THE

Spiritual Magazine;

OR,

SAINTS'

TREASURY.

There are Three that bear record in heaven; the FATHER, the WORD, and the HOLY GHOST; and these Three are One."

• Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints."

1 John v. 7.

Jude 3.

AUGUST, 1835.

LETTER TO THE EDITORS.

Messrs. Editors,

HAVING waited until this time for an answer to my questions inserted in your last April Magazine, and receiving no reply, I have ventured to send a few remarks on the various subjects embraced in the queries.

It has long been to me and others a matter of surprise and regret, that while among every other denomination of professing christians union has been the order of the day, the Calvinistic Independents, who believe and preach the distinguishing doctrines of grace, and whose general conduct is consistent with the precepts of the gospel, are not united as a body, but are to be found scattered over the length and breadth of the kingdom, and exposed to the scoff and insult of all other bodies of professors, whether Arminians, Baxterians, Fullerites, or Socinians, &c. Oft has it been said in my hearing, that the high Calvinists, as they call us, are a disunited, uneducated, and an insignificant party, having little or no regard for the temporal, moral, or spiritual welfare of their unconverted fellow creatures, and confining their attention to a select few; taking no pains to establish, nor exerting any influence to promote Bible, Missionary, Tract, or other societies-having few or no Sunday, infant, or day schools-no school or chapel libraries-no home or foreign missionaries-no academy for the necessary education of ministers spiritually qualified and called of God, but leaving many of them to work their own way, however difficult or expensive, or to be their own teachers in even the rudiments of English grammar and language, or of ecclesiastical and natural history, &c. in order to prepare them for the better discharge of their ministry at home, or of learning such foreign languages as may be deemed desirable or necessary for the administration of their ministerial office abroad. You have, say they, no Sunday school books consistent with your VOL. XI.-No. 138.] 2 G

religious doctrines-no catechisms, hymn or reward books for such schools-no general funds to aid chapel cases, or aged, sick, infirm, or distressed christians-not even for aged or infirm gospel ministers of your own denomination, or for their wives and children in the event of death, &c.-no youths' magazines, or other moral and instructive books even for your own children, &c.

Now, though I cannot go all the length of other denominations in these matters, yet I must confess there is too much truth in nearly all these charges; and I am inclined to believe that by standing aloof in these respects we have injured the cause of God and truth, by producing a strong prejudice against the very doctrines we are justly anxious to set forth and vindicate. Most people judge of doctrine by the conduct and practice of its professors, who are to let their light shine before men, &c. (Matt. v. 17.) but, when they find a particular backwardness on our part to establish, support, and countenance any of the before-named societies or objects, (which under certain alterations and proper management, are calculated, under God, for the temporal, moral, and spiritual advantage of our fellow-creatures,) they immediately infer that our religious opinions must be unscriptural, seeing so little is done, in comparison with others, to promote their welfare. And for the same reason our enemies, particularly preachers, take occasion therefrom to speak reproachfully of us and of our opinions. May we henceforth give more heed to the directions of the Holy Ghost to Titus, "In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works; in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech, that cannot be condemned, that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you." Titus ii. 7, 8.

With regard to the circulation of Bibles without note or comment, perhaps no one will venture to deny but that the object is a good one, and such as every christian may and ought to promote; though of the two societies, I feel attached to the Trinitarian, its members being rather more decided for truth, and therefore opposed to an association with persons embracing dangerous and damnable errors, (viz. Socinianism) and perhaps the best managed, and consequently the more likely to be attended with the divine blessing; though no doubt even that society has its faults; but if I were to stop until a Bible society could be formed and managed without any defect, I should wait long enough: therefore, I conclude that if the object or principle of any society be feasible, and likely to be beneficial either to the bodies or souls of mankind, I am bound, on moral and christian grounds to promote its success, and try to remove in a proper spirit, whatever may be wrong in the machinery of its operations; while I endeavour to make the best use of whatever means it possesses of doing good under every varying circumstance to which the society may be liable. By which sentiment, I feel persuaded, I express the meaning of the following scriptural exhortation : "Let us not be weary in well doing; for in due time we

shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith," Gal. vi. 9, 10. And another portion is, "To him that knoweth to do good, and doth it not, to him it is sin," James iv. 17.

And with respect to Missionary societies, the same sad proof of human weakness and faults appear; yet the object of preaching the gospel to the unconverted, whether at home or abroad, is decidedly scriptural; which is, as Paul expresses it," for the conversion of the remaining portion of the elect;"- take his explanation, viz. " I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they, (who are now unconverted) may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory," 2 Tim. ii. 10. And Christ says, " Other sheep I have, which are not of this (Jewish) fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one Shepherd," John x. 16. Every minister sent of God may properly be considered as a missionary, which is merely a name of distinction, and means "one who is sent to propagate religion," Jones's Dictionary. And as it respects preaching to the unconverted at home or in foreign parts, I would observe, that (without adopting the modern mode of addressing them, which I most decidedly disapprove, yet,) I need no other proof or warrant than the scriptures, and the exercise of common sense, to convince me, that, when Paul preached on Mar's hill at Athens, he must have addressed the unconverted, because he charges them with idolatry, gross ignorance, and want of repentance, (Acts xvii. 22-34.) And, as after he had ended, according to the last verse, some are said to have believed, it is clear he preached to them before they believed; therefore they had been unbelievers when he commenced his oration. Moreover it will appear that the unconverted are the objects of address from the commission given unto Paul as recorded in Acts xxvi. 18 to 23. viz. " Delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God," &c. which passage is descriptive of their unregenerate and regenerate state. But though the eyes of their understanding were shut, and their souls were enveloped in the darkness of sin, and under the powerful influence of the devil, yet, while they were in that state, Paul was to preach to them, and leave it for the Holy Spirit to apply the word with power, 1 Thess. i. 5. Besides, the words of Christ imply that the gospel must be preached to the unconverted, for he said to his apostles, "Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature he that believeth, &c. shall be saved," Mark xvi. 15, 16. Now, unless it can be proved that every creature is a believer, the words are a direct commission to all ministers spiritually qualified and sent of God, to preach the gospel to the unconverted, wherever they may be found; " and a door is opened of the Lord," (2 Cor. ii. 12.) for the command is to "teach

all nations," Matt. xxviii. 19. Who, that has read with attention and an unprejudiced mind Mr. Johnson's Letters to Dr. Hawker from Sierra Leone, and printed in the Gospel Magazine for August, 1824, page 360 to 421, and inserted also by Dr. Williams in his Memoirs of Dr. Hawker, must not be convinced, that the Lord blessed his missionary labours there, to the conversion of many liberated Negroes of the back settlements. And, can any christian read with impartiality and candour the published lives of the Missionaries Brainard, Elliot, Martyn, &c. without admitting that even their labours were owned and blessed of God, more or less. That there are preachers sent by the various missionary societies who may be unconverted, and therefore unsent of God, I think highly probable; and that the Missionary reports are partial and exaggerated I have reason to believe; but are there not unconverted preachers at home also, and much deception, unfaithfulness, partiality, and handling the word of God deceitfully, practised to increase the number, respectability, and popularity of the different sects? But do we cease to preach and publish the truth on that account? Rather, are we not the more excited to decision and perseverance in the cause of God and truth? I therefore beg to ask, why a missionary society may not be formed among the Calvinistic Independents, and one or more spiritual and otherwise suitable person or persons selected for the purpose of learning, under the tuition of competent teachers, the languages of the people to whom it may be considered the most advisable to send them; and the number of the missionaries to be increased as funds shall be found forthcoming to provide the requisite means. Many favourable advantages and opportunities are now presented to encourage the formation of such an institution, for nearly all the civilized portions of the world are open for spiritual missionaries and school-masters; and I firmly believe that the spiritual independents throughout the kingdom need only to be appealed unto, and their aid would be secured. And it is very desirable that a home missionary society be formed, for there are thousands of villages in our native land that are destitute of a gospel ministry. Perhaps a home missionary society should be formed first, and prosecuted for a few years by way of introduction to the other. Let our beginning, if small, be founded on sound scriptural principles, and we must, by the Holy Ghost, eventually succeed in spreading the saving knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. And, I believe, that many of the better informed and spiritual belonging to other societies, will join us, as soon as they understand that the nature of our object is to preach the true gospel at home and abroad, with a view, under God, to the conversion of " a remnant according to the election of grace," (Rom. xi. 5-7.) who are predestinated (under the life-giving, sinsubduing, self-loathing, and sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit) to be called, justified, and glorified (Rom. viii. 30.) with Christ in heaven, (John xvii. 24.) The revealed and not the secret will

of God is our rule of action, as it is written," the secret things belong unto the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong unto us," &c. Deut. xxix. 29. Now, the divine purposes, as to the number and residence of the elect, and the appointed period of their conversion, is secret to us; but we know they are to hear the Shepherd's voice, (John x. 26, 27.) that they are chosen unto obedience, (1 Peter i. 2.) and that as of old, so to the end of time it shall be said, "As many as were ordained to eternal life, believed," Acts xiii. 48.) In the mean while, observing his revealed will, contained in the holy scriptures, we find ministers exhorted to "preach the word, and be instant in season and out of season," (2 Tim. iv. 2.) and Christ declares, "this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come," (Matt. xxiv. 14. ;) and it forms a part of a divine song to the Lamb of God in heaven, that he was slain, and had redeemed them to God by his blood, "Out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation," (Rev. v. 9.) which implies that the gospel is to be preached wherever an opportunity offers; as is further represented by an "angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people," (Rev. xiv. 6.); and if to every tongue (or language) then the preachers must be natives, or if strangers, they must learnthe language before they can preach to them, and hence arises the need of academies.

On my introducing the subject of academies, methinks I hear the reader exclaim, We will have no parson manufactories! Do have patience, my friend, until I have explained myself; I cannot suppose that you despise human learning in its proper place, as the handmaid to divine teaching; but should I be mistaken in my opinion of your views, and you feel inclined to say-away with human learning, divine teaching is quite sufficient; then, allow me to ask, have you forgotten, my friend, who they were that the Lord made use of as instruments to translate the scriptures out of the original Hebrew and Greek into the English language; and to whom you are under obligation for the many interesting and instructive comments on the whole or certain portions of scripture, the literal meaning of which, it would be difficult to understand, but for an intimate knowledge of the language of foreign nations, to whom alone the figurative parts of scripture were familiar, and whose habits and customs were and are so different from ours, that, but for the acquired knowledge of them, the metaphors and parables of the Bible could not humanly speaking be understood? Now if the forty-seven learned translators in king James' time, and such learned and spiritual commentators as Dr. Gill, Dr. Hawker, Guyse, &c. were not acquainted with the different foreign languages, and oriental habits, and customs, and persons, and things, how could they explain its literal meaning, unless by a miracle, which it would be folly for them to expect;