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JO II N S T A xN N A (; V. , .'HUSSION A RV. ESPKUIALLY INTENDED FOR PLAIN TEOI'LE, MKMEEiJ- OK THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. **>* HALIFAX: rRiMi-.n r.v r.ossir it roMjn. at tul riMi:;> oiriiK, 1810. i >- a^ b 'k"^ ^ ^^ s ' a \ ^ - '1 MWWR Ml gi|pmffi||{ M W W ' W ii'l t *-r»' fii w< mp fi HM III |>i i I r^ illlHi ia HMIt JVot/j I beseech you, Brethren, mark them which cause divisions, and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly ; and by good words and fair speeches, deceive the hearts of the simple.''-— Kom. XVI. 17. -^ r vVt jGMK of you, my Brethren, may think me hhcah and severe in selecting this text for my present rubjec. ; but I must be^ you to consider that these are (he ^vords of a- Acostle, of an inspired writer, and that ^i; fureiy cannot I?e wrong to place before you what comes immediately from the Holy Ghost. We are not to consult the caprice or will of any man in the discharge of our duty. We are not to enquire whether such and such a text will give offence to those whom it best ouits, or not ; but our duty, and the good of the Church, require us to give all the information possible upon every point of the Christian doctrine ; and to form our sermons according to the peculiar wants and circumstances of our flocks. The Apostles had received power and command to preach the Gospel throughout the world ; and their Divine Master had given them all the necessary in- structions concerning the establishment of his Church. No doubt, all the particular counsels and injunctions :!■■ mm 4 "l.ich I,e gave tl.em, before leaving .Ws world, are not mentioned Ml tie C;oVhere do' we find that thevr cet.ed the least countenance frotn the inspired wri^e s Rather, does not St. Paul say i„ our te.t, "m'rk |i=em winch cause divisions and avoid thetn.'" D ho not call the. carnal who „,erely followed one tnin^ ter n preference to another, instead of puttins all sTon 7",^ -"Jffections on Christ, as'the dn^ bishop 01 so,.ls f We need only read the Scriptures to .ee how the holy Apostles hated and reprovedTkTnds -even the appearance of divisions. In the 20th ch o .he Acts, we find the sante Apostle delivering le ollowtng charge or commands, to the cler.y of Eph^ us ,n whtch he appears particularly to cfead the ef- fect of dtssent atnong them. " Take heed therefore nto yourselves," says he, "and to all the flock ovr l.e winch the Holy Ghost hath made yot- ovet'eers ee the Church of God which He'has p^ ^d' ""■' ^^ °«" ^^"°^- For I know this, iha after mv departtng shall grievous wolves enter i^ at^o g 'T not spanng the flock. Also of your ownselves fhal .3, men calhng thentselves Ministers of Chris, v thou be",g truly ordained by the Apostles or Bis ps who alone had power to ordain them ; who would alfo pe k U H mm M "^ KBBP f/ . nnd otliers Ministers, h some of rist. Eut e Apostle ; they re- ' writers. J " mark " Does one min- utting all tbe chief ptures to all kinds 20th ch. 3r'ng the f Ephe- rl the ef- iierefore )ck over 'erseers, irchased ifter my ig you, es shall 'my dis- ion, he ' : that rt'ithout s, who 3 speak or teach such things as the true Church had never tauglit or behoved ; and this in such a manner as to make peo[)le believe that tliey were veiy holy and re- ligious ; and thus, " by good words and Jair speeches, deceiving the hearts o*' tiie simple," or the unguarded, for the mere purpose of '' draiving away disciples after them,'' But some might say : — there can be no harm in having a different form of worship, and a different so- ciety, while we agree in the main doctrines of the Bi- ble ? Let us see, then, what warrant the iVord of God rives us for so doins. It does not appear that th. ; who were causing divisions among the first Christians, always entertained errors of a very material natur , Some are censured for mere difference of opinion concerning their lawful ministers, and for nourishing a greater respect for one than for another. This, indeed, might have appeared unto them very natural. They, no doubt, thought that there was no harm in each of them following those ministers who had been most useful to their souls ; but for this very thing the Apostle tells them that they were "yet carnal and walking as men." And ia ano- ther place it was predicted, that some would come in among them, anu tliat even out of themselves some would arise speaking perverse things, that is : — find- ing fault with certain things in the Church, and having a stubborn and unruly spir!*, or wishing to have all things their own way, — " to draw away disciples after them" — to form a party of their ow^n ; and thus to " cause offences contrary to the doctrine/' or in other I W ii ama ^.^^ ^^^ ^^ ■lL_____^i »» i 8 words contrary to the ins.ructiocs which 'he general Church had learned of .heir regularly appointedlinis' Z; » 'P'''""S °^ '"'='' •''^^ "'«y "-ere told •hat gnevous wolves would creep in among them " luL I Tf "•'"'" =P"^" -'"- harsh T d bmer Lut ^vhat better expression could be used > The character of the persons described, and the actual eff ct of the.r conduct, were to dinJe the flock, and .0 tear ,t to p.eces ; and is not this the character of h.mself, ' wh.cl, con,e to you in shnp's clothing, but forget that ft Ise prophets, and false Apostles, and ftlse te chars, wdl generally be " in sheep's dothi g " -11 appear very good and very holy-will use many good words and ftir speeches," in order better to decetve the hearts of the simple. It is i„ no other war 'hat we can account for the many well-meanin. of dissent. And, indeed, Jesus Christ says that hey would try to " deceive the very elect, if possible. ' ' But, to shew you still better that we are not allow- ed to disturb the peace of the Church, for every triflin. or doubtful objection which may arise in our mi f ces, I would beg of you to consider attentively all those passages in which the people of God, or the d-sc,ples of Ci..ist, are represented as formin but o e body, so closely bound together that it can never ba put asunder. The Sacraments were looked upon by the primi- ■m iMitillriiMilHiil he general ted minis- ' were told ng them." tiarsh and 36 used ? the actual !ock, and iracter of the Lord ^ng, but jid never and false othing," ise many better to lo other meaning ifluence lat they lie." t allovv- trifling minds fdinan- ely all or the ut one vev bs primi- ^1 9 live Church as the mark,'' or badge of union, among believers ; and in the 10th ch. of the first Epistle to the Cor. the followins: words are to be found : " For we, being many, are one hread^ and one body ;" — not two tables — not two different bodies — not two differ- ent communions, but " one breads and one body /" And in the fourth of the Epistle to the Ephesians, we find that God had appointed divers orders of Ministers in his Church " for the perfecting of the saints, for tiie work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Till we all come in the Unitv of the fiiith, and of the knowledge cf the Son of God, untotheperfectman, unto the measureof the stature of the fulness of Christ. That we, henceforth, be no more children tossed to and fro, and carried al)out by every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in weight to deceive ; biit speaking the truth in love, may giow up unto him in all things, which is the head, even Christ ; from whom the whole body, fitly J Aned togellier^ and compacted by that which every joint svpplielh^ according to the efiectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." Now, Brethren, is there, can there be, stronger language descriptive of the Unity of Christians ? Does this portion of Scrip- ture allow us to be brothers only in spirit, or to be uni- ted only in half? If all those who eat of the " one bread,''- are '^ one body,"*' though they be many mem- bers ; and if " the whole body is to grow up unto * The Sacraments, no doubt, aie the keys of the kingdom of Heaven, which were given to the Apostles and their successors. /^ 10 i-°"' "=« '^e Have >ve no Teen u:''"'!'"'''''^^'' ''" ^" '«=" •' 'y 'he Hoi/g,:,-- TnTr^' overseers over you. po- to «Ld and ;;:• d :: r ""' ^'r '^^^'-d upon earth ' Ai-p vn ' °'^ ""d ""loose," S0"'s ."■ And in ,Z ^ ' ^ ''''° '"'"<^'' '■o'' your ^.•°"s,a„dtiLt^---P-f>>whenJivi- envyings, and strifes have In . «">"lat,ons, and ■bat the true Church i's no ir'" '° ""'' => ''^Sr- distinguished among th " a^ ' '"^ *=? '''"''■y ^^ -bich exist, what JZe'7 TT' >^'''' ""^ Sbali we not also warn ; int've >"siHr""" ' caufon you against " the cunn^n/ r • '"" "« good words and fair speeCr " voresTho "" "" yo" m sheep's clothing?" And if w T"""" d«ty absolutely requires us to do so ^ 7 T Z preserving you, amid the confusion' 1 f' °'^ now prevails in the religious wor^- ■! ' ""''"PP"^ of a pure faith and truefllHon / , '^' r^"^'"""' present and eternal 7e t^Z'Z ""/"'"^ °'' y""' '^i'dre,— and m order, so far as iMMIHiNM ■m mm- pacted by diTying of ork to be e carried t of men, e in wait on think 'burcb of use the Jr text ? er you, eceived loose," ■y them r your 1 divi- is, and degree diy be 3 ones hren ? e not d the me to u our ^e of PP'ly ment your ar as 11 it will be in our power, to stop the progress of that anti-christian spir't of dissent which threatens to reduce tlie great body of behevers into numberless sects and parties, and if possible, to exclude Christianity from the earth ;* — if we, on all these accounts, I say, feel obliged to exhort you to *' mark them which cause di- visions, and to avoid them," will you not receive our warning, as coming from God, in meekness and humi- lity ? Will you suspect us of possessing any other motive but pure and sincere wishes for the prosperity and eternal welfare of the Church of God ? We hope not. We hope that you will see, yourselves, the ne- cessity of our being a little more active and watciiful for the future than we have been in time past ; and that we are bound by the most solemn and sacred ties, to do all in our power to keep our people " in the unity of the Spirit, and in the bond of peace ;" and to instruct them in such a manner, as will be necessary for them to repel the attacks, or the temptations, which they are likely to meet with under existing circumstances. It might be supposed by some, that we speak in this way to you from no other motive but that of jea- lousy, and the desire of reigning aJone over the Church. * Dissent appears to me to be intended by the devil as the most powerful means he can use to undermine true relia;ion among men. This evil is the more dangerous, because it often proceeds from well-meaning, though mislalven persons, and is always covered with the cloak of religion. •* Separation is the ready way to bring in Popery." — Baxter, The author would earnestly recotnniend every Churchman to furnish himself with the following cheap volumes, as excellent pre- servatives against the torrent of error and confusion which is abroad : •' Potter on Church Gove»-nment ;" " Baylie's Institutions of the Church ;" and " Diflicullies of Dissent," by Rev'd R. Hobart. Wtmmi ""P L o I 15 Indeed, I l.ave oAcn heard it said .1,,, •, • allow ai, ,i.e power ,o one Soc e J d Z T' " son ,vl,y we are anxious to snelL "''" fear of losing any of ou g old T]' "'n' I' '"' such persons to con.iH-. i ,' ' "■°"''' "^^S of have spoken To th A ' T "'^ "''^''' j'"^' '^ »-" You might ius?a venT ? \" "" =""<= "'^"'-- ■'poke si J2 a ; st ; ' "'■'" ^'- J'^"'' "'- dissent. He 1.^ 1° ''t '■'^^'■"^' -^l' •^''"''^ of "-ore than one C „ 'oh w' "'"?""'"«' °'g--ed of drawing all toWn Mr r",! "''"' '^'"^ "■« '-^'v '.is own ha^nds 2 l'"?^" f '"^ P°-^ "■ -■I'Pointed by God, anlh: 1 ' ^S ailTh'" "^ "" r.y instructions conPP.n- .k ^^ceived all the necessa- -h-beeau:eirrtorr.trHo,rT'r' 'i«'e thonlbt a rl ' ""' ^'""'''' ' ^'" ^'^^^ be brlir;isr:;^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ -■'-!. could asked-" how willvn„;''°"'- '' '"''s'n be isabrancho h^;:7j'":^r'^'>"-'-fi^nsland would answer uiih n .^r 1 y^^^ci] . Xo this f bestvoll 1; ,t' "'■Sy "7 '^'^ ---dered as the •0 this tl,e powel', , r''"'"' ''°'^=- ^"'' 'f "•« "Jd Great Britain by St P . " ""'' '''■^' l''^"'«' '" by St. Paul, or some of his immediate Mil 1 L ■Mm ■.m^ 5 wrong to t the rea- cts, is for uld beg of St as welJ ! manner. *aui, who kinds of organized the \iew power in e he was necessa- as it not, •ii-it, tliat >ne bap- 5ut very subject, 'i could light be !^ngland o this f learned ^e often the Bi- as the ve ndd on and ited in ediate 13 followers, and that our clergy have been ordained In a direct line of succession from the very first preachers of the Gospel, what more can we wish ? It is an er- ror of no small magnitude, but very common, to sup- pose that the Church f Rome was the first in England. A person must know very little of history not to know that there was a British Church in ou" Mother Coun- try, long b'efore the Pope had any power there.* This, I should think; ought to be sufficient to shew the superiority of our communion over all those of a later date, or of a more unsound faith. Again, it maybe enquired — '-If there be any thing in the Church which our consciences do not exactly approve, have we not, then, a right to leave it ? Or, if we find more comfovt,f or more pleasure, in another Society, is it not our duty to go to that communion * At the Reformation, our Church did not separate from that of Home, but merely relbrmed herself by rejecting the errors of Popery, and returned to her former and primitive state ; therefore tha Ro- mans in England, and in this country, are dissenters in reality. The Catholic and Apostolic Church, sstablished in England, never was a part of the Roman Church, any more than she was a part of the other early heresies which sprang up in her bosom, such as * Nestorianism,' ' Pelagianism,' &c. Romanism crept into tho Church with her defiling and bloody crarments, and for a while shed abroad the cheerless gloom of her distorted and haggard aspect ; but like the afoiesaid heresies, she was triumphantly cast out, and the purity of the Church maintained ! Romanism was driven out from us, but she was never of us, unless indeed the " tables of the mo- ney changers, and the seats of them that sold doves," were consi- dered as parts of the Temple. t •* The plea of better edification is insufficient, for if we look beyond our single selves, and concider our connection with tha Church of Christ, we should seek to build up tho whole Church. — (F.ph. 11, 21, 1 Cor. VIII. 1.) Aoi is this the way to succeed — to divide it ? ♦ The spirit of truth is a spiril of unity.' '*— (Jude 19.) -^Difficultiet of Distent. 14 where we shall find it best for our souls ?'— This is just the way, Brethren, in which the hearts of the simple are deceived. But let us see what we could say to a man asking these questions. The word of God tells us, that they who cause divisions, or, in other words, who separate themselves without sufficient reasons, serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, and are carnal, and their sin is so great before <-od, that St. Paul advises the Romans to ^' avoid them." We should not, therefore, adopt a step of this kind hastily. No doubt they who left the Church, or who were so inclined, in the Apostle's time, also thought that they had good reasons for so doing. In all tinies, and in every place, there have been people ot a discontented spirit, who easily found fault with the estabhshed order of things, and thought that they could devise some better way of governing, &c. &c. But we cannot be too guarded against the deceitfulness of our hearts m these matters, as well as in those of a different nature. ^' Thero '-s a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the en^i thereof are the ways of death." If we were willing to find fault we mieht invent a thousand different things, and reject the very best ordinances of religion, merely to please ourselves.* I would therefore ask a man about to leave the Church m order to join a sect, what will you gain by the chan ge ? Are you aware that you must by so doing, leav^aThurh''." vi^^ 'f''V" ^hichV. is lawful aid necessary to rMMti'; •m mm UftKK^LM I -w^' • *>, 1 1 { ^ A.. . . L ■ ■ dr r k. rhis is just the simple Id say to a who cause hemselves 3rd Jesus eat before ) "avoid a step of e Church, ime, also iing. In n people t with the ley could ic. But ulness of lose of a seemeth ways of ^e might the very selves.* Church by the ) doing, lessary to e plainly rim. 11, am, or of 'acts as. 15 commit a most heinous sin — an offence contrary to the Apostle's doctrine .^ You may say, '' ! but I can- not'' jemain in the Church with a pure conscience," but can you then commit a sin with a pure con- science ?* Can vou cause a division without offending God ? Are the things of which you complain, of such importance as to atone for, or take away the guilt of separation ? Remember that nothing is taught by the Church of England as ahsolntely necessary to salvation, bat what may be proved by Scripture, and therelore, * Defiling as was the Rotnish heresy in Enn;land, before the Re- formation, it i* questionable vvliether the introducing of schism, to do auay '.vith heresy, would have been any advantage ; our excel- lent Reformers theinselvt!S seenj to have entertained the same doubts, since they never left the church, while they so strenuously exposed the errors Popery had introduced, and even fought unto death against them. They lived and died in communion with the Catholic Church of England, while they suHered in the flames to prove their abhorrence of the abominations which had crept into her I And if such was, in the opinion of the Reformers, the hideousness of schism in their case, what would they think of dissenters of the present day, who create not only one schism, but schisms without number, on account of such unimportant ditferences as exist between them and the Established Church ? The events of every day are more and moh; convincing, that the slightest deviation from the communion of the visible Church of Christ, may be the means of causing as much (if not more) mischief, bad feeling, and heresies, as the hateful corruptions with which Antichrist has so long darken- ed and nisled tlie Jiations of I^urope. The nature of schism is sometimes discussed as uncertain, and I have even been surprised to hear sensible men actually saying that it could not be rscertained. Tlie divisions of the Corinthian Church are also mentioned as the only case in Scripture where the word schism is applicable ; and it is said that the same term cannot be used as regards the more open and separated bodies of professing chriilians ; but I would ask : if the schismatic Corinthians were such only from some internal discord, and without actually break- ing oil' from each other's communion, how much more criminal, how much more schismatical, if not heretical, must be the conduct of these who form sects apart, and altogether refuse to commuQicats with other christians in the same place and neighbourhood ? t. 1 1 Ihl III y j Wmm 4 1 ( 16 shall it be for f-. sake of a trifle-shall it be for the sake of a private oninion-shall it be for the sake of pleasing your own fancy, thai yon will dishononr the t-ospel by breaking the unity of the body of Christ (-od gave power to His Church to ordain any rule or ceremony, not repugnant to Scripture ; and «o IS there not much more religion and christian spirit to subm,, .0 ,ho order of God, to live in love and charity wuh all ".he household of faith," « obcvi„= ,|,em that have the rule over us, and who watch Ibr our souls, and doing all in our power, within the limits of our particular sphere, for .he good of our ucighbom;. nnd the g ory of God, tl.an ,o try to lead tl^m in.o sects and parties, and " ,vi,h good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of ihe simple ?- Be sure, Brethren ! „ue religion is not advanced bv all hese d.vs.ons. The only effeee ,!,ey have upon i'.s is to make us buier against each other, while we ouHu Jove one another like Brethren.* ^ Often quoted in supporter disPnT''/h/'?S;r""i'i^''^'^'^ '''^ iwrn ; nnd 'Mesus sauJ, forb d , h nm Vm- Ip,- '• '^''^ ""'' ^'""^" Ml do a anmcle in m^- na.ne . An M 1 k « ", "" -/"^^ '"'"' ■5" tU'^ V, /. -^ """"^> '"ill- < (in ii"lit V sneak fivi nt •«.» " put the^est of s^n^/^ : ^^ IJ::;;; :;^,:^--^' f- ^^ -ouid aider it attentively, we find t h 1 H.Vm " ' ''''"" "'^ ^^"- ceived a direct co^n'.mi s on t n he "oid ^;r^^^'«".'"'-V'^^'° '•''■ miracles. [li, power of vvnr in. 1 "''"" '" ^"^'•'" ^'' ^^' to receive them. Cut besides it i! tn-^l T "" ^"''"'^ he for the lie sake of lonour the )f Christ. any rule, ; and so, 1 spirit to id charity ing- them 1 for our 3 limits o( 'ighbours, them into and fiiir ?" Be :od bv all pon us is ive oui;;ht stood, and 1 v'irses of ing seen a nut follow man tiiat il of me." n it would n we con- •t liave rfj- ■d(!r to do It proof oi 'ifg in our ha bound lli-'it Jesus believe in mniunion. md there-- 17 I would, therefore, conclude by exhorting all the members of the Church to have no haired or bitter- ness towards those who differ from us ; while al the same time St. Paul tells us to avoid them that cause divisions ; iliat is, to avoid their errors, antl to walk in "the good old paths," traced for us by the very first Cliurcli of Christ. Lotus, then, take good care to cuilivalo lovo for all men. It is not rij^ht for Christians, especially iiiilerale persons, to strive with eacli other on religion •. subjects, but love, and charity, and peace, are llic borrds of perfection. Tf, therefore, ctliers will live -n division and scliism, let us pray 'or thorn, and let not their separation make us think K..: of the value of their immortal sotds. Think not, Brethren, ihut because soiiie will not walk accordinc; to tlio Apostle's nde, nml inir.ain in iheir " fellovv'ship" as well as in tlioir '• doctrines," \xq should iLate them, or despise their })crsons. No, Brethren ! It is their sin which wc must hate and avoid.* But allow me to tell von, dIso, thai unless we hate sin in ourselves, -we j cannot hate it in others, in a proper nianner. What- Tore there c.nn\i\ be no danger of this man's forming a di.s^:enting sect. The Saviour himself, paid all respect to tlse then appointed ministers of reliiiion, and required his friend-, to do tlic same, not- withslcuidip.or the well known cnrrvpt'v'U ofHieir church. * '• When w^:! s.'e how '.he progress of tiie Go-spel is impeded by division, — wiien ^\ e l age, rpsl sati-lied w'wh this— I liear the Gospel preached, and U.ai is enough." — DifjhuHles of Dissent, 11 ! !l I'M 1 I 18 ever is ofiensive to God in o.ir own lieaits, or in the members of our own Ch.rch, or in others, we are I'ound to abhor and to shun. »t ill becomes' Church- men to nnd fault with Dissenters for leaving the Church, wlnle they themselves are living in direct oppos,.,on to the rules and counsels of the same Church. Wlnle we do not love the Lord Jesus Chnst ;-while we are far from God and his ways •- wlnle our sms, our carelessness, our coldness ofheart, onr md.ffercnce to spiritual religion ; while all these keep us m an unrenewed state, we are as bad as if we "■ere to eave the Church of God. If we leave Christ ho IS the Head, we must of course have no part with the body. And, alas ! there are but too many who hmk themselves very good Churchmen, while they We no hfe ,n their souls, while they arc like .he dead boughs trees, which receive no sap from the trunk, and winch must one day be cut down and cast into the of that Spn-it, winch the Great Head of the Church has promised to give to his true members. Seek it now w,th all diligence and care. Pray for the Spirit S,rrh "f °"' J'^'^h you can never be members of the Church m Heaven, though you may have been nommal members of the Church upon Earth. Amen • f 1