not with the interest of experience and improvement. What is it to me, what the primitive Christians experienced, if I am not to be made a partaker of like precious faith? How can I improve from what is no concern of mine? Mr. W.'s system actually introduces us to a new dispensation, renders all appeal to the Bible nugatory, on the subject of Christian experience, and leaves us without a proper guide. The greater part of the Apostolic Epistles, which are taken up with God's gracious dealings towards man, thus becomes useless. These are the only legitimate inferences which can be deduced from Mr. W.'s statements. For, if those passages of Scripture, which speak of the operations of the Holy Ghost, are to be applied only to the primitive Christians; if at present we have only "the confident assertions" of individuals, both for the one and the other; and if their as sertions are not to be credited;* what can be more plain, than the utter exclusion of the kingdom of grace, and the establishment of a maimed Deity, who, in special cases, is without the eye of Providence, and the arm of power? Remarkable, it should seem from such a doctrine as Mr. W.'s, as any thing may be, which is felt in the soul; and rare as any occurrence may seem, which takes place in domestic life; as we have only the assertions of individuals for them, and have neither seen nor experienced them ourselves, we are to discard the whole as a delusion. Would he proceed thus, as a philosopher? Would be not make an appeal to the most popular standard works, for any thing that might come under his observation? And if he met with any thing in them which at all coincided with his own remarks, would he not be very much confirmed? The Bible is the Christian's standard:-a book, not intended for one age, for one people, but for every age and every person. It is the boon of heaven to MAN; and on doctrine, morals, and experience, it will be the grand book of reference to the consummation of all things. If we are not to take the Sacred Records for our guide, as it respects experimental truth,-and we cannot take them for our guide unless there be something in them to meet the exigencies of our peculiar case, to what are we to resort? To the confident assertions of Mr. W.? Every age, if Mr. W. be correct, will require its revelation from heaven; and hence, instead of a standing test, we must have a regular-succession of discoveries of the will of God. The apostles, too, or rather, which is still more awful-the Holy Ghost, is chargeable with an omission, in which is involved the felicity of millions of intelligent beings, for not specifying which passages belonged to the primitive Christians, and which to the experience of future ages * Page 53, 77. VOL XLII. FEBRUARY, 1819. *M* of the church. Without a marked distinction, to direct our aberrant mind and steps, we might lose our way. This is a subject, Sir, which ought not to be slightly dismissed. Upon this hinge the success of the controversy must turn : establish the propriety of appeal, and then you only have to cite chapter and verse. Do not mistake me: I would not be understood as insinuating, that Mr. W. states in positive terms, that all appeal to the Bible is to be excluded. He will allow it in some things, but not in others; he will indulge himself in this way, but not a Methodist. He would adduce the miracles of Christ, as an evidence of the truth of Christianity, for the conviction of a modern infidel; but he would not appeal to the experience of the primitive Christians, for the consolation and confirmation of a modern Christian. Thus, what he omits in explicit language, he produces in effect, by affirming that things at present can bear no relation to those of former ages; that the experience of the first converts to Christianity can be no criterion for us. The influence of the Spirit is of vital importance; for "if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his :" and in things of moment, an appeal to Scripture is essential. It is not my intention, however, immediately to enter upon the doctrines of the Spirit, and an extraordinary Providence; I only wish to smooth the path, by demonstrating, as far as possible, the necessity and propriety of appeal to Scripture. It may be assumed as a fact, Sir, that the primitive church was to be the model of ours, and that the truths delivered in that church were to be preached to the end of time. Hence, whatever coincidence we may trace in modern ages, with things recorded in the Word of God;-whatever similarity of effect may be witnessed in the intellectual, moral, and political world, we are authorised to refer them to the same cause. Mr. W. informs us, that the witness of the Spirit, and salvation from sin, were confined to the first Christians; and that an extraordinary Providence terminated with the age of miracles. From whence has he derived his information? He may be defied, without any fear of his succeeding, to produce a solitary passage from the Sacred Text, to prove that either of these was limited in the manner described. It might here be demanded, by way of retort,-From what Scripture is it proved they were to be perpetuated? Waving all direct evidence, for the moment, it might be maintained from the total silence of the sacred records on the opposite side of the question: and, to say the least, something specific ought to have been stated on the subject. I am not now contending for the gift of tongues, and for the power of working miracles; but for what is essential to the comfort and moral safety of man,-for the experience of the Christian Church, which occupies so large a portion of the Word of Truth. Was not God with his church, in the power of his Spirit, of old? Did he ever give the smallest intimation that that power should cease? Has it not been his invariable plan, in matters of moment, in great moral and political revolutions, to give some express or predictive evidence of the same? Was not the whole of the Old Testament dispensation an intimation of the New? Would he, under the Mosaic economy, have introduced any change without informing his people? Is not the Apocalypse a prophetic declaration of God's dealings with the church through all future ages? When the New Testament dispensation was ushered in, was it not intended as God's last dispensation of mercy to man? and that from the realization of types, the fulfilment of prophecy, and the circumstance of St. John being commanded to seal up the vision? Did the pious Jews ever cease to expect the accomplishment of any promise, to practise any duty, or respect any ordinance, that distinguished the introduction of their economy, till they had further discoveries from God himself? Even in the case of cities, families, and individuals, the Divine Being, when he has been about to visit them with some change, in the way of judgment or mercy, has condescended either to sound the alarm, or proclaim the promise. How much more, in so important a concern, as the Spirit's influence! It was as natural for a Christian of the tenth century to expect a continuance of the essential characteristics which marked the introduction of his dispensation, as it was for a Jew prior to the coming of the Messiah, in the particulars already specified. A caution, therefore, would become necessary to check such expectations. I need not remind you, Sir, that miracles are out of the question; I refer to the grand constituent parts which go to form the whole of the Christian system, and which, after its establishment by the preaching and practice of Christ and his apostles, was to be handed down to posterity in the writings of the New Testament.-That God intended the uninterrupted enjoyment of both of the disputed blessings, may be argued not only from the silence of Scripture, but from the necessity of the case. Are not men equally "far gone from original righteousness" now, with those in the apostolic age? Is it not essential to their safety, to be purified "by the washing of regeneration, and the renewing of the Holy Ghost;" and to their comfort, to be assured of their adoption? Are they not exposed to the same dangers, and equally unable to extricate themselves, with those to whom God has extended his immediate interposition? I am far from supposing, however, that this species of negative evidence, is sufficient to establish the point in debate. There is something more positive. We find repeated references to the Hebrew Writings, and to the Hebrew church, in the New Testament. In things moral and religious,-things abstracted from the cere monial law, which law was to be abolished, the apostles were in the habitof pleading the authority of the one, and the example of the other. By a parity of reasoning, had we at this distant period been favoured with an additional revelation to the New Testament, we should, provided the connexion had been as close, have imitated their conduct. This should now especially be the case, since we have no other authority but the Scriptures, and no other collective example but the primitive Church. It appears, 1. That the BIBLE is the only ground of appeal in matters of religion. "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."* 2. That it is a sufficient guide and ground of appeal. "They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them. If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead."+ 3. That it was the constant practice of CHRIST and the APOSTLES to appeal to the written word. Of our Lord it is said, "And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them, in all the Scriptures, the things concerning himself."‡ "And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures."§ 4. That every thing delivered by CHRIST and the APOSTLES, on the essentials of Christianity, was general in its application. "Heaven and earth," said Jesus, "shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." Some of his words were, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink." Aud to prevent any individual from applying this to the Jews, and to the days of our Saviour's flesh, the evangelist adds, "This spake he of the Spirit, which they that believed on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not given, because that Jesus was not glorified." Our Lord proceeds, "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the words that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day."|| No less general were the apostles; "Whatsoever things," says St. Paul, were written aforetime, were written for our learning; that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope." "Which things also we speak, (things concerning the Spirit,) not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual." Speaking of Abraham, on the subject of imputed righteousness, he observes," Now it was not written for his sake alone, but for us also." After having related different things respecting the children of Israel, he again remarks, "They are written for our Isai. viii. 20, + Luke xvi. 29, 31. + Luke xxiv. 27. chap. xxi. 16; xix. 46; Mark xii. 24; Luke x 25-27, &c &c. For other instances, see chap. xxi. 13, 42; Luke Acts xvii. 2. Also, other apostles, Acts. ii. chap. iii. chap. iv. chap. v. chap. xviii. xxiv. xxv. xxviji. Mark xiii. 31; John vii. 37, 39; chap. xii. 48. admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." He still goes on, "Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances (ras zagadoses, traditions) as I delivered them unto you." "Hold the tradititions which ye have been taught, whether by word or our epistle." " All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." St. Peter, in the same style, says, "Ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit-being born again, &e.-which liveth and abideth for ever. I will endeavour that you may be able, after my decease, to have these thing sin remembrance. We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well to take heed, as to a light which shineth in a dark place knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation."* 5. That the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament will be the standard of appeal to the end of the world. "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish from it." "Every word of God is pure:-Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." By adding or diminishing, we make the word of God " of none effect." Immediately after the invitation of the SPIRIT to every human being, to come and take of the water of life, St. John remarks, "I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him all the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in the book."+ To prevent Mr. W. from reaping any advantage from a limited construction of this curse, applying it solely to the Apocalypse, he ought to recollect that the doctrine of the Spirit's influence, which he wishes to "take away," is there inculcated.‡ Adopting his own language, in another case, "The import of these striking passages is at once so obvious and decisive, that I will not injure their effect by" further "adding paraphrase or commentary."§ It should seem, that Mr.W.'s contracted views of Scripture, in restricting a considerable portion of sacred truth to the primitive Christians, has had no small share of influence on his practice. Curiosity has led me to notice the number of Scripture references in his work, a work comprising 217 octavo pages, and I have found 53. What will astonish you not a little, Sir, is, that among the passages which Mr. W. affirms the Methodists quote Rom. xv. 4; 1 Cor. ii. 13 Rom. iv. 23, 24; 1 Cor. x. 11; Rev. i. 4; chap. xi. 2; 2 Thess. + Deut. iv. 2; Matt. chap. ii. 7, 11, 17, 29; chap. v. 6; chap. xxii. 17. Page 90. |