Hence those consecrated rulers not only exercise their supposed ecclesiastical powers in their general assemblies, synods, presbyteries, consistories, conferences, associations and congregational assemblies, but by insinuating themselves, or their admirers into the affairs of civil government, on every occasion that offers, they manifestly show their disposition to seize the old despotic reins, and rule the church and world in one, had they only the opportunity. 15. But until these divided and subdivided dissenters can show other distinguishing marks of their true religion, than those doctrines and powers of government which they received from their mother Protestant or Popish churches, the infidels and freethinkers of the present day will very justly hold them in suspicion. Although, in consequence of the progress of civilization, and the prevalence of civil liberty, there is an abatement of ecclesiastical tyranny and rigorous compunction; yet human power and human authority are the means used, instead of the authority and power of God; and the subjects are required to subscribe human creeds, and observe human ceremonies, as the conditions of salvation. 16. Forced by the changes in civil government to conform, CHAP. III. they may give their voice in favor of liberty, and show such respect to the spirit of the times as to expunge from the creeds and common prayer books of their fathers, those despotic sentiments, so hateful to every just man; but in all this they only act the harlot, who willingly changes her dress in order to win the affection of her lovers. 17. It is well known that the Augsburg confession, the Form of Concord, the true religion at Geneva, of the church of Scotland, or of QUEEN ELIZABETH, could never be admitted into any republic without a very material change in its outward dress; but reform and change it as they will, it is still the same true Christian religion, the only face of kirk, out of which there is no possibility of salvation,* (as she says,) and therefore her pitiful crocodile prayer is, O that the civil rulers of the earth would fall in love with me! that a nation might be born in a day, and kingdoms at once. 18. But after all, it is a fact that the most polished of those reformers and conformers never granted nor promoted the religious liberty of the present day; this change was effected, by the order of Divine Providence, in the hearts of the civil rulers of the earth. 19. When GEORGE WASHINGTON, that justly respected patriot, stood forth at the head of a great nation in the cause of liberty, and Christians on both sides of the Atlantic, implored each their God to go forth with their respective armies, it was not in answer to the prayers of these divided hypocrites that the contest was decided; but when the European God was obliged to give up his despotic reins, then, indeed, the European creeds must be new modelled by American ecclesiastics, to suit the government of the most powerful deity. 20. Neither was it in a general council of Christian bishops, but of noble advocates of civil and religious liberty, that the wise and generous WASHINGTON, established the rights of conscience by a just and equitable Constitution. And truly, if the rights of conscience are still respected under the present administration, we are not indebted to ecclesiastical tyrants for the privilege; for such never will respect nor promote an establishment which has a tendency to diminish the current of their unrighteous gain, by allowing every one to think and act for themselves in matters of religion. 21. As to doctrine and discipline, the world of mankind never was, nor ever will be benefited by such a consecrated priesthood, nor such a Christian religion. The only remaining point to be considered, is the morals of those who profess this true religion, so called, and their children. 22. The common objection, even of infidels, so called, against Amer. Conf. F. chap. xxv. Isa Ixvi 8. perverted. Christian Panoply, p. 330. CHAP. III. Christianity, is the immoral influence it has upon the lives of its professors. To which a late writer replies-“If any who take to themselves the Christian name live immorally, it cannot be the fault of Christianity." By this kind of reasoning, false Christianity has, for many ages, been kept alive amidst all the abominations that have overspread the Christian world. Hist. of Re demp p. 405. note 1 ]. Amer. Conf. F. Chap. vi. 23. They say, their true religion was in the Bible before LuTHER; and if true religion it is, it must be there yet; for they have never brought it out in their lives, to answer the above objection of the unbeliever. The last covering for their benign gospel, and their saving faith, is to divide the charge of gross immorality among divided sects and party names, so as to preserve the common Christian profession unspotted. 24. The divided sects can reproach one another with the most oprobious names and epithets; but these hard names and reproachful terms they seem to think are no discredit to the true Christian religion, so long as it can be kept in the Bible; therefore, when the Bible and its true religion are rejected by sensible unbelievers at home, they must be sent abroad to convert and Christianize the heathen; but even the Indians themselves can see the deception; so that the Christian missionary finds as sensible infidels there, as at home; as appears from the following remarks of a late writer on the Journal of D. Brainerd. 25. "Their grand question, What has become of their forefathers, is not easily answered. They were good men, (say they,) and we will follow them; we doubt not but they were happy without this new religion, why then should we embrace it? But their most important objection (says the writer) is drawn from the vicious lives of nominal Christians. Christian religion! Devil religion! (say they) Christian much drunk; Christian much do wrong, much beat, much abuse others."- 'Truly it is a sad sight (says one,) to behold a drunken Christian, and a sober Indian an Indian just in his dealings, and a Christian not so; a laborious Indian and an idle Christian, &c. O what a sad thing it is for Christians to come short of heathens even in moralities!" 26. Then in vain do such Christians try to justify their principles, while they themselves condemn their own practice. Thus, corrupt manners as evidently flow from their true religion, as practice naturally flows from principle. Nor need they refer to the Bible for their Christianity, for neither the name nor the thing is there; but it is found in their confessions of faith, which make every provision and allowance for their worse than heathenish practices. 27. By original corruption they say, "we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil"-and, "this corruption of nature during this |