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which was apparent to the servants of God , we rather liken ourselves to the Nazarenes who searched the temple of Ephesus and found no supplementary Deity within the shrine . Knowing that Jehovah was there , they knew that Diana could not be there too . As long as any dogma is taught as a part of Christianity , on which the understandings of the people are at fault , while they see their
teachers disputing about that which it is acknowledged they cannot understand , there will exist a powerful temptation to hold a vicarious faith . While they see some as carefully guarding against Unitarianism as others against tritheism , —Magee against Sherlock , and Whately against Magee ,- —on points on which the people can come to no satisfactory decision themselves , the greatest possible encouragement is given to them to repose their
faith in despair on their clergy ; and thus , —to use the words of our author , —* the unprofitable , absurd , presumptuous , and profane speculations of scholastic theologians ( not alL of them members of the Romish Church , ) which are extant ^ afford a melancholy specimen of the fruits of this mistake as to the Christian mysteries—this corruption from the simplicity that is in Christ . ' ( p . 83 . )
The inference which our author draws from the distinction ( familiar to every reader of the original gospel ) between Hiereus and Presbyteros , —Priest and Elder—only needs to be extended to answer our purpose as well as his . He proves that there never was and never can be any priesthood connected with
genuine Christianity ; that the priests under the Jewish law held a special office to which there is nothing analogous in the new dispensation ; that the priesthoods of Paganism were of the same distinctive character as that of Judaism ; and that the Romish church is therefore either Pagan or Jewish , and decidedly Antichristian , in this one of her institutions . But what better can be
said of the constitution of the Church of England ? What is the meaning of ordination ? What is the transmission of the Holy Ghost ? Why have we such a term as ' holy orders' ? May or may not any good man imbued with gospel wisdom mount the pulpits of our cathedrals ? Do or do not our prelates enjoy
legislative and other privileges on account of their episcopal rank ? Are or are not the pastors of the church chosen by the people to instruct them and guide their devotions , —as professors of arts &nd science are ostensibly chosen , —because they have qualified themselves for the office and for no other reason ?—There is no
use in recurring , for a justification ' of the negative , to apostolic times . Beyond the few , specially authorized by the gifts of the Spirit , we read of no investment with office but that which was subservient to the division of labour . The bishops , presbyters and deacons were like the different ranks of officers in our universities , or our government departments , or our army and navy , or any of pur jnatitutiona ^ except our church . However , as Dr . Whatel y
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384 Romanism and Episcopacy *
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 2, 1832, page 384, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1814/page/24/
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