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The sum of 1211 dollars and 29 cents, mentioned above as due from the Publishers of the Magazine, was paid by them, September 20th, to the honorable Messrs. John Treadwell and Jonathan Brace, a Committee appointed by the Trustees of the Missionary Society of Connecticut to receive the same; and by said Committee was paid to the Treasurer of the Society, as appears by the Treasurer's Receipt, as follows:

HARTFORD, September 20th, 1804.

Received from the honorable John Treadwell and Jonathan Brace, Esquires, for and in behalf of the Trustees of the Missionary Society of Connecticut, the sum of twelve hundred and eleven dollars and twenty-nine cents, for which I am accountable as Treasurer to the Missionary Society, having given a duplicate of this receipt therefor. The same being avails of the Connecticut Evangelical Magazine.

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Christianity distinguished by its names given to the first human

name.

The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. Acts xi. 26.

HE high importance of

THE

pair by God, and to the animal world by Adam, is agreeable to this view. And many passages in scripture history convey the same idea.

The scriptural text with which Christianity, to man, ful- these observations are introduly apologizes for every well ced, refers to an event impormeant attempt to illustrate and tant in the history of the primirecommend it. The design of tive Church. Antioch was a the following dissertation is to large city, at a distance from Jeconsider the import of its name. rusalem, the capital of the kingFrom the first use of lan-dom of Syria, known in the guage the design of names has prophecy of Daniel by the epibeen to distinguish their sub- thet of "the Kingdom of the jects from other individuals of North;" as that of Egypt is by the same species, or from other "the Kingdom of the South." species of the same kind, or It consisted of that part of the they have denoted general ob- Empire of Alexander the Great, jects. They supercede the ne- which fell to Antiochus in the cessity of endless circumlocu- division of the Empire among tion, and facilitate the commu- his four principal Captains, nication of knowledge, by writ- which took place in a few years ing and the intercourse of social after the death of that conque- . life. Though they may be view ed as in a sense arbitrary, it is evident they originated, at least frequently, in a supposed adaptedness to express the most distinguishing quality, relation, or circumstance of the subject. The scripture account of the

VOL. V. No. 5.

ror.

This City was built by Antiochus, and named by him to per petuate the remembrance of his glory. In this, as in most populous places of the East, many

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Gen. i. 26. and ii. 19, 20-23.
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Jews had long dwelt among the Gentiles, who were the principal inhabitants. Happily for many there, the persecution of the disciples of Christ, in which the holy Stephen sealed the gospel testimony with his blood, occasioned such a dispersion of the disciples and preachers of the gospel, that some of them travelled as far as Antioch, preaching the gospel," and the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord." And although they preached the word to Jews only, it pleased God to make it successful to Gentiles, opening the door of faith to them also. Such is the fulness of divine grace that God is found even of those who sought him not. The conversion of Jews and Gentiles to the Christian faith, in the same city, prepared the way for their union in the same congregation, for the celebration of divine worship and ordinances; and their frequent intercourse, in that near relation, must have produced frequent occasion to mention each other, by their national distinction. This tended to excite their respective national prejudices, and to marr the happiness of their union in the Christian church. A common name seemed well adapted to prevent the evil, and none could have been invented so agreeable and proper as one derived from that of their common Lord. This would prevent the evil resulting from the frequent mention of their national distinction, express their united reverence to their master, the divine author of their religion, and would effectually distinguish them from the votaries of all other religions.

This worthy name was evidently in a high degree proper, as Christ was the Alpha and Omega of their religion, and their hope; their Prophet, Priest and King. It is also well known to the learned, that various sects of heathen philosophers were at that time denominated from their leaders and founders.

This name, however, seems not to have been assumed by the disciples of Christ merely from human views of propriety.

The Greek word here rendered called, is not the usual word so rendered. It properly imports a particular divine agency, influence or direction, and may be very literally ren dered divinely called. We find the word in some of its formations several times used in the Greek Testament, in all of which it has a signification similar to that just mentioned.*

On the whole, we may be well satisfied of the propriety of the name given to the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, at Antioch, and that in receiving it they acted by divine direction; their religion is, therefore, termed Christianity. In illus trating the propriety of this name, we shall be led to notice a few leading marks of distinction between this religion and all other religions among men.

We shall take our view of Christianity from the sacred book in which it is revealed. It is, however, to be remembered, that we consider the whole volume of scripture as containing a divine revelation of this

Matt. ii. 12-22. Luke ii. 26. Acts X. 22. Heb. viii. 5.xi. 7.— xii. 25.

religion. The Old Testament | ties, in all these respects; and as constituting the first part, and the New Testament the second and last.

The distinction between Christianity and all other religions respects its doctrines, its moral precepts and the prospects which it opens; but to consider these grand divisions in all their ramifications would require many volumes. We shall, therefore, pursue the following concise arrangement of a few leading marks of distinction, viz.

The object of worship,
The ground of acceptance,
The system of morality, and
The retributions of futurity.

I. We attend to the distinctions in the object of worship.

that he exists in that infinitely perfect manner called a Trinity in unity, possessing the whole perfection of unity and of Trinity, the whole benefit of both, in all respects and especially in this, that he enjoys independent communion in himself, as an incommunicable perfection of Jehovah, in distinction from the solitary, imperfect and dependent unity of the object of worship in the Mahometan system.

This is usually expressed by a personal distinction in the Deity, because there is an exident foundation for the application of the three personal epithets, I, Thou and He, as used in common language; though we by no means comprehend that distinction in the infinitely perfect manner of the divine existence, as distinguished from that of created, dependent and imperfect beings; we, ever, can perceive it to be necessary to independent perfection and felicity, and can apprehend no more difficulty in the belief of this doctrine, than of any other truth of natural or revealed religion, which exceeds our comprehension. We therefore rest with unwavering faith in the true and proper divinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, and that "these

Christianity teaches the worship of the one living and true God, in distinction from the polytheism of all systems of Pagan theology. It teaches that this God is eternal and independent, in distinction from the genealogies and dependent succession of their numerous divinities. They had their Jupiter optimus maximus, or their greatest God, their Dii majores or Gods greater than another class whom they called their household Gods. All these had a beginning, and were dependent, the less on the greater, and all on their Supreme Jupi-three are one." ter, and he on fate, which the best of them believed to be above the Gods.

This triune Deity, who is the object of Christian worship, is also possessed of infinite moral Christianity teaches that this perfection, or he is immutably one God is possessed of all natu- good. It is a dictate of right ral perfection, originally and in- reason that a Being possessed of dependently; that he is omni- such, natural perfections as the present, omniscient, omnipo- holy scriptures ascribe to the tent and immutable, in distinc-object of worship, and existing tion from the total deficiency in such a manner, must be inand imperfection of their divini-finitely perfect in his moral

character, or must be good. | But in this we are not left to the mere light of human reason. Divine revelation is abundant in ascribing all possible moral excellence to God, as a Being essentially and unchangeably holy, just and good, wise and faithful, and summarily assures us that "God is love." In these sacred writings we are assured that God is the fountain of all existence, the creator and preserver of Angels and men; that his dominion in the natural and moral world is universal and perfect; that his providence extends to all events, and that he governs moral and accountable creatures by the most perfect laws; that he is the kind and beneficent parent of the whole creation, and encourages his rational offspring to address him in prayer and praise.

Such a Being, and such only, can be the proper object of worship. He is present and knows all our wants, and is able to satisfy them. He governs all events in the universe; all creatures and events are in his hand, and he can protect and save us from evil. He is the father of our spirits and the former of our bodies, and is the kindest of parents, and a very present help in trouble. Into the bosom of such infinite sufficiency, and parental love the full soul may pour all its troubles; in him the fatherless findeth mercy--and he hath said, "call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thec, and thou shalt glorify me.'

But how shall guilty, unworthy sinners have access to such a Being of infinite majesty, perfection and purity?

The answer to this most interesting question will be found

in the next mark of distinction between Christianity and all other religions, which is,

II. The ground of acceptance. That man is, naturally, in a state of sin and ruin, is obvious to every reflecting mind, and has accordingly been perceived and lamented by most writers among the heathen philosophers; indeed a consciousness of guilt and exposedness to punishment is common to men; hence the anxious inquiry, "Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the Most High God?"

The best answers to this most interesting question, furnished from philosophic investigations, are wholly unsatisfactory.

Most of the heathen writers on this subject, manifest some notion of sacrifices, of some kind, to appease the anger of their Gods and obtain their favor. This, probably, originated in some knowledge of ancient tradition, conveying partial information from the possessors of divine revelation on this subject, but so mangled and perverted, as to be totally insufficinent to relieve the wounded conscience, or to enable the sinner to contemplate, with composure, his appearance before God.

The next relief attempted by philosophy, is by a virtuous life, or by repentance and reformation; but alas, how insufficient this, for the transgressor !— What rational hope can be derived from this to the sinner who owes ten thousand talents and has nothing to pay?"

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Were his repentance and reformation even perfect, they could have no influence to atone for past ef nces, and could be

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