Page images
PDF
EPUB

Laftly, Sin is now no lefs ingrafted into our nature (I mean the whole nature of man, confifling of foul and body) than if we had been created finful at the firft, and yet without fault in God. Which that I may plainly manifeft, I would know of the adverfaries of this doctrine, whether or no that wifdom and holinefs, which was at firft in Adam, was fuch as would have been communicated to his pofterity, if he had not fianed? If this is allowed, then it muft follow, fo must fin and corruption fince the fall.

[To be continued.]

An Extract from Mr. BAXTER'S Certainty of the WORLD of SPIRITS: fully evinced by unquestionable Hiftories of Apparitions, Witchcrafts, &c.

[Continued from page 437-]

of CORPSE-CANDLES in Wales.

ABOUT thirty-three or thirty-four years fince, return

ing home (on a Tucfday) from Cardigan, where I had been to preach the feflion fermon, it being as light as noon, there feemed twice or thrice from behind me, on my right fide between my fhoulder and my hat, to fly a little whitish thing, about the bignefs of a walnut, and that once in seventy or eighty paces. At first I took no notice of it. By degrees it waxed reddish, and as the night came on, appeared like puré fire both for light and colour. I turned about to fee from whence it came, and whether it would flash in my face, but I could fee nothing; yet when I turned homewards it flashed as before, till I came to a village called Lænriflid, where as yet I did not intend to lodge. In paffing by a house the fire flashed upon or very near the threshold, and there I think it lodged, for I faw it no more. I ftill thought of go

ing home; but on reflecting that hereby I might tempt God, I returned to the fartheft lodging in the town; and after a little reft, I told my host of the vifion. The next day he communicated the fame to fome perfons who were going to the feffions, by which means the Judge became acquainted with it. At which feffions one John William Lloyd, Gentleman, who lived near Glaßterig fell fick, and in going home was taken with fuch a violent paroxism, that he could ride no farther than the houfe where I left the fire, and he died about four days after. Some candles have been feen to come to my church, within thefe three weeks, and the corpfe not long after.

J. D.

[To be continued.]

THOUGHTS on the Writings of Baron SWEDENBORG. [Continued from page 441.]

8. EQUALLY extraordinary is the account which the

Baron gives of Charity and Faith.

"When a man keeps the ten commandments, Charity follows of courfe."

"Charity confifts in living well."

46

Charity confifts in willing what is good."

That both thefe accounts are wrong is certain; but who can reconcile one with the other?

"There can be no faith in an invifible God."

This is bold indeed! Was it intended to confute St. Paul, making use of that very expreffion in defcribing the faith of Mofes, He endured as feeing him that was invifible?

"Faith in general is a belief that whoever lives well, and believes right fhall be faved."

This definition is quite ambiguous: believing right may have a hundred different meanings. And it is utterly false, if that expreffion means any more than "A belief that God is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently feek him." Rather,

Rather, Faith in general is, "A divine evidence of things unfeen."

"The Lord is Charity and Faith in man, and man is Charity and Faith in the Lord."

I make no fcruple to affirm, this is as errant nonsense as was ever pronounced by any man in Bedlam.

9.

Be this a fpecimen of the Baron's skill in expounding the Scriptures. Come we now to his memorable Vifions. and Revelations.

Any serious man may observe, that many of these are filly and childish to the laft degree: that many others are amazingly odd and whimfical; many palpably abfurd, contrary to all found Reason: and many more, contrary not only to particular texts, but to the whole tenor of Scripture.

Thefe are interspersed with all the doctrines which he delivers, in order to put them beyond all doubt. The grand error which we learn from his whole work is, That there are not three perfons in One God. This flares you in the face, almost in every page, from the beginning to the end of his book. So in the very first chapter

Of GOD the CREATOR,

we read," God is one, in effence and perfon, and Jefus Chrift

is He."

66

Jefus Chrift is Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft."

"Before the creation of the world, there was no Trinity, but it was provided and made, when God was manifefted in the flesh, and then exifted in the Lord Jefus Chrift."

66

A Trinity of divine Persons existing before the creation of the world, is a Trinity of Gods."

10. But he is not content with denying the Trinity. He goes much farther than this. He excludes all that believe it from falvation, and counts it the moft damnable of all herefies. "The Church is now in fo ruinous a flate, that there are fcarce any traces left of its ancient glory. And this has come

to pafs, in confequence of their dividing the divine Trinity into three perfons, each of which is declared to be God and Lord. This is the true fource of all the Atheism in the world."

I believe no Arian, Socinian, or Mahometan ever affirmed this before.

Again, "The Nicene and Athanafian Doctrine concerning a Trinity, have given birth to a faith which has entirely overturned the Chriftian Church."

Nay, Bishop Bull has indifputably proved, that this Faith was delivered to the faints, long before the Nicene council fat, and before Athanafius was born.

[ocr errors]

Yet again. He that confirmeth himself in a plurality of Gods, by a plurality of Perfons, becomes like a ftatue formed with moveable joints, in the midft of which Satan ftands and speaks through its mouth."

So all that believe the Trinity are, according to his charitable fentence, poffeft by the devil!

11. To confound all the Trinitarians at a ftroke, he adds this memorable relation.

"In the Spiritual World, (which lies in the midst between Heaven and Hell, having Heaven above and Hell below) are Climates and Zones as in the Natural. The Frigid Zones are the habitation of those first fpirits, who while on Earth, were lazy and indolent. Having once a defire to vifit them, I was carried in the fpirit to a region covered with fnow; (Remember! This region was in the other world.) It was on the fabbath-day. And I faw a number of men, that is, human fpirits, who had their heads covered with lion's fkins, by reafon of the cold;" (or who knows, but the poor spirits might have been frozen to death!) "their, bodies with the skins of leopards, and their legs and feet with bear-fkins. I alfo obferved feveral riding in chariots, made in the fhape of dragons with horns. They were drawn by fmall horfes without tails, which ran with the impetuofity of terrible, fierce beafts. They were all flocking towards a Church, in which VOL. VI.

3 P

hung

hung a tablet infcribed, "A Divine Being, confifting of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in essence One, but in Perfons Three."

He has abundance of relations to the fame purpose. I will add but one more.

"I once faw a fpirit as lightning falling from heaven. I asked him the reafon of it. He replied I was cast down, because I believed, that God the Father and God the Son are two Perfons. All the Angels believe they are but one Perfon. And every word that contradicts this, caufeth in them the fame pain as if they should fnuff up fome pungent powder into their noftrils, or as if one fhould bore their ears through with an awl. And every one has a place in heaven, according to his idea of God."

O no! This is a deadly mistake! Every one has a place in heaven, not according to his ideas, but according to his works.

But notwithstanding all his new revelations, I believe, according to the old one, There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word and the Spirit: and these three Are One.

For the term perfon I contend not. I know no better. If any does, let him ufe it.

[To be continued.]

LETTER S.

LET TER CCCXII.

[From the Rev. Mr. Wesley, to the Rev. Mr. H.J

Dear Sir,

March 27, 1764.

YOUR book on the Millennium and the Myftic Writers, was lately put into my hands. I cannot but thank you for your ftrong and feasonable confirmation of that comfort. able doctrine: of which I cannot entertain the leaft doubt, as

long

« PreviousContinue »