A treatise on Christianity : vindicating the Protestant declaration, "The Holy Scriptures are the only, and a sufficient rule of a Christian's faith and practice" ...

Front matter

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Entered according- to the Act of Congress, in the year 1850, by

Z. ONION McCOMAS,

Introduction

Whether or not the minds of men differ as much as do their countenances, we are not prepared to say; but that they do materially differ, both in capacity and in pursuits, is manifestly true. So that there is an identity of intellect, as well as of personal appearance; and this difference presents itself in varied degrees of power, and in the various pursuits in life.

The author of these pages, has ever been of a reflecting and thoughtful cast of mind'; but like all youths, in his younger days, was confiding and unsuspicious; and supposed that all men were what they professed to be. The great subject of Religion occupied his thoughts at a very early day, perhaps at eight years of age. A few years after this, the Methodists began to attract attention. They being converted, and made the children of God, with an assurance of the fact, through " The witness of the Spirit," struck his attention with much force. Surely, thought we, they must be a happy people — a highly favored people. For we, in the simplicity of our hearts, thought that all who professed to enjoy that high relation, did so in reality! Oh, how much we envied such their happiness; and we resolved, and re-resolved, to seek after the like favor and privilege; but being of a retiring and bashful disposition, we kept the secret of our heart to ourself ; and the same selfseclusion prevented us from such observations, as would easily have detected the falacy of the professions of a large majority of

IT INTRODUCTION.

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those who fancied they were the children of God, " and born of the Spirit." Jn this deception, is clearly seen the imminent danger of trusting to the excitability of the feelings, instead of all per* sons measuring their experience by the only true standard, the word of God. There they would learn that "he that is born of God, sineth not, because His seed remaineth in him, therefore, he cannot sin;" and, also, "if any man have not the spirit cf Christ, he is none of His." It is impossible to be deceived, if all men will learn of Christ — absolutely, impossibly. "The tree is known by its fruity This is the only safe criterion of judging.

About the eighteenth year of his age, the author's earlier religious impressions became more intense and permanently settled. But the leading object of our aspirations being entertained only by the Methodists, to them, therefore, we looked, as the only persons who could aid our enquiries. Here, in our own experience, is seen the fatal effects of the claims of the Clergy, as "divinely authorized to expound the word of God," For to them we were instructed to look, as indispensibh aids in understanding the Scriptures ; and their claim clearly implies this, and so the people are taught, practically taught to beliere, and so ive cordially believed. By this fatal delusion, thus engendered, and strengthened by Clerical assumptions, the minds of the people are diverted from the plain and practical teachings of Christ and his Apostles, to fables, and the speculations of uninspired and interested men! To the Methodist Preachers then, we did confidently look, as those specially commissioned by God to teach men the way of Salvation! For so they all claimed to be, and so we firmly believed ! And we as firmly believed too, that we were the disciple of Christ. What a fatal delusion ! But we did not see it at that time — yea, we would hare been seriously offended if told otherwise.

In this faith we united ourself to the Methodist E. Church, in Hagerstown, and in her communion we remained, perhaps twenty years. Of the sincerity of our profession, and the devo-

INTRODUCTION. V

tedness oi our life, many living witnesses can testify, if they will; as also, of our efforts to maintain the purity of the Church, by precept and by example. Excuse us this boasting ; but it is proper under our circumstances, that we should say thus much. Of the peculiarity of their government, we knew nothing and thought nothing ; but if we had known all about it, we were too young, inexperienced and confiding, to discover its falacy, or its dangerous tendency. And, moreover, in our simplicity, we esteemed all the Preachers as the chosen servants of the most High; and, of consequence, all holy and disinterested men, as governed and led by the Spirit of God, and who would prefer death, rather than be guilty of any injustice! And so they would, if they were what they so confidently affirmed of themselves. And this delusive faith was begotten and matured from the pulpits. Often have we heard discourses, setting forth this awful claim: "Gcd hath committed to us the word of reconciliation ; now, then, we are Ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you, in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God!" At that day not a doubt crossed our mind of its truth ; and, consequently, we never investigated the claim, to ascertain its truth or falsehood. These supposed chosen messengers of Heaven, said it was so, and therefore, it must be true, for they would not deceive us. We had read in the Scriptures, that Christ had commissioned seventy Disciples, and sent them, two and two, to announce His approach to the various towns of Judea; but if we had been correctly instructed, we would have been told that their mission was confined to a very limited extent, as to time and place. Judea is not so extensive as some one of the States of this Union, and the time occupied by them was not more than a few weeks perhaps, and we hear no more of them ; and we also read in the Scriptures, that Christ commissioned his Apostles, and properly qualified them to proclaim his Gospel to all men, through all time. Now, these Preachers said, and all the Clergy now say, that they are embraced in that commission, yea, and in that to the Seventy also ! They forget to tell their hearr * iiftllODtJCffOK,

5erSj that if embraced in the mission of the Seventy, or of the* Apostles, reason and common sense teaches that the qualifications of these messengers must also be implied! But as it is impossible for these assumed u Ambassadors oi Christ" to claim the latter, they are prudently dumb on that subject! But, that it is all a vain and arrogant assumption on their part, the following pages will amply prove. Their claim will be found to be based on this flimsy hypothesis, viz: That inasmuch as the Apostles were commanded to proclaim the Gospel to all the world, and to the end of time; therefore, a succession is necessarily implied. This is true; but it does not follow , that the " Order of Clergy" are those implied successors. If tbey had candidly sought for the legitimate successors of the Apostles ? they would have found them possessing, as they necessarily must,, the same infallibility of the Apostles; and such are the u Holy Scriptures." The "Sacred Order" also claim to be the successors of the Eldership; an office entirely distinet, and having no connection with the Apostolic commission, or that of the Seventy* This also will be made plain* It will also be demonstrated in these pages, that the claims of the " Order," are destructive of the leading purpose of God in giving the world a Revelation.

"He that never doubted, never believed." As strange as this may appear, nevertheless it is true; for he that never doubts the truth of any proposition, is not likely to give himself much trouble to examine its merits. We have proved the truth of it in our own experience, for we cordially believed the claims of the Clergy to be founded in truth, until we were compelled to doubt them. But facts, irresistible facts, opened our eyes to the glaring delusion I These thick clouds of error, made still more dense by early instruction, and the tacit acknowledgment of whole nations for centuries, and supported by a host of learned, and some good men too, were not penetrated or dispelled in a day, or a few years. Neither were the first dawnings of suspicion encouraged by us; but it was after an intimate acquaintance, and a long personal intercourse with these " Legates of the Skies,"

INTRODUCTION. VII

these " Ambassadors of Christ," that excited our doubts of the truth of these Rev. Gentlemen's high pretensions ! We at length began to suspect, but very timidly at first, that possibly there might be some mistake some where ; but to question the positive assertions of thousands of men, who professed to be "born of God," and to attribute to such men anything but the best motives, or to doubt their knowledge of the Scriptures, was not a light thing with us; when, too, all our prejudices were in their favor. On this account our early instructions and prepossessions warred against facts and our better judgment, for a considerable length of time. We stood alone ; of believers there w T ere none to help us — -all were afraid to indulge a single doubt, lest God should cast them off — so firmly rooted are these awful claims of the Clergy in the minds of the people, and to such an extent have they wound their Clerical webs around men! We also doubted with trembling; now resolved to believe, and then again facts would exhibit themselves to our view, which compelled us to entertain strong doubts. As years progressed, circumstances were constantly developing new facts, illustrative of the ruling principles, and the true characters of the Clergy, as a body. To us, from these accumulated facts, as developed in the conduct of the Clergy, it was demonstrable that they were not " born of God," and as a body, were not holy and good men; and, oi consequence, could not possibly be the selected and chosen vassals of God, to convey His Heavenly truths to mankind.

But that which eventually sealed our previous doubts, because it exhibited in a luminous manner, not to be mistaken, the ruling principle of action, and the true character of a body of Clergy, who claimed to be the most pure, holy, and disinterested of all others; and who were in the habit at that day, of publicly charging all other Clergy with worldly and base motives, and as "men made Preachers," and claiming for themselves to be the only truly con^- verted and regenerated Ambassadors of Christ ! This exhibition of principle and character grew out of the contention, first between a part of the Methodist Preachers and their Bishops, in relation to rifl INTRODUCTION.

the appointing power. The Bishops, as they are called by way of pre-eminence, claimed the authority to station or send the Preacher* where they pleased. Of this, a part of the Preachers complained as a grievance, and called it " arbitrary power" in the Bishops, and they charged them with partiality and favoritism in the exercise of that power; but the Bishops on their part, having tasted of the delicious fruit, and drank of the intoxicating sup of absolute power, tenaciously held on to it, and refused to yield one jot of that precious treasure, even to their brother "Ambassadors!" They, too, had their satellites, who revolved around them, as all great men in authority always have. The consequence was, the contention between these devoted, self- denying , and chosen servants of the meek and humble Saviour of men, became very serious, and threatened, and did produce a division of the*Church. One of the Rev. Gentlemen, and a Preacher of eminence on the side of the complainants, on his return from the Conference held in Winchester, Va., where Clerical delegates were elected to the General Conference of Clergy, told the author that the Bishops and their satellites defeated them in the selection of delegates, by the most unfair and underhanded means, by trickery and midnight caucusing, and attributed to his brother u Legates of the Skies," all the chicanery of unprincipled politicians ; and they did, before leaving the Conference, draw up a strong remonstrance against the proceedings of the Bishops and their party, in which they declare this great and universal truth : "The march of power is ever onward, and its tendency is always to accumulate." They declared also, the power of the Bishops to be dangerous, and inimical to the best interest of the Church. The Chairman of the Committee who drew up this famous remonstrance against the dangerous power of the Bishops, did, afterward, himself, accept of a Bishopric, and died a Bishop. — He was a man of talent and of learning, and therefore, to be feared by these Apostolic Bishops, and they failed not to keep their eyes upon him, and to use every artifice to win him over to their side; for, beside the remonstrance, he had made a speech in

INTRODUCTION. IX

Conference, of a very pungent and forcible nature, portraying in strong terms, the great danger of such power. He was the champion of the complainants, and they were accustomed to speak of this speech, as "making the Bishops tremble." This talented, learned, and influential Preacher, had a family, and was poor. We knew him well ; he was an amiable man, but he proved himself not to be above temptation ; let the blame rest on the tempters. First, he was made secretary to the "General Conference, " and voted for as Bishop ; next, he was placed in independent circumstances as editor of the Church paper, the "Advocate and Journal, " and there he was retained until they made him a Bishop, with all its " hateful and dangerous power." On these facts comment is needless, as they speak for themselves. But this is not all, for the disaffected Preachers would speak of their grievances to the Membership, and endeavor to enlist their sympathies; (for the members could do no more than sympathize with them.) or they may have hoped, that in case they should find it to their interest to proceed to open rebellion against the Bishops and their satellites, the members who sympathized with them, would serve as " stock in trade," to commence an opposition in Church making. Be that as it may, our object is to narrate the circumstance which illicited facts demonstrative of principles and character in the "Divinely Authorized." From what has been said, we see the want cf confidence in each other, and their apparent hatred of absolute power, when exercised over themselves. In what follows, we shall as clearly see the love of absolute power, when exercised by themselves; we will see, too, the great lengths to which these " disinterested, self-denying and holy men," will go, in order to retain it ; even to the severing of what they call and esteem professedly, "the Church of God!" Yes, these "Ambassadors of Christ," these select and Heaven appointed, and qualified servants of the most high God, can overlook and daily wink at the violations of the only Religious and saving principles of their church, as contained in their "General Rules," drawn up by John Wesley — who declared that none

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could be saved, nor stay in the Church, but such as uniformly observed them — and at the same time watch with the eye of an eagle the softest whispers, questioning their " divine right" to uncontrolled government over their members in all things relating to the Church, property, as well as other things! "As the Ambassadors of Christ, they can do nothing against the truth — but for it," and woe betide those who presume to question it !

Well, one good effect of this Priestly controversy, was to make the hitherto unsuspecting Membership see something of the peculiarities of the government which the Preachers had made for them. The more enlightened of them saw it to be a pure Ecclesiastical aristocracy, and they saw themselves bound, hands and feet, to the car of Priestly irresponsible domination, and most cunningly devised it is too. Like captive flies in the web of the spider, their struggles for liberty only proved the strength of their prison, and terminated in their death !

But the members, composing a large number of the most enlightened, and the most exemplary in the Church, dared to presume to solicit a hearing in behalf of their lost liberty and rights as Christians, and they were haughtily replied to by the Rev. Clergy, that " they knew no such rights, and acknowleged no such privileges," and that, "as the Divinely authorized Ambassadors of God, they were in conscience bound not to permit their administration to be controlled." This thunder of the " Vatican," not having succeeded to silence all the dissatisfied, and they continuing their feeble efforts to bring these "Legates of Heaven" to reason, and to Christian sympathies, were by them arraigned, and tried by creatures of their own selection, and expelled — not for any immoral conduct — not for any thing that would exclude them from the kingdom of Heaven ; for, if they dismissed all for these things, there would be but a very few left to grace their triumph, or to pay their selfimposed salaries ; but it was purely " for speaking evil of God's Ministers." This was their only crime — the only offence charged. Many submitted with all humility as dutiful children, to " Holy

Mother Church." They abandoned their unalienable rights a« Christians, for the good will and the intercession of "God's Ministers ;" arrogantly calling themselves such.

And yet another striking feature in this Clerical drama, is : so soon as the Membership began humbly to solicit some share in the government of the Church, involving not only the rights of conscience, but millions worth of property, in real and personal estate, which in justice belonged exclusively to the members, having been purchased by their earnings, than the Preachers cunningly hushed up; and like unto " Pilot and Herod, the same day they were made friends, for before, they were at enmity between themselves." After this, no more was heard of the "Arbitrary Power," and the " Dangerous Power" of the Bishops. It was no longer an eternal truth, " that the march of power is ever onward, and its tendency always to accumulate." Some of the very Preachers who endeavored, and did enlist the sympathies of the members in their behalf, when contending against the " arbitrary and dangerous power" of the Bishops, and who, by the force of truth, made them "tremble," became the warmest persecutors of the supplient members, and the advocates of the Bishops! Such are men — "cursed are they that puteth their trust in an arm of flesh."

This contest was prolonged from its commencement, first among the Preachers themselves, and then between the Membership and the Preachers, ten or fifteen years perhaps ; and during all this time we were a member, and part of the time a Preacher in the Methodist E. Church. We maintained, so far as we could, a neutral position ; but marking its progress and its effects, in developing the true characters and the most powerful principles of aetion that governed a body of men, professing to be the chosen servants of Chrisc (who washed His disciples feet, as an example of condescension and humility,) above all others. And we discovered them to be, as all other bodies of men are, some good, some indifferent, and some bad; and all, united in one thing above all others: the tenacious maintenance of power in

XII INTRODUCTION.

their own hands. And we have seen men, who, when quietly submitting to that power, were considered men of God, and the "excellent of the earth" by them; and these very same men, when wishing in self defence, to obtain but a small share of authority over their own consciences and property, and for nothing else, branded as instigated by the devil, by pride, by vain glory in their own wisdom ; as hypocrits, as backsliders from God, and as disturbers of the repose of the Church of God; and every epithet applied to them, calculated to bring them into contempt, and to blacken their reputation ; and this was done from the pulpit, the Preacher's fort, where they cannot be replied to by the injured party, from the press, and at the fire-side; at home and abroad, by the way side, in public and in private! And, moreover : because we would not join in the hue and cry against innocent and good men — far better than thousands who were persecuting them, and considered by the Preachers worthy members of their Church — because we could not in conscience do this, we were marked, watched, and suspected, and subjected to many annoyances, as a man who would not bend the knee, and implicitly bow to the dictum of their high mightinesses. — At length, becoming truly disgusted with such baseness, hypo* cracy of pretentions of disinterested self-denial, and of the empty professions of a whole body of men — of men who claimed not only to be Christians, but to be such holy and faithful Christians, as to claim the special attention of God, and by Him selected from all others, as His peculiar favorites and best friends, to be His chosen vessels to convey the pure water of Life to mankind — most certainly their pretentions imply all this.

It was such a long train of facts, that admitted of no doubt of the true characters of the men, and of their ruling principles, that tore up our confidence root and branch. Our strong prejudices and early impressions, had not one inch of ground to stand upcn. In this state of mind, we voluntarily and quietly withdrew from the Methodist E. Church.

From a deliberate review of the whole order of Clergy, from iNTROBUCttOK. Xil!

the close of the second century, down to 1849, we are irresistibly compelled to pronounce the assumptions of them all,false, and destructive to the purity, the peace, and unity of the Church of Christ — in a word, as anti- Christian*

But the Clergy affirm, and the people believe, that they are an indispensible part of God's plan of salvation! How is this ? — ■ They, as the makers of the faiths (for they are many) of the people, and the acknowledged expounders of the Gospel, teach the people so to believe.

But we, rejecting the Clergy, the doors of all the Churches were barred against us, and we were outlawed. The doors of their Churches are opened and shut by the creeds made, and handed down from the founders of their respective sects,

Being now an exile and a heretic, and finding ourselves untrammeled by sectarian influences, we turned our attention to the teachings of the Son of God, and of his true Ambassadors, the Apostles; to see if, in very deed, such an incubus was attached to the Gospel system. With a determination to discard it as a revelation from God, if we found any solid reason to believe that they were ; but to our astonishment and delight, we not only could find no reason to believe in such an " order of men," but found them mentioned, only to be reprobated and guarded against as the masked enemies of pure Christianity ! The epithets applied to such by the Holy Ghost, are: "false prophets," "hirelings," " strangers," "wolves in sheep's clothing," "busybodies, working not at all, and to be shunned by all believers ;" " as men who, by fair speeches deceived the people, and drawing them away from the simplicity and purity of the Gospel of Christ ;" "the messengers of Satan disguised as angels of light," professing to be sent by God ; " as the hidden mystery of iniquity, that would one day be revealed and discovered to the world," and " as men from the Eldership of the Church, who should speak perverse and erroneous things, and draw away Disciples after them ;" and many other such terms of reprobation are employed, as their works of mischief were foreseen by the

XIV INTRODUCTION.

Spirit of Prophecy. The warnings are urgent and many against them. Thus our mind was freed from this gross libel on Christianity !

But another objection presented itself of a different nature.— All the revelations attributed to God, who is equally the Father of all men$ are, in appearance, partial, and confined to a few! This we found not to be true in fact. The evidence will be found in this volume.

And yet another difficulty presented itself. The great discrepency there is between the teachings of Christ, and the lives of those who profess Christianity, and are in communion with the various sects. We found in the Scriptures not one doctrine more clearly taught, or more frequently insisted upon, than that of obedience to the precepts of Christ, as indispensible to salvation. But these professors do not obey His precepts, but are endeavoring to " climb up some other way;" and yet they hope for Heaven. The question arose in our mind, are the plain doc> trines of Christ understood and believed by professors ? If understood, how can they indulge in any rational or Scriptural hope of a happy immortality? But, will God cast them off for ever? For, if the Scriptures be true, a very large majority who are building confidently on obtaining a happy resurrection, are grossly deceiving themselves, " and their hopes are as the spider's web." Who, then, will be saved? These, and kindred subjects, occupied our mind night and day, for a length of time; until we concluded that possibly all might be a delusion, and the Scriptures the production of a talented and benevolent enthusiast, who hoped to charm or to alarm men to noble deeds! And thus we continued for some years on the verge of skepticism; now half believing, and then doubting ! No where could we see any, practicing the precepts of Christ, or imitating His example ; and a 5 * little among His professed Ambassadors as their followers ! — "like Priest, like people." This is fully verified. W r e found ourself a " restless wanderer after rest;" and like Noah's dove, we could find no firm, rational resting place !

INTRODUCTION. XV

But the important consideration was ever returning, with more or less force and power: "If a man die, shall he live again?" And if he should live again, under what circumstances would he live ? Will God make any distinctions after this life ? What are the qualifications for a happy immortality? What is the will of God in relation to men, and how is it to be infalibly known ? From whence is man, and what his final destination ? Can God be offended or propitiated by men, a^pd how ? Who can satisfactorily answer these important questions ? Who can solve our anxious doubts ? More than a thousand different answers in different ages of the world's history, have been given; but which of them all, is the true one ? For only one can be true, if any of them are ! These questions, so deeply interesting to the peace, and to the happiness of so many countless human spirits, we thought must interest the Eternal Being. But has He indeed interposed ? For to us, it was clear that the darkness and uncertainty that enveloped these questions, could not be removed, only by revelation ! If he has, by whom, and what are the evidences ? These questions at length aroused our paralized and dormant energies, and set us on the present investigation, and of the results of which this volume is the fruits. It is dedicated to all who love the truth, more than the approbation of men.

We will conclude this introduction by saying : Of all the propositions ever presented to the consideration of Immortal Spirits, since the world began, none are so pregnant with consequences involving so many and such absorbing interests, as that of Christianity. Compared with it all other interests sink into insignificance; and it maybe truly said, " what will it profit a man if he should gain the whole world, and lose his own soul ; or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" It is the interests of the soul then, the Immortal Spirit, of which Christianity treats ! On the principle of reason, therefore, it demands of all men the very utmost industry, circumspection and care in its investigation. All other sciences and their consequences, termi-

Xtt INTRODUCTION.

nate with this life, whilst the consequences resulting from a true knowledge of Christianity, has no termination ! The interests of an endless Eternity is its theme ! It alone can answer the awfully important question, " what must I do to be saved ?" — In reference to it, the Son of God said : " Strive to enter in at the straight gate, for many, I say unto you, shall seek to enter, and shall not be able ; for narrow is the way, and straight is the gate, which leadeth unto life, andjfew there be that find it !"

Now, although the entrance be accompanied with difficulty, owing to the multiplied hinderances thrown in our way, by Satan, the world, and the flesh; and notwithstanding the- narrowness of the path to Heaven and Immortality, yet it is plain and easy to be understood. Yes, " it is the King's highway, and a man, though a fool, (or ignorant of all other sciences,) may walk therein."