ΤΟ PROTESTANT DISSENTERS. BRETHREN, deem Christians, and performing by yourselves the rites of divine worship? Will they not think you guilty of violating the unity of the church, of interrupting the fraternal intercourse that ought to prevail among Christians, and of establishing an interest hostile to the communion of saints? What answer will you give to their inquiries, and how will you justify a procedure, which appears at first sight so little consonant with the maxims of scripture, and the practice of the purest ages of the church? Surely you ought to explain to them the necessity in which dissent originated, and by which it is still justified. In order You have not to learn that youth is the season best adapted for instilling into the mind religious principles, and forming it to habits of piety and benevolence. But while, in the general, with laudable diligence you train up your children in the way wherein they should go, are you not deficient in one point, namely, in inculcating on their minds the principles by which you are distinguished as Dissenters? These principles, it is granted, are of far less importance than the truths common your ancestors may not be to sincere Christians of all deno- considered as the authors, and minations. Yet, while I would yourselves as the abettors, of a discourage as much as possible wanton and detestable schism, it sectarian feelings, I cannot for- behoves you to state the grounds bear entreating you to instruct on which you think yourselves your children more thoroughly in obliged to form a religious comthose views which you entertainmunity by yourselves. as Protestant Dissenters. When Moses commanded the Israelites to keep the passover, he supposed that, in the lapse of time, their children might be desirous to know the origin of that rite; he therefore taught them to say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord's passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And is there not something in you which will equally excite the curiosity of your children? Will they not wonder, since the disciples of Christ ought to constitute one body in appearance as well as in reality, they being all branches of the same tree, at your separating from those persons in the established church whom there is reason to Exod. xii. 27. that It would tend to correct your remissness in this particular, if you were to pay attention to the zeal and diligence of churchmen. With them the excellence of their church is an incessant theme of panegyric. The evangelical purity of its doctrine, its apostolical constitution, its primitive discipline, its decorous ceremonies, and its charitable spirit, are the topics of The accusations which they bring innumerable charges and orations. against Dissenters, of diversity of opinion, of imperfection in their mode of worship, and of a needration from the most pure and less and therefore criminal sepamost primitive of churches, furnish them with matter for copious declamation, strengthen the attachment of their adherents to the national church, and aggravate their abhorrence of dissent. To counteract these effects, and clergy being restrained by the civil. authorities. How many to prevent these representations them; the intolerance of the from imposing on your children, is it not necessary to tell them again and again, that there was no religious establishment until nearly the middle of the fourth century; that the Christian church became greatly corrupted soon after that dreadful event; that believers ought not to be yoked toge ther with unbelievers; and that therefore every religious establishment is necessarily wrong and antiscriptural? When you have deep-children, you will seem ungrateful ly laid this foundation, you may then proceed to state to them, as minor considerations, your objections to the general frame and constitution of the church of England; to its officers; to its liturgy; to its ceremonies; to its impositions; to its discipline; to the forcing of ministers upon the people without their choice; to its spiritual courts; to its tithes ;* &c. &c. It may also not be amiss to furnish them with a history of the Nonconformists, and of their sufferings in the cause of religious dissent. The free and generous principles which constitute the civil polity of these realms, it is well known, originated with the Puritans, and have, at all times, been cordially cherished by their descendants, the Protestant Dissenters. A love of liberty, civil and religious, enters into the very idea of a Protestant Dissenter. The tolerating maxims that originated with the ancestors of the Dissenters, were not spontane ously embraced by churchmen. The freedom of worship, at present enjoyed, was extorted from churchmen are there who begrudge you the exercise of the privileges with which you are by the laws invested! In this state of things, it surely becomes you to transmit to your offspring the legacy of noble and generous principles, which you inherited. If you take not pains to instil them into the minds of your to your ancestors, who maintained them at the risk of liberty, fortune, and life. Let it not be imagined that you have relinquished those exalted sentiments to which this nation owes its fame, its security, and its happiness. You think the views which you entertain of the constitution and discipline of the Christian church consonant to the scripture, and to the practice of the first ages, Of course, you must suppose the prevalence of them connected in a degree with the purity and vigour of the Christian religion. While you teach your children the doctrines which you hold in common with other Christians, can you be satisfied, as if you had discharged your duty, if you explain not to them the opinions which distinguish you as Dis senters? The existence of Dissenters, too, is beneficial to the church itself. When their doctrines are illustrated by practice, it has a great influence on the church. It checks the extravagant pretensions in which her members are prone to indulge; it lays a restraint on her corruptions and abuses; it promotes among her clergy learning and decorum of manners; and it excites their zeal, and stimulates them to a more regular discharge of their | from Rom. iv. 6, 7; and seeing duties. We know not what better answer to return to the above querist, than what is contained in the following extract: "We inquire whether justification includes the pardon of our sins, past, present, and to come. That it includes the pardon of sin, has been proved already, We would earnestly recommend to the heads of families in our congrega: tions, "The Protestant Dissenter's Catechism :" by the late Rev. Samuel Palmer, of Hackney; and "The Principles of Nonconformity sanctioned by the New Testament:" a sermon by Dr. Newman. -EDIT. it is promised of him that believeth, that he shall not come into condemnation,' it must, in some way, secure the pardon of all his sins, and the possession of eternal life. Yet to speak of sins as being pardoned, before they are repented of, or even committed, is not only to maintain that on which the scriptures are silent, but to contradict the current language of their testimony. If all our sins, past, present, and to come, were actually forgiven, either when Christ laid down his life, or even on our first believing, why did David speak of confessing his transgression,' and of God's forgiving his iniquity?' Why did Solomon teach us, that He that confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall find mercy? Why did our Lord direct us, in our daily prayers, to say, 'Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors?' And why add, "If ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive you your trespasses?' Finally, Why did the apostle John teach us, that If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness?' "Nor is it sufficient to understand this language, of the manifestation of forgiveness to the mind. Forgiveness is not opcomforts of religion, but to layposed to merely withholding the ing our sins to our charge. The his fellow-servant by the throat, parable of the servant, who took and was delivered by his Lord to the tormentors, is thus applied by our Lord; So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if from ye your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.' This undoubt edly means more than withhold- RELIGIOUS worship falls under three heads ; viz. Moral, Instituted, and Discretionary. 1. MORAL.-Prayer is a moral duty; and the singing of praise appears to be so, Col. iii. 16. Ps. civ. 33. There may be appendages to moral duties, which are not morally obligatory. Thus, under the Old Testament dispensation, incense was an appendage to prayer, and instrumental music to singing; but neither the one nor the other was of a moral nature. No one says that it is sinful not to use instrumental music in divine worship. 2. INSTITUTED.-Instrument "We may think, if the Lord appointed us to obtain salvation by Jesus Christ, whatever be our conduct, he will never threaten us with any thing beyond a severe chastisement; but Christ did not act in this manner towards his disciples. He not only gave the unforgiving to expect no for- al music was instituted under the giveness at the hand of God, but Old Testament dispensation. In enforced the giving up of that the time of Moses were used the which caused them to offend, trumpet and cornet: David addthough it were as dear as a righted many other instruments by the hand, or a right eye, on pain of divine command, 2 Chron. xxix. being cast into hell fire. He al- 25. Instituted worship ceased lowed no one, while in an evil at the death of Christ. Instrucourse, to take it for granted, mental music was not instituted that he was nevertheless a good by Christ or his apostles: they man; but pointed him to the sang a hymn, Matt. xxvi. 30. end, whither that course, if per- Singing is not only a moral duty, sisted in, would lead him. Warn- but it is instituted under the New ings are as necessary in some cir- Testament dispensation, Eph. v. cumstances, as encouragements 19. Col. iii. 16, &c. are in others; and their being enforced, on pain of eternal destruction, may be the appointed means of saving us from it." Fuller's Sermons on various Subjects. 3. DISCRETIONARY.-When a moral, or an instituted duty admits of being performed in a variety of ways, none of which are with the divine appointment, inconsistent with its morality, or there is place for the exercise of discretion in the selection of the best mode of performing it. Thus, every church must judge for itself at what hour to begin public worship, what tunes to sing, how often singing shall be performed, and other similar cir cumstances. If music, as a general term, were either a moral or an instituted duty, instrumental music, being included in it, might be lawfully used. But under the gospel dispensation, singing only being instituted, instrumental music is unlawful. church, contrary to the opinion of Luther; who, as Eckard confesses, reckoned organs among the ensigns of Baal. Organs are still used in some of the Dutch churches, but against the minds of their pastors; for in the national synod at Middleburgh, anno 1581, and in that of Holland and Zealand, anno 1594, it was resolved that they would endeavour to obtain of the magistrates, the laying aside of organs, and the singing with them in churches. The church of England also, in her homilies, strongly remonstrates against the use of organs, and other instruments of music, in churches. In the homily, on the place and time of prayer, after mention of piping, singing, chanting, and playing on organs, which was in use before the Reformation, we are exhorted greatly to rejoice, and give thanks to God, that our churches are de displeased God so sore, and so filthily defiled the holy house and place of prayer.' I only add, that the voice of harpers and musicians, and of pipers and trumpeters, is mentioned among the glories of the mystical Babylon, that mother of harlots and abominations of the earth, whom God will destroy with the sword of his mouth, and with the brightness of his coming." The only case in which discretion appears admissible is, in the selecting of a mode of performing a duty which must be performed in some way, but where the particular way is not appointed. From the introduction of discretion, in other cases, arises all the will-worship of the Romish church. If the lawful-livered out of these things, that ness of instrumental music in religious worship were to be granted, we could no longer consistently condemn the farrago of Popish ceremonies. Instrumental music was not admitted even into that church till after the year 1250. Thomas Aquinas, who was born in 1225, and died in 1274, and whose writings are held in the greatest estimation by the Romish church, writes thus: "In the old law God was praised both with musical instruments and human voices; but the Christian church does not use instruments to praise him, lest she should seem to judaize." "So that it seems," says Dr. Jennings, (Jew. Antiq. book i. chap. 5,) "instrumental music hath been introduced into Christian worship within about the last 500 years, in the darkest and most corrupt times of Popery. It is retained in the Lutheran If it should be objected, that we read in the Revelation of "harpers harping with their harps," we answer, It is true: but we also read in that book of the golden altar; of the offering of incense, as an appendage to prayer; and of other imagery borrowed from the Jewish dispensation. But no Protestant will from hence argue, that incense ought to be used in divine worship by Christians. |