of the election, the choice, the ordination, &c. so often mentioned in the above passages; an instance which clearly, proves that those terms relate to the apostolic office.

With regard to the second class of characters, they appear to be those who, in the beginning of the gospel, believed on Jesus through the testimony of the apostles, and were employed in an extraordinary way in propagating and confirming the doctrines of Christianity. It would appear from Mark xvi. 17, 18, that the apostles were encouraged by the promise of Jesus to expect in their labours a co-operation of this kind. "These signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." The history of the Acts of the Apostles abundantly illustrates this passage, and shews that, in addition to what the twelve received, there was a grand display of miraculous power distributed among the first converts to Christianity; and that those who received this power, acted in unison with the apostles, in establishing the kingdom of God. For these Jesus prays, that they all may be one, which evidently refers to their united efforts, in the work which they were to perform, even as he and his Father had hitherto acted in the same work. Let any one compare what is here expressed by Jesus, with Paul's account of the miraculous gifts, in 1 Cor. xii. and he must instantly see to what this part of the prayer alludes. In this chapter, and in various other parts of his epistles, Paul urges the importance of unity among those who possessed these gifts, and for the same reason too that Jesus assigns in his prayer, namely the conversion of the world to Christianity.

The last class of characters mentioned by Jesus in his prayer, are those whom he calls "the world.". These are represented as ignorant of God; as having persecuted Jesus, and hating his disciples. For them, he says, "I pray not." Hence it is concluded, that he must be speaking of the reprobate. But, how different a scene opens on our view where the subject is received in the light of consistency, and its different parts compared with each other. Then, instead of supposing, that Jesus is here anticipating a period when ninetenths of the human race shall be delivered over to neverending torments, in consequence of an unrepealable decree of his Father, we must view him as anticipating the salvatio of the world; the universal submission of the ends of the earth to the reign of God: the period when, in his name every kne shall bow, and every tongue confess, that he is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The world, the salvation of the world, is, in fact, the principal object adverted to by Jesus in this prayer. He does indeed pray for his disciples, and for those who should believe on him through their word, that they might be unanimous in their exertions; and that they might, in the execution of their work, be preserved from the evils of the world; but, why all this? why furnish them with miraculous powers, and bestow on them such pains in instructing them? for their own sakes? No, verily; but for the sake of the world: that the world might believe that God had sent him; and consequently, that the world through him might be saved. The strongest objection to this idea is derived from the words, "I pray not for the world." But this objection amounts to nothing; for, as has been shewn, the prayer has respect to three distinct classes of character, and that part of it where these words occur is exclusively appropriated to the apostles; and surely every one knows, that he had not chosen the whole world for apostles. If, however, it is urged, that Jesus refused to pray for the world, on the ground of their having been decreed to eternal misery, then, either he must have changed his mind, or the decree of God have been altered; for he expresses, towards the conclusion, the most earnest desire, that the world, who were then ignorant of his Father, and from whose ignorance he expected his disciples to suffer so severely, might believe on him by the preaching of the apostles. However important a place then the preservation of the apostles, and others who received miraculous gifts, holds in the prayer of Jesus, still it is plain, that the world* was the object to which he looked forward with the greatest degree of pleasure; and that to the effecting of its salvation all other things were to be made subservient.

If such is the meaning of Jesus, and that it is, has, I trust, been fairly shewn, what becomes of the doctrine of election and reprobation? Find them wherever they may, their advocates can find no vestige of ground for them in this prayer, without torturing the plainest of language into a meaning which evidently involves their arguments in self contradiction and gross absurdity. Let them remember, that if those who are here said to have been given to Jesus are the elect, one of them fell!-Nor let us hear the hacknied excuse, that Judas was nothing more than an impostor, and only united with the

* See John iii. 16, 17, where it is expressly declared "that God so loved the WORLD, that he gave his only begotten son; that WHOSOEVER believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life! for God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.”

others in appearance; for it is plainly said, that he was num-` bered with the eleven, and had obtained part of the ministry.

The pernicious effects of these doctrines on the minds of those who think they believe them, are strikingly obvious. They tell us, they are "humbling doctrines." No doubt there are individuals who hold them, that manifest a tolerable share, of humility; but this arises, not from the doctrines themselves, but from causes which might have influenced them; and, perhaps, more powerfully, if they had never known those doctrines. Indeed, so far from promoting humility, they must tend to pride. The man who fancies himself the favourite of heaven, in general manifests dispositions not unlike those which appear in the favourites of an earthly despot. Feeling himself secure, he can allow his imagination to rove with peculiar pleasure over a scene, which exhibits the majority of mankind as struggling under the most unutterable torments, without the most distant hope of relief. To feel otherwise would be to feel in opposition to their own notions of the Deity. Hence it is, that while they imagine they are enjoy ingsweet fellowship with the Lord," they can indulge the most malevolent passions towards those who, though much more amiable than themselves, dare not entertain such thoughts of God as they do. The husband must view his wife, notwithstanding all her amiable and endearing qualities, as a subject of Satan, unless she has been converted, i. e. has adopted his creed; and the parent must look upon his infant, lately snatched from him by death, as now burning in hell, "for the glory of God." Horrible as these things must appear to every benevolent mind, they are topics which seem wonderfully to animate many of our popular preachers, who, by frequently expatiating on them, frighten thousands into a state which they call religious; and this, they tell us, is being "useful to sinners.' These remarks may, by some, be thought severe; but the question is, are they true? It is well known, that those who hold these doctrines, are very shy in admitting the consequences resulting from them, and avail themselves of the most miserable shifts to avoid free enquiry on the subject; but this only argues the weakness of their cause. shews that there is hell; at least a wish in their breasts, that they could entertain a more pleasing idea of the conduct of God. I appeal to the experience of many whether this be not the case. And, is it not passing strange, that man should be more mercifully disposed than his Maker?

Nov. 8, 1812.

M.

It

THE DUTY OF REFORMING MANKIND FROM SUPERSTITION AND ERROR, AND THE GOOD CONSEQUENCES OF IT.

To the Editor of the Freethinking Christians' Magazine.

SIR,

THE desire of knowledge has engaged the attention of the wise and curious among mankind, in all ages, which has been productive of extending the arts and sciences far and wide, in the several quarters of the globe; and excited the contemplative to explore nature's laws in a gradual series of improvement, till philosophy, astronomy, geography, and history, with many other branches of science, have arrived to a great degree of perfection.

It is nevertheless to be regretted, that the bulk of mankind, even in those nations which are more celebrated for learning and wisdom, are still carried down the torrent of superstition, and entertain very unworthy apprehensions of the being, perfection creation, and providence of God, and their duty to him. Whence it becomes an indispensable obligation, incumbent on the philosophic friends of human nature, unanimously to exert, in every lawful, wise, and prudent method, their endeavours to reclaim mankind from their ignorance and delusion, by enlightening their minds on the great and sublime truths respecting God and his providence, and their obligations to moral rectitude, which cannot fail greatly to affect their happiness and well being, both in this world and in that which is

to come.

Though none by searching can find out God, nor trace out the Almighty to perfection; yet I am persuaded, that, if mankind would dare to exercise their reason as freely on those divine topics, as they do in the commou concerns of life, they would, in a great measure, rid themselves of their blindness and superstition, gain more exalted ideas of God, and their obligations to him and one another, and be proportionably delighted and blessed with the views of his moral government, make better members of society, and acquire many powerful incentives to the practice of morality, which is the last and greatest perfection whereof our nature is capable.

If we would come to God, we must believe that he is. The laws of nature having subjected mankind to a state of absolute dependence on something out of and manifestly beyond themselves, or the compound exertion of their natural powers, gave them the first conception of a superior principle existing; otherwise they could have had no possible conception of a superintending power. But this sense of dependency, which results from experience and reasoning on the

facts which every day cannot fail to produce, has uniformly established the knowledge of our dependence to every of the species who are rational, which necessarily involves, or contains in it, the idea of a ruling power, or the existence of a God, which ideas are synonimous.

1

This is the first glimpse of a Deity, and powerfully attracts the rational mind to make further discoveries; which, through the weakness of human reasonings, opens a door to errors and mistakes respecting the divine essence, though there is no possibility of our being deceived in our first conceptions of a superintending power. Of which more will be observed in its order.

The globe with its productions, the planets in their motions, and the starry heavens in the magnitudes of their orbs, surprise our senses, and confound our understanding, in their munificent lessons of instruction concerning God, by means whereof we are apt to be more or less lost in our ideas of the object of divine adoration; though at the same time every one is truly sensible that their being and preservation is from God. We are too prone to confound our ideas of God with his works, and take the latter for the former. Thus barbarous and unlearned nations have imagined, that, inasmuch as the sun in its influence is beneficial to them in bringing forward the spring of the year, causing the production of vegetation and food for their subsistence, therefore it is their God; while others have chosen other parts of the creation for ascribing to them the prerogatives of Deity; and mere creatures and images have been substituted as gods by the wickedness or weakness of man, or both together. It is apparent that mankind; in most ages and parts of the world, have been fond of corporeal deities, with whom their outward senses might be amused; or as fantastically diverted from the just apprehension of the true God, by a supposed supernatural intercourse with invisible and mere spiritual beings, to whom they ascribe divinity; so that, through one means or another, the character of the true God has been greatly neglected, to the vast detri ment of truth, justice, and morality in the world. Nor is it possible, that mankind can either be uniform in their religi ous opinions, or worship God according to knowledge, unless they can form a consistent arrangement of ideas of the divine character. This therefore shall be the great object of the following communication, to which all others are only subordinate; for the superstructure of our religion will ever be proportionate to the notious we entertain of the divinity whom we adore. A sentiment of mere dependence includes an idea of something on which we depend (call it by what name we will), which has a real existence, inasmuch as a dependency