The strife first began with the Neono- SIR, RECEIVED Homerton, June 18, 1823. since a selves involved in disputes concerning I letter from America, which, should the Trinity. The Synod at Salters' Hall, in 1719, still farther widened the breach, creating unjust suspicions and angry feelings between brethren who should have united in support of the common cause. Those who are not acquainted with the history of that event, can have no conception of the animosity which it occasioned, nor of the unfavourable aspect which it had upon the cause of Dissenters. Several of their ministers immediately quitted their stations and their profession; the laity went off in numbers to the church and to the world; whilst too many of those who continued stedfast in their principles, converted the pulpit into a forum for inflaming the bad passions of their auditors. After this, other questions arose both in divinity and in philosophy, and occasioned disputes among the learned; some of which interfering with the generally-received opinions, added to the unpopularity of the propagators, and caused the meeting-houses to be deserted. But next to the disputes concerning the, Trinity, perhaps the most fruitful source of contention has been the controversy relating to grace and salvation. The speculations of many upon these subjects, led them to entertain notions of the Divine government that were apparently inconsistent with morals. Antinomianism in its various grades took root in many congregations, corrupted the members, and carried desolation in its train. The blighting effects of this noxious weed have been manifested in the endless divisions and sub-divisions which it has occasioned, owing to disputes between the minister and his people, and the people with each other, upon subtle distinctions, the meaning of which must be unintelligible to the many, and when comprehended, of doubtful utility. Such proceedings have contributed greatly to bring the cause of Dissent into disrepute, and have occasioned many persons to doubt the eligibility of a scheme of church-government with which so much discord is compatible. [To be concluded in the next Number.] you deem it worthy of being recorded in the Monthly Repository, is at your service. The contents afforded me much greater satisfaction than I could have anticipated. For, although the General Baptists may indisputably be said to have had the honour and happiness of contributing their full share to the recent spread of Unitarianism, as they have supplied nearly the whole of the Missionaries employed by the Unitarian Fund Society; yet I did not expect to find that, in the new world, so large a body of their brethren were avowedly Anti-Trinitarians. To me it has long appeared, that the leading principle of the Baptists, viz. that religion is altogether a personal concern-parents not being able to do any thing for their children, as such, which can place them in a more salvable state than they are by nature, or which can entitle them to the appellation of Christians, till they become so from conviction-has a tendency to the uitimate adoption of rational views of Christian truth and honourable conceptions of the character and attributes of the Father Almighty. In apparent proof of this tendency, I might refer to numerous instances in which ministers and others of the Particular Baptist denomination, have abandoned the doctrine of unconditional election, and have found satisfaction alone in the persuasion that the MAKER of all is the equal and impartial Father of the whole human race, the only proper object of their devout adoration and supreme affection. To omit, for the present, other names, permit to instance those of Messrs. Wright, Vidler, Marsom and Lyons. And your readers will find from the following letter, that among the Particular Baptists in America, some of their most popular preachers, with their respective churches, have been excommunicated expressly on the ground of their attempts to subvert the doctrine of the Trinity. Of the ministers of the Sabbatarian Baptists also, some are, it appears, "strenuous Unitarians." It may, perhaps, strike your readers as being remarkable, that it is in connexion with these last-mentioned ministers alone, the term Uniturian occurs in the whole letter; but this is probably to be accounted for on the conscientious objection of the writer and his brethren to any other religious designation than that of "Christians." I am not aware that any account has hitherto been published in England, of so large a body as that of the American Christians" being " Anti-Calvinistic" and "Anti-Trinitarian;" but this is another encouraging proof that, however zealous our brethren may be, who assume the exclusive title of orthodox, those views which Unitarians regard as more honourable to GoD and his CHRIST, are rapidly gaining advocates in denominations in which our most sanguine hopes would not have led us to hope they could be found. It is probable that "The Christians" may not approve of all the opinions avowed by the majority of English Unitarians; but it is a subject for devout gratitude, that they are fellow-labourers with those who, in Great Britain, believe, that the Saviour did not mean to mislead his followers, and could not be mistaken when, addressing the FATHER, he said, "This is life eternal, that they might know thee, the ONLY TRUE GOD, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.". I have, Sir, only to add, that I have every reason to suppose the utmost reliance may be placed on the statements of Mr. Potter, as he consulted the printed records of the different classes whom he describes, and as I have this day seen another communication from America, in which the writer says, "Mr. Benedict told me he had given Mr. S.'s letter to a Christian emphatically so called, to answer it." G. S. "Cumberland, Rhode Island, "RESPECTED SIR, "The only apology which I have to offer for troubling you with this communication, is the possession of a letter subscribed by you, and addressed to Elder David Benedict, of Pawtucket, R. I.,' dated Hackney, near London, Sept. 10, 1818.' The cause which brought your letter into my possession will appear in the sequel, as will more obviously the reason of my presuming to answer. Consider ing the very imperfect history of the American Baptists, it will be impossible for me or any other person, at this period, to solve your numerous inquiries; and should I even succeed in augmenting your funds of information in a very limited degree, I shall feel that my feeble endeavours are crowned with a success very desirable. Omitting farther preamble, I will proceed to state that there are in the United States, nominally, five denominations of Baptists, viz. Calvinistic, Seventh-day, Six-principle, and Freewill Baptists, and Christians. These are also properly classed under the two following heads, as expressive of their peculiar tenets, viz. the Calvinistic and Arminian Baptists. The Calvinistic answer to your 'Particular,' and the Arminian to your General Baptists.' The former denomination is considered Calvinistic; the four latter, Arminian: and in order to give you some idea of them, we will speak of them under their respective heads. " 1. CALVINISTIC OR PARTICULAR BAPTISTS. "As you evince no wish to be informed concerning this denomination, but little will be said. In most of the States they have become popular, and embrace many large and flourishing churches. Their preachers are better educated than those of any other Baptist denomination. Certain feuds, which have recently crept into some of their associations, have deprived them of some of their most popular preachers, with their respective churches, and threaten material prejudice to the denomination at large. The principal subject of contention is the doctrine of the Trinity, which the disaffected essay to deny, and thereby invariably subject themselves to excommunication. "This denomination is strictly Calvinistic, and its communion partakes of the same restrictive character; being open to none except those of their own faith and order.' Elder Benedict has written their History, which accounts for the mistake under which your friend, Mr. Richards laboured. Previous to the appearance of Mr. B.'s work, it was expected he would give a faithful and impartial History of the Baptists in general; but he said but little of any Baptists except his own. Aside from that History, Elder B. is an excellent man, and were he not fettered by illiberal and circumscribed creeds, he would unquestionably be a liberal and useful preacher. "II. GENERAL BAPTISTS. "1. Seventh-Day Baptists.-This denomination being of European origin, perhaps your knowledge of it is sufficient; however, I will observe, they have an association called SeventhDay Baptist General Conference,' consisting of (according to their minutes for 1821) sixteen churches, and embracing perhaps between two and three thousand members. Owing to the inconvenience of observing the Seventh Day in communities where the First Day is more generally considered the Christian Sabbath, this people had greatly decreased until 1805, since which they have realized some very salutary accessions to their communion. For a more particular account of them, you are referred to Elder Robert Burnside, pastor of the Seventh-Day Particular Baptist Church, near Devonshire Square, London, between whom and Elder Bailey, the Secretary of the General Conference here, there is a regular correpondence. Mr. Bailey has represented his people to be Trinitarian, which is not the case as it regards them as a people, some of their preachers being strenuous Unitarians. They publish a Quarterly Magazine, which is principally devoted to the dissemination of their own favourite views. There are also a few other churches scattered round in various parts of the United States, which are a species of that order, but being believers in an open communion, &c., they are not associated with the General Conference. "2. Six-Principle Baptists.-This sect of Baptists consists of about fifteen churches in the United States, and the probable number of communicants is 1500. They pretend to derive their name from the preceding part of the sixth chapter of Hebrews, to which they profess a close adherence. In doctrine they are Anti-Cal vinistic, and are Trinitarian, and in their communion they are limited to their own faith and order' exclusively. The imposition of hands subsequent to baptism' is thought an indispensable pre-requisite to church membership. For a few years past they appear to have experienced no material increase or diminution. "3. Free-will Baptists.-The first church belonging to this denomination was planted in the town of New Dur ham, State of New Hampshire, in the year 1780; since which their increase has been, and continues to be, rapid and regular, and they are now scattered throughout various parts of all the Northern States. On examination of their minutes for December 1822, I find reported 213 regular churches and 10,025 members. In sentiment they are Arminian and Trinitarian, but their communion is accessible to Christians of regular standing, of all denominations. The ministers of this sect, like the Methodist circuit preachers, accustom themselves to travel and preach, though some of them attend more particularly to the superintendence of the churches. Their churches are organized into what they call Quarterly Meetings, and these Quarterly Meetings erect, by delega tion, a Yearly Meeting, in which the more important business of the denomination is transacted. A few years will find this a more flourishing people than the Calvinistic Baptists, if we may be permitted to found our judgment on present prospects, "4. Christians.This sect has always been considered a species of Baptists, as they administer baptism in no other way than by immersing the candidate. They quote Acts xi. 26, xxvi. 28, 1 Peter iv. 16, in defence of the naine which they have assumed, and by which they seek only to know and be known as a people; regarding all others as the invention of men. The first church of this denomination was planted in Portsmouth, New Hamp shire, in the year 1803, since which they have spread extensively throughout nearly all the Northern and Southern, Eastern and Western States, and are now the most numerous of all the General Baptists. They have now about two hundred and fifty churches, and their communicants are computed at between 15,000 and 20,000. Many of their churches are large and respectable; and the whole of them are organized into Conferences, and these Conferences have erected another, by delegation, called The United States' General Annual Christian Conference,' which convenes in the month of September, and usually continues in session about a week. The subordinate Conferences are, at pre sent, thirteen in number. The Christian denomination, being the last that has arisen in America, has experienced great opposition from old and popular sectaries; but their preachers, being fired with a holy zeal, and accustomed to endure hardships as good soldiers,' have pressed through violence, borne reproach, and, by the grace of God, have reaped an abundant harvest. They have many of the peculiarities of a denomination yet in its infancy. Useless forms and ceremonies they profess to reject, and are in the custom of adopting scriptural expressions, and rejecting what they regard as the doctrines and commandments of men.' They disdain the application of the term Rev. to the clergy, on the ground that it belongs to Deity alone. They are in sentiment Anti-Calvinistic and Anti-Trinitarian. They receive the Scriptures as their only rule of faith and practice; consequently reject all other creeds and articles of faith. "As my paper will soon arrest my progress, I must proceed to make some general remarks, and close. The American Baptists consider regeneration' an indispensable qualification for baptism, and those who admit open communion require all their communicants to have experienced vital holiness. They all believe that the misery of the finally impenitent will be of equal duration with the felicity of the righteous, except a few of the Christians, who believe in the complete annihilation of the wicked. The Baptists have a few colleges and other seminaries of learning under their patronage. The National College at the seat of Government is under their jurisdiction. Some of the preachers of all the Baptist denominations are regularly educated, and others become preachers by the exercise of their respective gifts; but in all cases, those who are admitted to administer the ordinances of the Lord's House, are required to first enter it themselves by the Door-Christ Jesus. Most of the ministers are supported by salaries raised by voluntary subscription, and not by constraint. The salaries of the preachers are in general so trifling, that they are not calculated to enrich them, though they afford ample means of subsistence. Some being able to support themselves, do not accept salaries. "I have now given you some general ideas of your brethren in America, and though they fall short of a reply in full to all your questions, may lay a foundation for you to obtain the sought-for information. I have striven to be correct in my succinct view, but this must rest on the documents in my possession, from which I derive my information. I am pastor of a church connected with the Christian denomination, and Mr. Benedict referred your letter to me to answer, as you were mistaken in his being a General Baptist: he, however, professes a friendship for you and your people. It would be very pleasing to me and to all our people to hold a regular correspondence with our transatlantic brethren. We might soon, if desirable to you, send messengers to your Assembly, and receive yours in our General Conference, by which we might be brought more intimately acquainted. As I am young and unmarried, I could realize no greater pleasure than that of visiting my brethren on that side the Atlantic, beholding their order and uniting with them in preaching Jesus and the Resurrection; but a deficiency in property must prevent such a voyage, and chain my feet to the American shores. In about two weeks I expect to commence the publication of a large religious newspaper, to be devoted to theological discussion, &c.; of which I am sole editor and proprietor, and am desirous of possessing some of your English publications, from which to derive some matter for it. If you, or a society for that purpose, will procure a quantity of late Magazines, &c. &c., and send me by the first vessel that sails to our ports, I will immediately on their receipt, collect a quantity of our publications and send you. Perhaps you might make an arrangement with the publishers of certain religious works to send theirs and receive mine in exchange, by which we shall obtain a better knowledge of what is going forward. "In the holy bonds of the Gospel, I am affectionately yours, REUBEN POTTER, Jun. "Should you be able to comply with my request, in forwarding a collection of periodical works, the sooner you send them the more the favour will be enhanced. Letters from you and any of your friends, will be gratefully received, and be certain of receiving the earliest attention. If you wish to open a correspondence with either of the other denominations, I will refer you in my next to ministers who will be happy to unite in it. As my writing is scarcely legible, and I have had but little time to devote to it, I fear you will not be able to read me. Inaccuracies you will please to excuse. Let me hear from you soon. "In great haste, I am yours, 'R. POTTER, Jun. "The title of my paper is the Gospel Palladium. "Mr. G. Smallfield, "Hackney, England." SIR, June 10, 1823. CAN any of your correspondents or Rev. John Hope, formerly Tutor of Warrington Academy, (mentioned in the Theolog. Repos. Vol. VIII. pp. 4, 86, 577,) was educated, and at what age he commenced his studies? What was his father's Christian name? and where he resided when John was born? SIR, A CONSTANT READER. MR. Corsa Hebrew scholar) has somewhere said that we can have no other conception of the Deity than as embodied in the person of Jesus Christ; and that, in our prayers, we address a reality only so far as we have the image of Jesus Christ before us. This may seem to come strangely from one familiar with the Jewish Scriptures; who must have known that the worship of God R. BELLAMY (who has dis amongst the Jews previous to the Christian æra, could not possibly embrace the views of Christians of the person of Christ. And yet, Mr. Editor, this gentleman's notion frequently recurs to my recollection in my intercourse with persons holding the popular creed, and suggests a somewhat formidable difficulty in regard to the adoption of Unitarian views by plain, unlettered minds. It has, I believe, been often hinted, the Unitarian doctrine is too abstract and philosophical; too rational (I had almost said) for popular belief; but, thinking as we do, the Scriptures most clearly teach the worshop of a Spiritual Being, (not Jesus Christ, but a Being in a high spiritual sense, the Father of Jesus Christ,) I feel more affected, Sir, by the difficulty which seems to attend the competent conception and grasping of the idea of such a Being by uncultivated minds. It will occur to many of your readers, how relieved such minds seem, the instant they associate the person of Jesus Christ with the Godhead; they then expatiate with all freedom on a "pardoning God," a " merciful God," &c.; and if their convictions are not very clear, their feelings seem then to have an object to which they promptly attach themselves with grateful, fervent affection. Conversing lately with ing female of the Establia well-meanseemed peculiarly happy in a new religious experience, I found it impossible to fix her view for a moment on the Deity separate from the personal image of the Saviour. She notwithstanding declared she prayed to God, and, I had some reason to believe, used a language in prayer that might seem almost correct and scriptural to Unitarian Christians. But, till the person of the Mediator was in her view, her ideas seem to have been without an object, and her words with out meaning. For my own aid and guidance, Mr. Editor, I shall be happy in the suggestions of any of your intelligent readers on this difficulty; and beg to ask them, whether we may not (for a creature of sight and sense as man is) refine too much in the worship of God, and reject the aid of the senses and imagination more than it could ever have been intended we should do? For my own part, I freely |
