Keep up a quick and constant sense of your own manifold defects and infirmities; how much there is in you, and how much is said and done by you every day, which you have reason to be ashamed of, and humbled for; in how many things you come short of others, and in how many more you come short of the rule; you will find no reason to be proud of what you know, when you see how much you are ignorant of, nor of what you do that is good, when you see how much you do amiss. Dwell much upon humbling considerations, and those that tend to take down your high opinion of yourselves; and keep up a humble sense of your necessary and constant dependance upon Christ and his grace, without which you are nothing, and will soon be worse than nothing. Think not yourselves too wise, too good, too old to be reproved for what is amiss, and to be taught to do better. When you are double and treble the age you are, yet you will not be too old to learn, and increase in learning. If any man think that he knows any thing, that he knows every thing, so as that he needs no more instruction, "he knows nothing yet as he ought to know it," 1 Cor. viii. 2. And therefore he that "seems to be wise," seems so to himself, seems so to others," let him become a fool, that he may be wise;" let him be sensible of his own folly, that he may be quickened to use the means of wisdom, and prepared to receive the grace of wisdom, 1 Cor. iii. 18. Be not confident of your own judgment, nor opinionative, nor look upon those with contempt, that do not think as you do. Elihu is a great example of humility and modesty to those of your age; he was swift to hear, and very ambitious to learn, for it is the learning age; "I am young and you are old;" and therefore "I waited for your words, I gave ear to your reasons, I attended unto you," ready to give what you said its due weight, and expecting to hear something that I had not known before; but he was slow to speak. "I was afraid, and durst not shew my opinion, for I said, days should speak," Job xxxii. 6, 7, 11, 12. Be not forward to say, I hold so and so, for (as a grave divine once told a novice, that was laying down the law with great assurance) it best becomes you to hold your peace. you Take heed of thinking yourselves above your business; you that are apprentices, think not yourselves above your service; humility will make the yoke you are under, easy to you, which will gall the proud and stiff neck. You that are set up for yourselves, think it no disparagement for you to confine yourselves to your business, and to make a business of it; to see to it with your own eyes no, nor to put your own hands to it. Be ashamed of nothing but sin. It will be yet much worse, if you think yourselves above your religion; above the restraints of it, as if it were a thing below you to be afraid of sin, and to make conscience of your words and actions, whereas there cannot be a greater disgrace to you than loose walking. Nor above the exercises of religion, as if it were a thing below you to pray, and hear the word, and join in acts of devotion; for it is really the greatest honour you can do yourselves, thus to honour God. Let this branch of sober-mindedness appear in your looks and carriage; let the shew of your countenances witness for you, that you are not confident and conceited, but that you keep up a due diffidence of yourselves, and a due deference to all about you, especially those above you. Be not pert in your carriage, nor fantastical in your dress; if there be any thing in the garb and carriage, that young people may be innocently proud of, because those about them will be justly pleased with it, it is the gravity of it, when it is an indication of humility and modesty reigning in the heart; for these are the best ornaments, and "in the sight of God," and all wise men, "of great price." And you will find, that "better it is to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud;" for when "men's pride shall bring them low, honour shall uphold the humble in spirit,' and they shall be upheld, borne up, and borne out, in that honour. Dear Sir, (To be continued in the next.) THE TRUTH OF GOD DEFENDED. ARMINIUS, AND ARMINIANS, IN HOLLAND. AS the works of the learned and pious Arminius, the Professor of Theology in the University of Leyden, are but little known in England, and are now become scarce, I take the liberty to send to you some extracts from them. I have no wish to revive the controversy on the doctrines of fixed fate, free-will, foreknowledge absolute. On these points a man may reason high without one spark of real Christianity, and reason himself into great bitterness of spirit, and most improper conduct, while he imagines he is doing the will of God. I am certain, however, that if the pious Calvinists of the present time were better acquainted with the true character and religious sentiments of Arminius than they are, they would speak of them with greater accuracy, and much more respect than we are accustomed to hear from them. Extraordinary as it may appear to the humble, devoted Christian of the present time, who is working out his salvation with fear and trembling; multitudes of people in Holland and Switzerland, in the latter part of the sixteenth, and in the beginning of the seventeenth century, were infuriated by the doctrine of Calvinistic Predestination, and but little charity was entertained for those who had the temerity to declare themselves of a contrary opinion. It seemed as if all Christianity depended upon the belief that a certain number of persons were predestinated to be saved, and the rest predestinated to be damned from all eternity. I do not believe, however, that there are many Calvinists of real piety, now in England, who will assert that the belief of predestination is essential to salvation; or must necessarily form a constituent part of the character of a zealous, active Christian. In this respect the Christian world has recovered from the delirium of the Contra-remonstrants, as the Predestinarians were called in Holland; and, by the blessing of God, the chief object of concern among those who fear God in the present age, is the support and propagation of vital Christianity in all its saving effects in converting the soul, and in producing the fruits of righteousness to the praise and glory of God. In every essential doctrine of Christianity, Arminius appears to have been as deeply experienced, and as entirely incorrupt as the most pions men of his time. But when he opposed the doctrine of Predestination, and wrote against Calvin and Beza, his principles and conduct were most grossly misrepresented and scandalized, and a violent clamour was raised against him. He did not believe the doctrine of Predestination in the Calvinistie sense, and on that account so great was the madness of the timeɛ, that he was supposed to be devoid of all grace, if not of common honesty; and he was treated by the Calvinists in Holland much in the same manner as Mr. Wesley was treated in England, about one hundred and fifty or sixty years after him, and for the same cause. It may here be observed that when Calvinists denominate persons Arminians, because they deny the doctrines of the corrup tion of human nature, justification by faith, regeneration by the Spirit of God, and salvation by grace, they speak very inaccurately, as Arminius fully believed in the truth of all these doctrines, and firmly and constantly vindicated them from the word of God. Persons who disbelieve these doctrines may also at the same time disbelieve the doctrine of predestination, or perchance they may believe it; but it is equally incorrect to call them Armi nians or Calvinists, as they are without God and without hope in the world; and denying the Scriptures, they are most probably Socinians, Deists, or absolute infidels. Sir Henry Wotton, who knew Arminius personally, says, that he was a man of rare learning, strict life, and meek spirit, and was much talked of in the age in which he lived, "which was made up of opposition and controversy." Arminius had part of his education at Geneva, the hot-bed of the, doctrines of the eternal and irrevocable decrees, and all the mischievous consequences which flow from them; and he was intimately acquainted with Beza and several men of eminence in various parts of Europe at that period. Mr. Wesley published in the first volume of the Arminian or Methodist Magazine, in the year 1778, some particulars of the life of Arminius, and also an account of the Synod of Dort, and it is unnecessary to repeat what he has said. If, however, I were certain that you would think the Oration of Peter Bertus on the interment of Arminius, would be acceptable to your readers, I would send you a translation of it, especially as I observe that it contains some particulars which Mr. Wesley has not noticed. Much zeal, with little knowledge, has been manifested in speaking of Arminius and Arminians, and of Mr. Wesley and the Methodists; and in no one instance have the ignorance and folly of many persons been more notorious than in their attacks on the Methodists before they had read their writings, or obtained any accurate information of the doctrines which they preach. The egregious blunders of several dignitaries of the Church in these respects, have brought upon themselves no little public ridicule, and it is hoped that they will at length be induced to read before they write. Some of them, it is evident, ought to spend much more time in the study of theological subjects than they have ever yet done, before they attempt to write upon them. As the Methodists have been treated most unjustly by people who know them not, so was Arminius treated by those who joined the general cry against him, without knowing any thing of the real character of the man or of his opinions; and many honest, unsuspecting persons have been led to believe that Arminius was a most pestilent heretic, who propagated the most heterodox notions in the world, in direct opposition to genuine Christianity; and that an Arminian, in the present day, is a most dangerous person who ought to be avoided." Your Magazine, however, has been the medium through which much light has been diffused on subjects of this sort; and I hope it will continue, in future generations, a blessing to the Christian world, in opposition to prejudice and misrepresentation, and in defence of Christian truth and piety. Before I copy the extracts from the works of Arminius, it may not be improper to give your readers a short sketch of the disposition of many of the Dutch Clergy about the time of Arminius, and of the conduct which they held towards those who were called Arminians, and who ventured to think and act for thenselves in matters of religion. In the year 1600, a Synod was held at Harlem in which great intolerance was manifested towards those who were appointed to no particular office in the Church, but who held meetings in which were singing of psalms, praying, and expounding of the Scrip tures; and the Clergy considered how they might in the most edifying manner prevent such meetings. In that Synod, Arminius, at that time a minister in one of the churches in Amsterdam, was desired to write against the Anabaptist, as he had before been requested to do, by the Synod of South Holland; but the thing had its difficulties, says Brandt the historian, as some of the Clergy had suspicions of Arminius, particularly upon the point of predestination, which he did not teach according to the Geneva system. Arminius himself seems to have disliked the work which he was desired to undertake, and says, in a letter to Uitenbogart, that he was wholly taken up in considering matters which related to the point of regeneration, and that his heart was set on promoting the peace of the church, through God's grace.* In the year 1602, Holland was visited by the plague, and under that sore judgment the churches lost several eminent teachers. Franciscus Junius, the Professor of Divinity in the university of Leyden, a man of great learning and piety, died of the plague in that year, and the Curators of the university had great difficulty in finding a proper person to fill the office which he had held. At last application was made to Arminius, who was esteemed a man of learning, eloquence, peace, and piety. His appointment, however, was opposed by Gomarus, who informed the Curators that Arminius had discovered his sentiments by certain sermons on the seventh chapter to the Romans, and by his controversies with the late Junius. Arminius was vindicated by his friend Uitenbogart, and the Curators knowing that there had been Professors in the university who had not held the opinions of Calvin and Beza with regard to predestination, resolved that Arminius should fill the present vacancy. Arminius acquitted himself so well in his lectures, and in the other duties of his new office, that he won the hearts of many; and a certain author, famous in those times for his Latin poems, says, that whoever had piety, and the love of truth at heart, were obliged to Uitenbogart for the share which he had in introducing Arminius to the university of Leyden. It may also be added in favour of Arminius, that the very learned Joseph Scaliger, who was not too lavish of his praises of others, calls him a very great man.+ The Calvinistic Clergy in Holland were strangers to Christian moderation, and in their furious zeal for Predestination, adopted various measures in opposition to Arminius and his opinions. Arminius complained, however, that they seldom opposed him with scriptural arguments; and in one of his letters he says, "The principal arguments which they bring against me are such * Brandt's Hist, of the Reformation in and about the Low Countries, Vol. II. p. 4. + Brandt's Hist. Vol. II. p. 28. VOL. XXXVI. JANUARY, 1813. *D* |