ページの画像
PDF
ePub

fift not evil. Here the prohibition is general, and includes all evils, both great and fmall; nor will it admit of any limitation, because it was immediately, and directly, levelled against such retaliation of evils, as the law of Mofes had appointed, which were great evils as well as fmall, fuch as the lofs of life, of an eye, a hand, a foot, and the like. Befides, Chrift was fo far from admitting resistance and retaliation of any evil, how great foever, that on the contrary, he required his difciples to love and treat kindly the inflictors of those evils, which is incompatible with refiftance and retaliation of them.

AND here it will be but just to acknowledge, that the people called Quakers have paid a strict regard to some of those precepts peculiarly Chriftian, viz. in the cases of non-fwearing, and non-refiftance of evil; at leaft, this was the cafe in former times, however of late their fidelity may have feemed to flagg; but then, they seem to have been equally regardless of others of Christ's precepts, fuch as, reftrain the defire and pursuit of earthly treafures, as they have appeared to be as great monopolizers of worldly goods, as any people in the world befides.

From

From whence, then, is this prepofteroufness of conduct? Hath not he that faid, fwear not at all, refift not evil, faid alfo, lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, take no (or little) thought for your life, what ye fhall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for the body what ye shall put on? Were not thefe precepts all given by one and the fame mafter or lawgiver? And do they not all equally oblige the subject? And if fo, then from whence is this great partiality of obedience? For, fuppofing an horizontal hat and laceless apparel may be characteristicks of a Quaker; yet nothing lefs than a uniform. obedience to Chrift's laws is the characteriftick of a true difciple of Jefus Christ. John viii. 31. If ye continue in my word, then are ye my difciples indeed.

THE prefent Methodists, I apprehend, do also profess to pay a strict regard, at least, to some of those precepts that are peculiarly christian; and as far as this is really the cafe in fact, whilft those who oppose them do not, thus far, they have a much better pretence to difcipleship to Chrift, and to the name Christian, than those who preach and write against them. The Methodists pretend to be under the guidance and direction of the D Spirit

!

Spirit of God, in the exercife of their ministry, which our Clergy do fcarcely admit; they, likewise, pretend to aim at a much higher degree of Chriftian perfection, than what at prefent paffes for currant christianity; and this has drawn on them the imputation of Enthufiafts. Whether the Methodists pretenfions are just, or whether this imputation be justly laid upon them, I do not pretend to fay; but this I obferve, that the former of thefe, viz. the guidance of God's fpirit, is what our Church prays for; and the latter is what the writings of the new testament require and recommend; and therefore, furely, the terms enthusiasm and enthusiast fhould be cautiously applyed by Christians, left they should be found to terminate, not in methodifm, but in Christianity; for, in this cafe, as is the ftream, fo is the fountain it flows from. And, notwithstanding the loud out-cry that has been made against methodism, were it decently cooked up into a regular conftitution, and were archbishopricks, bishopricks, deaneries, and other emoluments of grandeur, wealth and power, annexed to it; then, I dare fay, it would be looked upon with a more favourable eye, and meet with much better acceptance, than

it now does; and then, one might venture to foretell, without the gift of prophesy, that converfions, even of our Clergy, to methodism, would not be an unusual thing, nor a difficult task to effect, in fuch inftances where the balance of trade lay pretty much on that fide of the queftion. And were inethodism equally liberal to it's Clergy with the Church of England, then, no doubt, it would be deemed equally excellent with her ; not but were a better penny to be gained in another way, diftinct from them both, it is great odds but it would gain the afcendant over them, by having the most votaries; as careful and industrious traders usually go to the best market. The forms of external religion are many and various; and if more is to be gained under one form than under another, the question is, why should not a Clergyman accept of a tranflation from one external form of religion to another, as well as from one parjonage, or one bishoprick, to another? Why may not the fhepherd change his pafturage as well as his flock, when his intereft will as effectually be promoted by the former as the latter? feeing interest is the ground of all these changes. For tho' one form of external religion may be more grofs

D 2

grofs and carnal, and more bürdenfome to the people, than another; yet, as each individual can neither introduce nor fink forms of external religion at pleasure, fo the queftion is, whether a man is not to make the best, and moft, of that form he happens to be placed under, or may have the opportunity of being tranflated to? As to truth and true religion, they are after-confiderations, that may be thought to be pretty much out of the question; as every man may inwardly enjoy thefe, and make them a principle of action to himself; and confequently, he may be as good in himself, and do as much good to others, whatever external form of religion he outwardly conforms to; and as a sense of God and religion may be, and is kept up in the world, in and by all thofe external forms. And tho' truth and true religion are what they are, independent of all external forms; yet, perhaps, they may, in part, be mixed and blended with them. Thus, the unity and the fingle supremacy of the one God and father of all is maintained by the mahometan form; whereas, under fome of the external forms of religion, called Chrif tian, the cafe is otherwife; but then, perhaps, in other inftances, truth and true reli

« 前へ次へ »