you do not know how those in the country eat up and disturb the land. Look into the tithe causes in the Exchequer (I do not mean that they have much profit by that, as the lawyers take the twenty per cent.)-I am afraid you have not seen to the bottom. Then, Sir, there is the Ecclesiastical courts, to whose records you cannot be admitted. Lord Cochrane complains of the Prize courts; but, as he was told in the House of Commons, those trifles were not worth noticing. His Lordship does not know that if he mea sures by fathoms, those courts may measure by roods. A ten years litigation for an alteration in the manner of tith ing lambs or eggs, when the whole contest is not worth ten pounds per annum, costs four or five thousand; and this is all for the support of religion!

If you knew half of what is going on, you need not meddle with politics for an age to come; and if you are not fully acquainted with the evils your country is suffering from the clergy, I wish you would acquire that knowledge, and advocate the cause of the rights of the people, by expos ing the usurped revenues of the clergy. Keswick, Dec. 1812.

J. S. M.

REMARKS ON MR. BURDON'S COMMUNICATIONS.

To the Editor of the Freethinking Christians' Magazine.

SIR,

MR.

R. Burdon may very properly be designated as one who overflows with idle, ridiculous, and pompous as sertions. Having nothing better to exhibit, he distributes these liberally, and seems to take it for granted, that his simple affirmative is quite sufficient to decide upon morals, subjects of great interest, and supreme importance. For my part, 1 do not think half so cleverly of him, as he thinks of himself; and I am of opinion also, that both Jesus and Paul were far wiser, better, and more honourable men than Mr. Burdon is likely to be for some considerable time. He appears to possess a mind essentially weak and illiberal. He says, among other silly things, that Christianity, or the precepts of Jesus," must be taken literally or not at all." This must be reckoned among one of the most astonishing discoveries of the year 1812. May I be permitted to ask this great luminary why they "must be taken literally, or not at all?" Possibly the answer may be, because Mr. Burdon has said so, and "surely Burdon is an honourable man!"

Jesus says "whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also," which "must be taken literally, or not at all;" it cannot possibly mean, that we should not cherish a spirit of revenge, or resentment, but rather the spirit of patience and forbearance; it cannot possibly mean any thing of this nature, because the great apostle of infidelity has said that it "must be taken literally or not at all," and against his ipse dixit, there is no appeal.

Again, Jesus says, "I came to bring a sword into the world"" He that findeth his life shall lose it." These "must be taken literally, or not at all," though we cannot find that Jesus ever held a sword in his hand; yet these expressions" must be taken literally or not at all;" they will not bear any other interpretation whatever.

Oh! thou man of profound and inexplicable wisdom! Prodigy of genius and discernment! a lamp to lighten our feet! The way, the truth, and the light! Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! for a great expositor is come among us. But to be serious, this sensible writer esteems himself an honourable man; if he means by honourable, mean and evasive, as he probably does, I agree with him, that in this sense, he is undoubtedly an honourable man. In a former communication he laid it down, that Christianity was a pas sive system of morality; but when I brought numerous passages to shew the contrary, as well as the whole tenor of the life of Jesus and his disciples, this crafty fox turned round, wished me good morning, and by his conduct, told me, he would answer me at a more convenient season; and surely, he's an honourable man.

66

Your's, &c.

January 3, 1813.

G. G. F..

THE PRIMITIVE CONSTITUTION AND GOVERNMENT OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH DELINEATED.

To the Editor of the Freethinking Christians' Magazine. vol 2-537

SIR,

IN my former Essay, I have shewn that the constitution

of the Christian church was monarchical, and that it had a king appointed by Deity himself; of course that king must form an integral part of the constitution, and any attempt to undermine his authority, to set up another in his place, or acknowledge any other to be king, or head of the Christian church, must be high treason, and rebellion against God..

The second part of the constitution is, that the church or deckingdom is one and indivisible, and that should it consist of millions of branches, they must all be connected by,,, and governed upon, the principles of this constitution Xtheir laws must be the same, and an intercourse must be kept up between them, though ever so widely scattered. The Quakers and Methodists, though, in other respects, not entitled to the character of Christian churches, do, in this point, come the nearest, as they conduct all their concerns upon one plan; meeting by delegation annually, to consult the general concerns of their bodies. The Christian' church is one, not so much distinguished by uniformity of faith, as by the union of all its parts, and an entire submission to the laws, and the constitution of the Christian church; for consistent with the New Testament account, there can be no more than one Christian church; and were there two bodies professing Christianity, and holding all its doctrines in the purest manner, and each of them governed by its laws in every other respect, yet acting separately and unconnected, neither of them would be the Christian church, as the unity and indivisibility of it forms an essential part of its constitution; and the only way to become such would be by uniting together, and forming one body under one head, though having many members, "that there might be no schism in the body." That this union is an essential part of the constitution, the following passages will prove. Rom. xii. 4. "For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office; so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.-1 Cor. i. 10. Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same things, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and the same judgment.-1 Cor. xii. 12 to 27. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ (the Christian church), for the body is not one member, but many; but now are there many members, yet but one, body; and the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee; nor again, the head to the feet, I have no need of you; nay, much more, those members of the body, which seem to be more fee ble, are necessary, that there should be no schism in the body, but the members should have the same care one for another, And whether one member suffers, all the members suffer with jt; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in

particular. Gal. iii. 28. For ye are all one in Christ Jesus. Ephes. iv. 16. From whom the whole body fully joined together, and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying (or building up) of itself in love." Further to strengthen the fact of the unity of the Christian church, it is uniformly spoken of in terms that convey the strongest idea of its being one; it is called God's husbandry, his family, his house, his temple, his people, his kingdom, to which belongs (Ephes. iv. 4, 5, 6.)" one Lord, one faith, one baptism (i. e. of the spirit at that time), one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all." And Jesus, when contemplating the future effects of his religion (John xvii. 21.) prays "that they (believers), may be one as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe, that thou hast sent me here." Here then we see that the kingdom of Jesus is one and indivisi ble, by proofs of the strongest and most convincing nature.

The next feature in this constitution is, the perfect equality of all its members, insomuch, that if it were possible for the greatest monarch that exists to become a Christian (and to be such, he must be admitted as a member of the Christian church, and be subject to all its laws), he would be considered of no more consequence than the poorest member; and were his meanest page also a Christian, he would be his equal in the Christian church; but this equality does not destroy those civil distinctions, which the nature of society makes necessary, such as father and child, master and servant, magistrate and subject. The true meaning of it is, that all are equal in respect to the laws of the church, and when they meet in their church capacity. In all their civil duties they are left to civil regulations, and bound to obey them in an exemplary manner, where they do not interfere with their obedience to the laws of God; and that this equality is an essential part of the constitution, is demonstrated by the following texts (Matthew xxiii. 8, 9, 10), "Be not ye called Rabbi (doctor or teacher); for one is your teacher, even Christ, and ye are all brethren; and call no man your father upon the earth, for one is your father which is in heaven; neither be ye called masters, for one is your master, even Christ; but he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. (Luke xxii. 25, 26, 27.) And he said unto them, the kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors, But ye shall not be so but he that is

greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth. (Gal. xxv. to the end.) But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster; for ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus, for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ (Christianity), have put on Christ (Christianity); there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is nei ther bond nor free, there is neither male or female, for ye are all one (or equal) in Christ Jesus."

Here then we see, according to this constitution, all dis tinctions are destroyed, all form one family, of whom Godis the Father, and Jesus the king. But the kingdom of God is not of this world; though in the world it is not of it; it has nothing to do with its maxims, its politics, or its wars and pursuits; its members can by no means go to war or assist in any of the bloody schemes of the rulers of this world; they must uniformly be the friends of peace and of the hap piness of man. Jesus said to Pilate," my kingdom is not of this world, else would my servants fight." Paul also, in all his epistles, inculcates the same principle. See 2 Cor. to end. "Be ye not unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship hath light with darkness? &e. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean person; and I will receive you, and will be a father unto you, and he shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Phil. iii. 20. For our citizenship is in heaven, from whence also we look for the saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. Coli. 12. 13. Giving thanks unto the father, who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light, who hath delivered us from the power of darkness (the world), and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear son. Ephes. ii.to end. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fel low citizens with his saints, and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone, in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord. In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the spirit." This church, so constituted, is the little leaven that is to lea ven the whole lump; this is the Messiah's kingdom, pro phecied of by Daniel vii. 22, 24. I saw in the night visions, and behold one like the son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the ancient of days, and they brought