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they may receive a classical, commercial, and religious education. The youth, I think, should be admitted when they are eight years of age, and be allowed to stay in the seminary till they are thirteen. I am aware that there is an institution of this kind near London; but if I am not greatly misinformed, our ministers with small or very moderate salaries, could by no means afford to send their children to that seminary.

plished with comparative ease. Let some public-spirited individual, of respectability and influence, exert himself to recommend it to his own immediate connexions; and whilst he thus lays the foundation of a structure, which cannot but be productive of incalculable good, he will necessarily rear a monument to his own memory more durable than brass-formed indeed of imperishable materials. Let a comOur Wesleyan brethren, much mittee of gentlemen be formed to their honour, have two estab- for its management; let donalishments for this important tions, annual subscriptions, and purpose; one at Kingswood, and collections, be solicited for its the other at Woodhouse Grove, in support; and let a minister be which about 120 boys, the sons of found, possessing a mind welltheir ministers, are educated. An cultivated, distinguished for his institution far inferior in magni- affection, and the genuineness. tude would be sufficient for our and ardour of his piety,—one, denomination, as there are doubt- who would feel peculiar pleasure less a large number of our minis-in superintending so interesting a ters who have no need to avail themselves of such a charity.

charge; and to whom, with a suitable assistant, such a seminary might be advantageously entrusted.*

Mr. Wesley, appealing to the Christian societies in his connexion, on this important subject, I am persuaded that such an Is it fit that the children establishment is much, very much, says, of those who give themselves to be desired; and should the wholly to the work of the Lord, Baptist Magazine be happily the and labour to save souls from means of successfully introducing death, should want what is need-the subject to the attention of ful either for the soul or the body? our brethren, it will have an adOught not we to supply what the ditional claim upon the support parent cannot, because of his la- of our denomination. bours in the gospel? The parent, thus eased of his weight, can the more cheerfully go on in his labour; and, perhaps, some of the children may hereafter fill up the places of those who shall rest from their labours. Do what you can to comfort the parents, who give up their all for you, and to give their children cause to bless you. Such a charity deserves to be considered among the noblest that can be conceived."

I have no doubt but that this great object might be accom

Coseley.

B. H. D.

It is rather a remarkable coinci dence, that several ministers in London

have been consulting on the same subject, and have been thinking of a plan, which, though somewhat different from the above, will yet, if realized, accom

plish the object proposed by our highly valued correspondent. Some pious females also are very anxious that the daughters of our ministers may be comprehended in it. The Editors invite discussion on the best plan for the accomplishing of these benevolent designs.— EDITOR.

ON

THE WANT OF CHARITY.

the soul, through the influences of the Holy Spirit; and from the discoveries which God has made of himself, Christians have been induced to worship him as Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.-But what a monstrous caricature have the adversaries of this system exhibited of it!-Three equal Gods: One, (the Father,) of severe and unrelenting justice, revengeful, inexorable without full satisfaction; |—another, (the Son,) all love, striving, as it were, to persuade the Father to be merciful, and dying to glut the Father's revenge-the third, (the Spirit,) attending to bestow his gracious communications:-and these three Gods but one God. Do not these unfounded accusations argue a want of charity?

How frequently also is the con

THERE is nothing more talked of, or less practised, in our days, than Christian charity. Many have been the reflections cast on the party usually styled orthodox, for their want of charity; but it often happens that their accusers appear as destitute of the principle as those that are accused. God, in the view of Trinitarians, is not only to be considered as the parent of the human race, but also as the moral governor of the world. As such he has given laws, on the observance of which the good of the whole depends. The honour of his government requires, that disobedience to them should not be dispensed with; a law without penal sanc-duct of former ages alluded to, tions being of no greater autho- as a matter of reproach to Trinirity than good advice. The laws tarians in the present day! How of God have been most atrocious- often is it said, that the Unitaly violated by the sins of men; rians, (as they call themselves,) consequently punishment was are a set of Christians persecuted due; nor could it be evaded for the truth, and that the orthowithout relaxing the force of the dox doctrine was first established, laws, and opening a way for far-and has been all along supported, ther violations of them. An atonement for the violation was made by the obedience and death of the Lord Jesus Christ; the dig. nity of whose person is considered as enhancing the value of what he did and suffered. The mercy and love of God appear in his acceptance of this satisfaction, when, if he had been strict to mark our iniquity, he might justly have insisted on our own personal satisfaction. They appear yet more in providing this adequate satisfaction, and sending his son to be the propitiation for our sins: as also in the Lord Jesus so freely giving himself a ransom for many. The benefits of this salvation are applied to

by violence and the secular power;-that its advocates were universally conscious that it could be supported by no other method;-that it would not stand the test of argument, &c.! I am far from denying that Unitarians have been persecuted, and still farther would I be from defending such conduct; and this, I dare say, is the sentiment of the orthodox in general at this day. It has indeed evidently appeared to be so, from the ready concurrence of many of them with Unitarians, in petitioning the legislature for relief from persecuting statutes. Would it not, therefore, be more consistent with charity, not to say justice,

to allow, that doctrines the most sublime in their nature, and benevolent in their tendency, have sometimes failed of properly affecting the minds, and influencing the practice, of their advocates. Our Lord's aphorism, My kingdom is not of this world, has not prevented his professed followers from struggling for temporal dominion. His immediate disciples contended which should be greatest. Power, lodged in the hands of men espousing the best opinions, has been often perverted to the worst of purposes. Men in power, through the pride of their hearts, will not bear contradiction. A mistaken zeal for God also has hurried even good men to actions, which cooler posterity have abhorred. Hence the disciples of Christ would have called for fire from heaven, to destroy the unkind Samaritans. Hence particular systems of faith have been established by human laws, and the least deviation from them has exposed men to unjustifiable severities. Nor have the Arians, when in power, shewn better tempers than the orthodox. But what does all this prove? No

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denial of it made a part of the charge against Servetus, than that the immateriality of the Deity is false, the denial of which is also said to have made a part of his indictment. It ought not to be made an objection to a particular doctrine, that it has the sanction of human authority, till first of all it be proved to have no better support. The very objection raised by Unitarians against the doctrine of the Trinity, the Deists actually urge against the whole Christian system; namely: "It has been all along supported by violence, and the secular power," Surely such an accusation as this is another proof of a want of charity on the part of our opponents. They do not consider that it is possible for even wicked men to be professedly on the side of truth; and that truth walks on majestically in her career, justified by her children; esteeming herself neither honoured nor disgraced, if a tribute of applause is at any time paid her by her enemies.

ON

thing more than that religion and THE PERSON OF CHRIST,

civil government ought to be kept entirely distinct; that the magistrate's province is the preserva

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AND HIS QUALIFICATIONS

TO BECOME

tion of the public peace; and A Mediator between God & Man. that matters of religious opinion do not come properly under his cognizance. It no more follows that the doctrine of the Trinity is untrue, because it has happened to have the countenance of the civil magistrate, than that other uncontroverted points are untrue, for the same reason; or that Christianity itself is untrue, because it has been forced into an alliance with the state. It will no more follow, that the doctrine of the Trinity is false, because a

GOD the Father calls him, My beloved Son." Matt. iii. 17, and xvii. 5. The saints, under the Old Testament, called him "Messiah." Dan. ix. 26. John i. 41. The disciples called him, "Christ, the Son of the living God." Matt. xvi. 16. John vi. 60, To prove that he was "the Son of God," was one main design of the apostolic ministry, Acts ix, 20 and under that character he

was believed on by the primitive | names united, denote the anointed

Christians, Acts viii. 37. The angels called him, "Christ the Lord." Luke ii. 11. Besides these, many other honourable names are given him in the scriptures, such as, Wonderful," "Saviour," "6 Mediator," ""Prince of Peace," &c.

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The scripture speaks of " Three that bear witness in heaven; the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost." 1 John v. 7. They are commonly called by divines, three Persons, yet one God; and for distinction's sake, they are called the first, the second, and the third: not that one is before another in being, power, or honour; but for the sake of distinguishing them after the order of their operations. We commonly say, The Father is the first person; the Son the second; and the Holy Ghost the third: seeing the scriptures name them in this order, John v. 7, and Matt. xxviii.

19.

The second person in the Godhead, as we gather from this order, is Christ, the Son of God; the Saviour of miserable sinners, who is called also the Word. That the Lord Jesus is intended by the Word, is to be inferred from John i. 1, 14, " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.-And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us."

But the name by which the Saviour is most frequently denominated in the New Testament, is Jesus Christ, or Christ Jesus. The term Christ is of the same meaning as Messiah, and signifies the anointed One. The term Jesus, his appropriate name, given to him by Joseph, by the command of the angel, signifies a Saviour. Matt. i. 21. These two

Saviour; or a perfectly qualified and appointed Saviour. These qualifications consisted in his possessing two natures, the divine and human; for as the design of his office was to make peace between God and man, (2 Cor. v. 18, 19, 20; Eph. ii. 14, 15, 16,) it was necessary that he should possess the nature of both; that God and man, between whom sin had caused a separation, might meet and be reconciled in him.

"Christ,

I. That Christ was God appears from the following scripture testimonies: "His name shall be called the mighty God." Isaiah ix. 6. "God manifest in the flesh." 1 Tim. iii. 16. who is over all, God blessed for ever." Rom. ix. 5. "But uuto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever." Heb. i. 8. We might refer to many others, but let these suffice. We should, however, keep in mind the passages of holy writ, where Christ is called "The Son of God;" which also prove his Divinity.

It has been a matter of dispute, in what sense Christ is called "The Son of God." Some maintain that he is so called merely as man, having been begotten of God in the womb of the Virgin, without a natural father. This must be a mistaken idea; for in that case instead of being called the Father's Son, he would have been called the Son of the Holy Ghost. But the scriptures never speak of him as the Son of the Holy Ghost; on the contrary, they say, that the Holy Ghost "proceedeth from the Father and the Son." John xv. 26.

Others think that Christ is called "the Son of God," as Mediator, God and man; and that the title Son is not appropriate to

him as God, without including his office and humanity. This is a more rational idea than the former, yet it has been adopted, it is to be feared, that it might be within the compass of human reason to comprehend it.

Others maintain that sonship is appropriate to the second Person in the Godhead, as he existed eternally and necessarily in and of the Father, or was eternally begotten by him; and that this mystery is rather to be believed than comprehended. And this appears to me to be the most consistent idea respecting the sonship of Christ.

of scripture which speak of the Son of God.

I was held in this state of doubt for a considerable time, without opening my mind, or mentioning my difficulty and trial to any one; but I continued to read what books I could get that treated on the subject, till at length my trial became insupportable. More especially at one time, being on a journey, and meditating on the point, my senses were so overcome that I knew not where I was, nor whither I was going. When I came to myself, I began to reflect upon my own weakness, and my utter insufficiency to comprehend the deep things of God. At length I endeavoured to beseech God to show his mercy and compassion towards me; and in prayer I entreated deliverance out of this great trial, in the way that should be most for his own glory, and my satisfaction and comfort. In conse quence of this I felt perfectly willing and desirous, so far as I knew myself, to know the truth as the truth; and I experienced a degree of calmness of mind.

I am not ashamed to declare what may be of use to others, namely, in what manner my mind became settled on this great point. I can truly say, that this has lain with greater weight on my mind than any other religious topic; nor could I be satisfied without being able to form some rational idea in my mind upon it. During this time, either the one or the other of the firstnamed opinions appeared to me most likely to be the truth. As my reason could not comprehend The next thing I did was to the last, and I could not there- read those parts of scripture fore think it true, I tried, as much which speak of the Son of God, as I could, to fetch arguments with a full determination to be from reason and scripture to dis- decided in my judgment by what prove it. But yet I was unable I could understand to be the with full satisfaction to hold fast meaning of the Holy Ghost in the either of the first-mentioned sen- scriptures, whether my reason timents, fearing lest, by denying could comprehend it or not. One Christ to be a Son as God, I expression which more particushould lessen the glory of his larly engaged my notice was this: sonship: then I would turn "And without controversy, great over in my mind the words Son is the mystery of godliness, God and sonship, and endeavour to was manifest in the flesh," 1 Tim. find out their meaning; and I iii. 16; which seemed to contain tried to conclude that they were in it an unfathomable depth; afwholly unappropriate to the eter-ter which I felt sharply reproved nal God; but still I could not be fully satisfied that they were not; especially when reading passages

VOL. X

for attempting to comprehend this great mystery, and came to this conclusion, that if God's ma

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