hat error of the present age, which has led so many well-meaning tengte o compreheni ail retigious service in hat of preaching, vill become strikingly

apparent.

“It is well known, save Bishon Andrews) that all the time of the primitive Church, the sermon was ever done before the service begun; and that to the sermon, heathen men, infidels, and Jews, heretics, schismatics, in short, all sorts of people, were admitted. But when they went to service, when the Liturgy began, all these were voided; not one of them suffered to stay. It were strange, that should be the only or chief service of God, whereat they, which were heid no servants of God, no part of the Church, might and did remain no less freely than they that were."

Those, therefore, who separate from the Church, if they will give themselves liberty to think upon the subject, will be satisfied, that the only part of religious worship, which they have carried away with them, is the least essential part of her service. And if they will look into the history of the Christian world, they will be convinced, that in proportion as the religious exercise of Christian professors has consisted in hearing more, and praying less, the spirit of Christianity has sensibly declined; and that the only hope of restoring it to any thing like its primitive standard must be derived from the readoption of those means, by which it was originally promoted.

We know, and we are sorry to think, that there are many serious persons, who, from an idea that members of our Church are mere formal lifeless

O

0

50

3

professors of Christianity, have separated from her
communion, with the view of joining in what ap
pears to them as more spiritual service elsewhere.
But though we are not disposed to admit the truth
of the reason advanced on this occasion, and are
inclined to think that separation from the Church
is to be traced up to a very different motive, yet we
do not feel ourselves engaged to enter upon this
parpof the subject; our present business being to
point out the advantages attendant upon commu-
nion boith the Church, not stod enlarge upon the
occasional ill use that has been made of them.
boo form a fairt judgment on this head, we must
donsider what the service of our Church is in itself,
and the spiritual effect which it is calculated to
produce; not the little benefit which its formal
attendants have actually derived from it. Viewing
things in this light, we do not hesitate to say, that
the circumstance of the separatist from our Church
having his attention so engrossed with the service
of preaching, as it generally is, how excellent soever
that preaching may be, throws an additional weight
intothe scales of disadvantage derivable from his
eparation In consequence of which he is obliged
to take up, for the most part, with an easy hearsay
kind of religious service, which is not calculated to
procure for him either pardon or blessing at the
Throne of Grace; whilst the member of the Church
visor ought to be engaged in those more severe and
more spiritual exercises, which, when properly
performed, are the covenanted conditions upon
which both are to be obtained.

Dixon

WIKI 119

89/stil Lenrict 490 96 Dai

R

In treating this subject, we have hitherto considered how man is affected by it, in the relation in which he stands to God, as redeemed by the blood of his Son; we will now consider for a moment, how it affects him as a member of a civilized community.

99

One of the most general marks by which Christians are to be known, is the love which they bear to each other. "By this," says Christ, "shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." The religion which Christians profess is founded in love, and best calculated to produce it. Its characteristic fruits are love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. So that it may be laid down as an axiom, that where charity or love of the brethren is wanting, there genuine Christianity is not to be found.

h

Now it has pleased God in this, as in most other cases, to ordain, that the present and future interests of mankind, their peace in this world, and that in the next, should travel as it were hand in hand together; by making an uniformity in religious worship contribute essentially to both. So long as men continue in unity in the Church, they are, generally speaking, disposed to live, in unity among themselves. The breaking away from her is but a preparatory step to their breaking away from each other.. No sooner is the centre of unity deserted, than the bond of Christian fellowship, by which men, as members of the Church, are held together, is burst asunder; and that society, which

* John xiii. 35.

+ Gal. v. 22, 23..

·

before constituted a compact body, at peace within itself, is crumbled into parties and factions. *** bo Certain it is, s, that union among Christians is t be found only within the walls of the Church. Upon leaving those walls, that union is exchanged for endless division, which unavoidably generates those evils which the Apostle has described among the works of the flesh; under the several heads of hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, and murders."*

**

So that separation from the Church ultimately proves i es more or less fatal to the peace of individuals; as if it were the design of God, that men should experience in this world, the effects of their deviation from his plan for their salvation. For when the passions are set at work in this business, a mistaken zeal for what some men conceive to be the truth, becomes the plausible plea for disallowing to others that liberty, which they have not scrupled to assume to themselves.

This principle, common to all religious differences, constitutes the general ground upon which persecution is built; which, though a word of partial application, (it being generally confined to the severities which we ourselves feel, not to those which we inflict on others) is that severe scourge with which Providence seems to have permitted men to afflict each other, as a punishment for their mutual desertion of the Christian character. For whilst bigots of all descriptions persuade themselves, that they are instruments in God's hand for promoting His cause, they are in fact only acting under the

* Gal. v. 20, 21.

Q

VOL. I.

that error of the present age, which has led so many well-meaning people to comprehend, allo religious service in that of preaching, will become strikingly apparent. of be-og-ih tom 916 sw godt tag "It is well known, (says Bishop Andrews) that all the time of the primitive Church, the sermon was ever done before the service begun, and that to the sermon, heathen men, infidels, and Jews, heretics, schismatics, in short, all sorts of people, were admitted. But when they went to service, when the Liturgy began, all these were voided; not one of them suffered to stay. It were strange, that should be the only or chief service of God, whereat they, which were held no servants of God, no part of the Church, might and did remain no less freely than they that were.”

18+ t 1,20

Those, therefore, who separate from the Church, if they will give themselves liberty to think upon the subject, will be satisfied, that the only part of religious worship, which they have carried away with them, is the least essential part of her service. And if they will look into the history of the Christian world, they will be convinced, that in proportion as the religious exercise of Christian professors has consisted in hearing more, and praying less, the spirit of Christianity has sensibly declined; and that the only hope of restoring it to any thing like its primitive standard must be derived from the readoption of those means, by which it was originally promoted.

We know, and we are sorry to think, that there are many serious persons, who, from an idea that members of our Church are mere formal lifeless