true Christian religion, the only face of kirk, out of CHAP. which there is no possibility of salvation,* (as she says,) and therefore her pitiful crocodile prayer is, Amer. O that the civil rulers of the earth would fall in love Cont. F. with me! that a nation might be born in a day, and Isai. Ixvi. 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, ip deed, 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 for 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 benefitted 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 christianity, is the immoral influence it

chap.xxv

8.

pervort

sd.

III.

CHAP. 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 Panop 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.

Christn.

330.

Hist. of

465.

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. They can reproach one another with the title of popish tyrant, Protestant persecutor, Presbyterian liar, drunken Seceder, Baptist knave, or Methodist whoremonger; but these are terms of no reproach 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 Redemp. their forefathers, is not easily answered. They were Hote [1] good men, (say they,) and we will follow them; we 'doubt not but they were happy without this new reli" gion, 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 Indianan Indian just in his dealings, and a Christian not so; a laborious Indian and an idle Christian, &c.

III.

O what a sad thing it is for Christians to come short CHAP. 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, 66 we are ut- Amer. terly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil," and, "This corruption of nature, during this life, doth remain in those that are regenerated." And further, "No Larg man is able, either of himself, or by any grace re- 149. ceived in this life, perfectly to keep the commandments of God; but doth daily break them in thought, word, and deed."

Conf. F.

Chap. vi,

Cat. Q.

ibid.

28. This is called genuine christianity; and is a suitable pretext for all the aggravated sins of those Christians who are of riper age, greater experience, or a 151. grace, eminent for profession, gifts, place, office, guides to others, &c. and which are committed as they express it, against means, mercies, judgments, light of nature, conviction of conscience, public or private admonition, censures of the church, civil punishments ; and against their own prayers, purposes, promises, vows, covenants, and engagements to God or men; done deliberately, wilfully, presumptuously, impudently, boastingly, maliciously, frequently, obstinately, with delight, continuance, or relapsing after repentance,

&c. &c. &c.

29. Now go, saith the man of God, write it before Lai. xx. them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever; that this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord.

30. As to particular forms of doctrine, Christians of the present day have learned the art of dissenting from one another, and new modelling their doctrines so cunningly, that probably many would not openly

CHAP.

III.

avow the above article of faith. Many of the followers of John Wesley, George Whitefield, and others, talk of Christian perfection-a possibility of living without sin; and doubtless many of them, under the influence of sentiments borrowed from the scriptures of truth, have felt a great deliverance, as they supposed, from the power of sin, so as, for a season, to abstain from every appearance of evil in their knowledge.

31. Yet however the stream of conviction, or of comfort and consolation, might flow from breast to breast, and whatever temporary fruits it might produce, the pool of natural corruption still remained, which is evident from their own prayers to be delivered from the last and least remains of sin.

32. No stream can rise higher than its fountainhead; and whether John Wesley himself attained that perfection which he preached, has been a question even among his followers. But if we are to judge from his own writings, it will appear, that his views of himself were very different from what many have entertained concerning him.

33. On his passage from America to England, Jan. 1738, he writes in his Journal as follows. "I went to America to convert the Indians: But O! who 'shall convert me? Who, what is he that will deliv'er me from this evil heart of unbelief? I have a fair 'summer-religion. I can talk well; nay, and believe 'myself while no danger is near; but let death look me in the face and my soul is troubled. Nor can I

say, to die is gain.”

34. The day he landed at Deal, in England, he writes: "It is now two years, and almost four months 'since I left my native country, in order to teach the Georgian Indians the nature of christianity; but what have I learned myself in the mean time? Why, (what I the least of all suspected) that I who went to America to convert others, was never myself converted to God. I am not mad, though I thus ⚫ speak; but, I speak the words of truth and soberif haply some of those who still dream, may awake and see, that as I am, so are they, &c." 35. This then have I learned in the ends of the

ness }

earth; that I am fallen short of the glory of God; that my whole heart is altogether corrupt and abominable, and consequently my whole life, (seeing it 'cannot be that an evil tree should bring forth good fruit.")

36. Then if this most eminent branch of the church of England, and his fruit, were both corrupt and abominable, (and he never was cut off from his union to that church, but lived and died in her communion,) can any of those branches which have derived their sap and nourishment from him, be any better?

CHAP.

III.

37. Thou that talkest of Christian perfection, boast Rom. i. not, for thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. 18. And this friendly caution from the root of one of the most flourishing branches of the church universal, is, according to its original design, inserted here, if haply some of those who still dream their self-flattering dreams, may awake and see that, as the root, so are the branches-altogether corrupt and abominable.

Panop.p.

38. A late author in defence of christianity, supposes that, "degenerate as too many professing Chris- Chutian tians are, Christianity has nothing to fear from a 329. 31. contrast with unbelievers, in point of morality." Be it so, it certainly has nothing whereof to boast, even if it were all true what this writer asserts it has done. "It has-It has―(And what is the sum?) introdu'ced more equality between the two sexes, and rendered the conjugal union more rational and happy.Having, therefore, (adds he) weathered all the storms, and sustained without injury, all the assaults of 1800 years, what has she now to fear?”

59. She, even she, who for more than a thousand years, was an open public harlot to the kings of the earth, even in the judgment of all her Protestant daughters! She who now saith in her heart, I sit a Queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow! what has she to fear? but that the same national powers, that supported her, shall hate the whore, and shall #make her desolate, and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

40. In point of doctrine, of government and morals, this true Catholic Christianity is all of a kind.

Rev. xvi

and

xvii. 10.