Primitive truth and order, vindicated from modern misrepresentation with a defence of episcopacy particularly that of Scotland, against an attack...

Front matter

V

DANIELS & SMITH'S

PniLADELPHIA.

Contents

Introduction^ Page 9—25

Chapter L

The Christian Religion^ beings like its Divine Author^ " the same yesterday^ to-day, and for ever^"* ought to be received and embraced^ just as it is represented and held out in the Scriptures of Truth^ " without adding thereto^ or diminishing from it^^ 27— -88

Chapter II

The Church of Christy in which his Religion is received and embraced^ is that spiritual Society, in which the Ministration of holy Things is committed to the three distinct Orders of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, deriving their Authority from the Apostles, as those Apostles received their Commission from Christ, 89— 2o8

Chapter III

A Part of this Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, though deprived of the Support of Civil Establish' ment, does still exist in this Country, under the Name of the Scotch Episcopal Church, whose Doctrine, Discipline, and Worship, as happily agreeing with that of the first and purest Ages of Christianity, ought to be steadily adhered to, by all who profess to be of the Episcopal Communion in this Part of the Kingdom, 259 — 340

Appendix, containing List and Letters of Consecrations, and Articles of Union, 341— '350

Extract from the Review of Primitive Truth and Order, contained in the Anti-Jacobin Magazine, exhibiting a Reply to Dr, CampbeWs Commentar\j on the Words of Ignatius'-^^'' There is but one Altar as there is but one Bishop," 351 — o6^

A Review of Haweis* Church History, in zvhich the Errors and Misrepresentations of that Work are detected and exposed, 355—411

Introduction

XF there be any one truth, in embracing which it might be supposed that the intelligent part of mankind would universally agree, it is surely the importance of religion, and the necessity of attending to what it recommends, for promoting the interests of society on earth, as well as preparing men for the happiness of heaven. Viewing the matter in this light, it is impossible but that every serious thinking person, who wishes well to his country, must sincerely lament the unhappy divisions, which have so long agitated the public mind, on a subject so interesting as the nature and tendency of true religion. However justifiable separation may be in some cases ; and however necessary at all times, for the friends of truth and righteousness to withdraw themselves from the tents of error and ungodliness; still it cannot be denied that the numerous sects and parties into which the Christian world has been divided, and their almost endless diversity of religious opinions, must be considered as one of the heaviest calamities with which mankind have ever been visited. Nor need we be at much pains to point out this wild variety of sentiment respecting the doctrines of the gospel, as the most common source of infidelity, and most powerful support of irreligion; since we find it daily appealed to as such, and therefore Industrie ously encouraged by those " perverse disputers," who, rather than embrace the " pure undefiled religion" of Christ, allow themselves to be completely " spoiled through philosophy and vain deceit."

Nothing seems to be better known, nor more carefully improved, by the adversaries of our common faith, th^i?

iO INTRODUCIION.

the advantage they derive from those unhappy dissentions^ by which the family of Christians, which an Apostle calls the " Household of faith," is divided against itself. In lamenting the effects of such shameful division, the church of Christ may justly say, in the words of the Psalmist, — " It is not an open enemy that hath done me this dishonour 5 but even those who were once my companions, who took sweet counsel together with me, and walked in the house of God as friends." Such " offences," however, we are assured, " must needs come ;" even although a " woe be denounced against those by whom they come." We are also forevvarned, that there must, and will be heresies, factions and parties distinguished by their false and destructive principles j " that they who are approved" by their steady adherence to truth, unity and order, " may be made manifest."-— Such then being the divided state of what is called the Christian Worldj those who have promoted the present work do not hope to produce any thing like general unanimity in a country such as this, wh^re so many jarring opinions are entertained on the subject of religion. — ^The object which they have in vieAV is of less extent, and therefore more likely to be accomplished. The design of this publication is to offer some arguments in defence of Episcopacy in general, and particularly that of Scotland ; and to persuade such of the inhabitants of this country as profess to be of the Episcopal Communion, to walk worthy of that profession.^ by acting in a manner consistent with it, and endeavouring to support the constitution, and preserve the unity of that small remnant of the old established church, which still happily exists in this part of the united kingdom. There is no article of the Christian faith, as laid down in our public creeds, that seems to be so strangely misunderstood, and so little attended to, as that in which we are taught to profess our belief of the " holy catholic church." And the mistakes and inattention so prevalent with regard to this important article are the more to be regretted, as the

INTRODUCTION. It

baneful consequences arising from this unhappy cause do daily exhibit an increasing tendency to disorder, confusion, and every evil work. It is no doubt by preserving the bonds of ecclesiastical unity, that Christians are to be kept in the way of obedience to the one God, and dependence on the one Mediator. It has, therefore, been justly obsen^ed by an eminent writer, that, " if ever this subject of the church of Christ, now so much neglected, and almost forgotten by those who are most concerned to understand it, should come to be better considered, there would be more true piety, and more peace, more of those virtues which will be required in heaven, and which must therefore be first learned upon earth. Some amongst us err, because they know not the Scriptures ; and others, because they never considered the nature of the church. Some think they can make their own religion, and so they despise the word of God, and fall into infidelit}^ Others think they can make their own church, or even be a church unto themselves ; and so they fall into the delusions of enthusiasm, or the uncharitableness of schism."

These are the pertinent remarks of a learned divine of of the church of England, and they are enforced by an observation so justly expressed, and so well adapted to my present purpose, that I must take the liberty of presenting it to the notice of those for whom this publication is more particularly intended. " But, as there is nodiing to enlighten the minds of men in the doctrines of salvation, but the word of God; so there is nothing that can unite their hearts and aft'ections, but the church of God, Ye are one bread, and one body, saith the Apostle ; one body by partaking of one bread ; and that can only be in the same com," mimion,^^^ Impressed therefore with the truth and importance of what is here so justly asserted, and earnestly de-

* See the preface to an Essay on the Church, by the late Rev, William" Jones, of Nayland, in Suffolk.

U INTRODUCTION.

sirous of its producing the same effect in the minds of those for whose benefit I am now writing, I shall beg leave to request their serious and impartial consideration of the subject before us; while, taking a view of the general state of religion in this countiy, and the danger to which it is exposed, from professed infidels on the one hand, and from the fanatical abettors of enthusiasm on the other, we look back through all this mist of modern confusion, to the primitive order and uniformity of the church, and see what necessity there is for our continuing still in the " Apostles' doctrine and felloivslup^'* as the only source of order and guard of uniformity. — We shall then close our view with such a brief, but, I trust, satisfactory account of the ecclesiastical orders and administrations of the Episcopal Church in Scotland, as, notwithstanding the violent attack which was lately made upon it by a learned Professor of the establishment, may tend, by the blessing of God, to confirm the regard and attachment of its present members; to promote a becoming union among all those who profess to be of the Episcopal persuasion in this part of the kingdom ; and to furnish them with proper arguments for the vindication of those sound and salutary principles, by which they have the happiness to be distinguished.

It is an observation of undeniable certainty, that the same Divine Being, the Almighty Lord of heaven and earth, who has given to man the good things of creation for the use and benefit of his body, and the precious truths of revelation for the instruction and comfort of his soul, has in both instances met with the most ungrateful and unworthy returns. The good things of creation have been abused to the basest purposes of riot and intemperance, consumed in sin and sensuality, and often made a pretence for indulging covetousness and ambition, a sordid parsimony and griping avarice; v/hile the precious truths of revelation have been treated with the most insolent scorn <uid contempt, exposed to all the wantonness of raillery and

INTRODUCTION-. is

ridicule, and often so strangely perverted, as to pi-oduce nothing but blind superstition and enthusiastic presumption.

It is not enough, however, that we acknowledge in general the truth of this melancholy observation : let us examine whether such a charge be strictly just, when applied to the inhabitants of this land, the country with which we are most immediately connected. Perhaps, when comparing our moral character with that of other states and kingdoms, we may feel an inclination at once to resist the charge, because our country cannot in justice be accused of such flagrant abuses of the divine goodness as are too often exhibited in other parts of the world. But before we allow ourselves to be carried away by any such superficial and flattering comparison, we shall do well to consider, whether this moral superiority, which at present we undoubtedly possess, may not be more justly ascribed to a want of means and opportunity of carrying the pursuit of sensual and worldly pleasure to the same height with our richeif neighbours, than to any want of inclination, from principle, to the abuses which I have been mentioning. It seems therefore a doubtful point, whether our virtue in this respect is to be traced to the proper source and principle of all that deserves to be called virtue, or whether our being " delivered from much of the evil" that prevails in other places, may not be ascribed to the favourable circumstance oi our not being so much " led into temptation." But whatever may be said, either for or against our national character, on this score, it can only be applied to the first branch of the charge to which I have alluded, as pointing to that presumptuous abuse of the good things of creation, the criminality of which will no doubt be in proportion to the share that is enjoyed of these temporal blessings ; and those, to whom little is given, will surely have the less to account for. But as to the other part of the charge, in which our country is implicated, as professing to be Christian, and enjoying the full benefit of divine revelation, I am

U INTRODUCTION.

afraid, that in the contempt, or abuse of its precious truths, as much guilt and depravity will be found here, in proportion to our numbers, as in the other parts of the united kingdom.

From the advantages which Scotland has long enjoyed in the way of literature, and the easy access thus afforded to the general acquisition of knowledge, has arisen the powerful temptation, which many have been unable to withstand, of carrying their speculations beyond the proper limits, and affecting to be wise even in matters of religion, above what God has caused to be written for man's instruction. While such speculations, however, were confined to the student in his closet, their influence was narrow and circumscribed; and the general state of society was but lit-^ tie affected by the writings of such infidels as Damd Hume^ till they were better suited to vulgar capacity, and their deadly venom more widely circulated, by the poisonous arts of Thomas Paine, and his numerous disciples. These could not fail at last to attract the notice of government ; and by its firm and steady exertions, a stop has been put to the open and avowed propagation of principles so hostile to the morals, the peace, and good order of society. Yet it is much to be feared, that in many parts of the kingdom, the seeds of irreligion and licentiousness have been so plentifully disseminated, that unless their growth be checked by a returning sense of duty, or some powerful interposition of Providence, before they come to full maturity, inevitable ruin must be the consecjuence. Already do the presages of such a fatal issue begin to exhibit themselves. In some of the most populous districts of Scotland, where the middling and lower ranks of the people were, some years ago, exemplary in the discharge of their religious duties, not occasional neglect only, but a constant derision, and art avowed contempt of these duties, have now taken place. The rites and ordinances of the gospel are exposed to every species of scorn and ridicule. Children are wilfully^

INTRODUCTION. 1>

tvrithheld from the " laver of regeneration ;" and men and women " count the blood of the covenant, wherewith they are sanctified, an unholy thing, in pure despite of the spirit of grace."

The attainment of superior wisdom has been the boast of the free-thinking tribe in every age, and in every nation ; and much mischief has been done to the cause of Christianity by the sophisms of schoolmen, and the introduction of that false philosophy and vain deceit, the offspring of metaphysical subtilty, through which so many in the higher ranks of life have been completely " spoiled and led away after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." Yet comparatively small was the injury, so long as the poor had the gospel preached unto them ; so long as the mass of society was uncontaminated, and the great body of the people esteemed themselves happy in enjoying the comforts of religion, and " counted all things but loss, for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus their Lord." The paitition-wall, however, between learned and unlearned, is now in this respect broken down. The adepts of the new philosophy have availed themselves of the facility, with which the lower classes of the people may be tempted to get rid of this distinction ; and, if we may borrow the figurative language of the Psalmist, " the boar out of the wood doth now waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour" and tear in pieces, the gospel of that ** God of hosts," who proclaimed himself " the true vine ;" even the " Shepherd of Israel," of whom the same Psalmist declares, that " he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand." — 'What a pity it is that the grievous wolves of atheism and apostacy should be allowed to enter in among us, clothed as they are in the lambskin dress of fraternal benevolence, and universal philanuiropy ; under which guise, " speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them," they spare not the flock of Christ, but are daily carrying off unstable souls to

16 INTRODUCTION.

the destruction that awaits them! To whom, but to that same mlght}^ Shepherd of Israel, who neither shimbereth nor sleepeth, can we look for such aid and protection as arc necessary to defend us from these enemies of our peace ?

But, while we fly to him for shelter, earnestly praying that he would take us under " the shadow of his wings, until these calamities be overpast," we must be equally careful to beware of the modern " false prophets," and not listen to the pretensions of such as are ever seeking to exalt themselves, by going about and saying, " Lo, here is Christ, or lo there ;" for Christ himself hath left this warning with us — " Not every one that saith vmto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven ; but he that doth the iviU of my Father which is in heaven."* Now this heavenly Father being the God of order, not of confusion, his will must in every thing accord with his work ; and we are to discover what his will is, fi^om v/hat he has done for the purpose of revealing it to us. His doings^ no doubt, may be often " marvellous in our eyes ;" but no man, who is not actuated by the most palpable presumption and sejf-confidence, will dare to infringe, or pretend to alter, the order of God's works, whether they refer to his operations in the economy of nature, or of grace. Bold and assuming as the naturalist too often is, he never ha* attempted to invert the seasons ; to make the sun rule by night, and the moon by day; to oppose the stars in their courses ; to bring the winds out of their treasures, or to allay the fury of the tempest by his unavailing " peace, be still." How then should any one pretend to alter the system of things spiritual ; — to change the economy of grace ; — to disjoint the whole frame of religion, by opposing the revealed will of God, and setting aside the laws and institutions of his divine appointment? Yet all this may be jusdy laid to the charge of those wild enthusiasts^

* St. Matthew vii. 21.

INTRODUCTION, I}'

w^ho, full of the assurance of faith, and the inward experience of a self-confident mind, enroll themselves among the elect of God ; and, certain, as they suppose, of being saved themselves, look down with contemptuous disdain on those humble Christians who are yet content to " work out their own salvation," in the way that God has prescribed, ** with fear and trembling." — A doctrine, which thus tears away from the human heart every solid motive to a holy and religious life ; which tells us, in language as plain as these people can possibly make use of, that if we are in the number of the elect, there is no fear, and if we are not, there is no hope : Such a doctrine, the abettors of it, no doubt, justly suppose, would require to be supported, not by human authority, but by an immediate testimony from Jieaven; and therefore the modern preachers of this new gospel, despising the commission which our Lord gave his Apostles, to be handed down by regular succession, have all at once assumed to themselves a title, by which they would make the world believe that they have now the only mission from heaven that exists upon this earth, the peculiar privilege of preaching what they are pleased to call the Gospely m. opposition to all that the church of God has hitherto received under that venerable name.

How long this delusion, which is now spreading so wide through every part of the kingdom, may prevail, it is not easy to say ; as the power of delusion is strong, both when it would appear to be on the side of religion, and when it operates in a contrary direction. Attempts have been made, by something like ecclesiastical authority, to stop the progress of this growing evil, and to administer<?a remedy to those who are infected by this missionary phrensy ; a sort of possession more worthy of one who has his " dwel» ling among the tombs," than of those who reside in the habitations of men ! But they who prescribe the remedv, ought to understand well the nature of the disease, and be able to trace the malady to its proper source. People who

IS INTRODUCTION.

admonish others to beware of falling into any dangeroias error in matters of religion, ought themselves to be exempt from the mischief, against which their admonition is direct* ed. Such warnings come with an ill grace, and therefore with no great probability of doing much good, from those, who, perhaps it will be said, derive their own ministry from the same contempt of a regular apostolic mission, of which they now see such alarming consequences, as have at last produced a wish to prevent their farther increase.

In the midst of all this confusion, this melancholy departure from PRIMITIVE TRUTH AND ORDER, we of the Episcopal Communion have the credit and comfort of reflecting, that nothing has been said or done on our part to promote or encourage such wild deviation from the paths of true religion, the ways of unity, peace and love, which our blessed Redeemer marked out for all his faithful foUowers.-^It is true, we are separated, and must continue to be separate from the establishment of this country; not as influenced by a spirit of opposition to whatever is established either in church or state (which seems to be a prominent feature in the doctrine of these new Apostles), but because we act on principles which require and justify such separation ; and which, if well understood, and duly adhered to, would ensure stability to every sound establishment, and prevent those unhappy divisions, which serve only to multiply error, and drive men farther and farther from the truth as it is in Christ.

Such as I have now described it, is evidently the situation of the land in which we live, with respect to the religious ch^^acter of a great majority of its inhabitants, very much resembling the state of things in the Jewish church, at the time of our Saviour's first coming into the flesh, when the true religion was either totally set aside by the infidelity of the Sadducees, or sadly corrupted by the vile hypocrisy of self-conceited Pharisees. The former, led away, like our modem Illuminaiiy with a vain affecta-

INTRODUCTION. igr

tion of superior discerivment, coiild not bear the thoughts of submitting their enlightened understandings to the familiar tenets of a vulgar faith. They must have a creed of a different form, perfectly suited to what they are pleased to call Reason^ and the Fitness of things. This has been the idol of the unbelieving race, in all ages and places of the world. And though the vanity of their scheme has been often exposed in the clearest manner, and to the full satisfaction of eveiy serious, sober- thinking person; yet it would seem to require the same divine eloquence now as it did foi*merly, to " put the Sadducees to silence."

But though it were possible (and with God it cannot be impossible) to check the licentious railings of these " bold disputers, who even deny the Lord that bought them ;" denying, either that they are bought, or that he who bought them is the Lord— -the eternal. Almighty Jehovah; the true faith has yet another sort of enemies to combat with, in the imitators of those pharisaical pretenders to religion, of whom St. Paul gives a most just and striking description in these words—-" For I bear them record, that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God."*— Submission to the righteous will and appointment of God was no part of the religion adopted by that zealous ignorance, the effects of which are here so minutely described ; and similar effects are still flowing from the same unhappy cause. The pride of infidelity, we may well suppose, is not a little cherished and supported by the gross absurdities which prevail among many of those who profess to believe the great truths of the gospel ; and who, in flying from the ruinous paths of the impious sceptic, are often sadly bewildered in ways of their own devising, and plunge

^ INTRODUCTIOlsr.

themselves into all the follies of the wild enthusiast* There seems to be a strange propensity in many of our countrymen to be misguided by such as thus go about to deceive ; and who, to carry on their deceit the more effectually, lay it down as an undoubted maxim, very flattering to the vanity of the human heart, that any man who can read, may, with the scriptures in his hands, be able to know and do every thing necessary to salvation. But this, though partly true, is not die whole truth ; and well-meaning people ought to be put on their guard against such an artful misrepresentation. Had the scriptures contained only a few moral precepts, tending to preserve the peace of society, and to regulate man's conduct towards his neighbour, without prescribing any sacred rites and institutions, as a testimony of his submission to the will of his God, the maxim I have mentioned might have been assumed with more propriety. But is this really the case ? Has a man, in order to be made a Christian, nothing more to do than to go to a bookseller's shop and purchase a bible, that he may peruse it at his leisure and interpret it as he thinks fit? With all the liberality which this age possesses, no one has yet ventured to assert so much in plain terms, although the loose opinions, which so generally prevail, clearly show, that too many are guided by no other principle.

In tracing these and many other growing evils to their proper source, we may easily find their original in that lamentable ignorance of the true nature and constitution of the Christian Church ; and of consequence, that tot^ want of regard for the order and succession of its ministers which have, of late years, so wofully prevailed among us ; encouraged and countenanced by a numerous set both of preachers and authors, whose interest it is to flatter men in this fashionable error, and take advantage of it. Hence it is, that the Christian world has been bewildered and led astray by so many unfaithful histories of the church, and such ill-digested lectures on that subject, as could only

INTRODUCTION. 2i

come from persons who found it necessary to touch these things very tenderly, because the ground on which they stood in their official character, was not so firm as to bear them up in any other language than that of the false prophets of old, " who spoke smooth things, and prophesied deceits, because the people loved to have it so." A writer of another stamp, the late pious and learned Bishop of Norwich, in laying before his clergy a brief account of the great fundamental doctrines which they were to inculcate, as essential to Christianity, and without which, it cannot be considered as a religion true in itself or beneficial to us, takes care to include in the number of these important doctrines, the Constitution and Use qf the Church; " a subject on which," he says, men's principles for some years past '' have been very unsettled, and their knowledge precarious and superficial."^ — We need not wonder that this should be the case, when men are at so little pains to acquire that sound substantial knowledge, which is absolutely necessary to settle their principles, and give them just and suitable ideas on a subject of such serious and striking importance, as was ascribed by the blessed Author of our religion, to the way and manner, the purpose and design of his building or raising that society, which he was pleased to call his churchy and which he no sooner entered on his public ministr}^, than he began to establish.f

Now that this church of Christ, thus established by himself in person, and afterwards enlarged by his Apostles, on the plan which he had laid down for their direction, ought to be considered as a regular, well formed society, is evident from the names and allusions by which it is described in the sacred writings. It is there represented as a body^ a household or family^ a city^ a kingdom; and must certainly bear some kind of relation to what these terms are generally known to imply. Indeed, no one who

* See Bishop H<jrne's Charge, p. 21; f See St. Matthew xvi. 18, 19-

22 INTRODUCTION.

reflects for a moment on the nature of these figurative expressions, can be ignorant wherein it is that this relation or connection takes place. The church is a ^o^f/ having many members, of which Christ is the head. The church is a " household^'* ox family y of which Christ is the master,*--. " of whom the whole family is named;" and into which being admitted by baptism, we receive the spirit of adoption, whereby we are allowed and enabled to call the great Lord of heaven and earth our Father. The church is also called the " city of the living God j" and Christians are said to be " fellow-citizens with the saints :" and it is often mentioned as a kingdom^ of which Christ— -the King of saints — is the Almighty Sovereign, " to whom all power is given, in heaven and in earth." In all these respects, the church must be considered as an outward and visible society, possessing all the powers and privileges, and imposing on its members all the relative duties implied in the allusions which I have now quoted. As a hody^ all the members must be joined to the head, and to one an* other, that they may receive life and motion for the discharge of their several functions. As a family^ its Almighty Father must in every thing be the guide and director of his children, appointing for them the proper teachers and masters, and training them up in the way of life, from which they must never depart. As a householdy the church must not be divided against itself: that it may stand, it must be upheld in unity and order, and by submission to such wholesome discipline, as in the charitable institutions of this world is found necessary to be imposed on all who are admitted to share in the liberality of the founders. As a city and kingdom^ the church must be watched over, and governed by its proper officers, deriving their spiritual power and authority from that heavenly Sovereign, who is King of kings and Lord of lords.