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. , . j : Chesterton , Jfob . 10 * 1789 . ' 4 ' ..- ' ? - - ' < I •'' , . <¦• . ' •< ¦ > ' • • • » c < Tbe oth ^ r * paH , of your letter is extremely di $ ulfl , t # ; ar £ a # ge . IJiare long se ^ u aiid lamented the conditi on of < we churches in r ^^ arii to a supply of minis ters , but how tq remedy it— thesce ' s tlj £ rub ! ' In the primitive churches * no dbubt , the Jirethren who taught followed
secular employments ; and in . the dark i £ ge& 9 I perceive , our pastors kept school , practised pnysic ^ agriculture , &c . In the present titnes , same of the most valuable of our miuisters , though not the most noisy , pmisue tlje same track ; nor caaa H
think at a greja ^ esr man tha n l ^ er who teaches the gospel by ward one d ^ , a * $ 4 by example the other six . Men edify their neighbours , not by immuring themselves in cells , but bjr associating with other men , and by exemplifying the life of a Christian .
" As to those we often call teamed ministers , they are to . me the most in > rpid of all companions ; ignorant of what is of the most importance for them to ktiow > and overflowing with the trifles and the
gall of the schools . The precise learning of a Christian tnwister , is . a critical knowledge of tbe New Testament ; and this kind of literature fills the pulpit with dignity and edification ; for a sound critic is the plainest speaker in the world .
Now , it is my opinion , if this kind of literature were separated from Pagan learning , the attainment of it would not be so very difficult as is generally supposed , nor may this be confounded with the saucy science that makes- a priest ; but fashionable education for the ministry seems calculated for little else . It strikes
me , that the difficulty of forming a plaa for remedying our ills doth not lie in our incapacity , but in our obstinate attach ment to irrational customs . Our plans are schemes of reformed Popery ; but Popery is not reformable ; and he who would enter into the kingdom of Jesus must be regenerated , not merely reformed . What is , a modem Baptist Church but a Catholic Church- reformed ?
Latin is proper for aCatbolicboy , brought up to support the Latin QhtMbh , to believe Latin fathers ,, to regulate himself by numerous folios of Latin and canon law ; but what is Latin to our poor churches ? It is a Sabbath feather to nod in the pulpit , but it id of no use to the flock . Would we then discard Latin ?
By no means i on condition a youth , have moneys capacity , time , discretion , and so o » ., <« The F 45 > pish corporation its a worldly establishment of human creeds ; but \ yhat ha # e wef who hold the perfection of scripture , to do with human creeds ?
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Yet , so Infatuated are sexA $ &f \ is , we call them the gospel . A human -&&&& Is a hrttnan opinion of the gospel ; and who that hath a tea-spoonful of brates , Wotdfl leave the snow of Lebdjrin , for * these polluted pudafes ? ( 3 ^ r . xtilL 13 , &c . ) * ' In short , I thrfeik it is possible , suppose a youth hajre . ^ nnjue piety , to train him up . to be an able minister Qf ^ the the
New Tfest ^ toent , ^ itK ^ tMit p ^ da ^ liy of the schools , ik no great time , ? wi ^ at no great expense . Sjappoae sv ^ eh ^ thin g accomplished , are our churched prepa ^ red to receive such men ? I doubt t $ aft . ^ I question whether wfe have lfbieryMtj # of sentiment enough . : ' A- mddesti , ^ ex ^ ble Hian ^ master of tihe Hew , 'Testsunent ^ w&M acquainted wkii . eccksiastiala history , aaod
an ornament by . h * s life tQ > &nyipfflfaY *> h £ oot the man ta our taste . We waru |> a sacred man , and this is a plain , man 1 ^^ other men . We want an almost inspired man ; but this man durst not talk ao high : he knows no more than the Scriptures teach , and he never utters oracles as inspired men ' sftoujjj do , and as apes of inspiration will do-. We want a lenrntd man . It takes off the shame of the cross
to sit under one who . can say—* Is the parish priest a quid nunc ? So am 1 / But this man would preach nothing but English . ; and you might hear him eighteen months ,, as the Corinthians heard Paul ; without knowing he had any pretensions to literature . We want a guardian of
the creed , a defender of the faith , who fills us with prelibations of heaven , such as the glorified saints enjoy , by proving that all men who do not hold our opinions , must sink into everlasting
damnation ; but this man cares tor nobody ' s opinion ,, quotes no human authorities , and does nothing but interpret scripture by itself , professing that he hath but one Master , and Christ is he !
" JYIy good fiiend , forgive my rhapsody : I am a little out of temper . A few weeks ago a superannuated minister , a member of our church , addressed a petition to a Baptist Fund for a little relief . Instead of sending the old man money , they sent him a high Calvinistieal creed to sign , the first article of which is stark
nonsense— " There are in the Unity of the Godhead , three divine persons . " The imposition of human opinions is tyranny any where , and such tyranny in Baptists is , to the last degree , preposterous . The barbarous Calvin is their guide ; and on
this ground he burnt Servetus . I do no , t mind his vain * babble about faith . The voice of his brother ' s blood crieth to me from the ground / This is defendptig the faith , which yet is not faith , but belief of human positions ! I have written my whole mind to the fun dees , for I detest
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0 rteinul Letter vftke iuie J 8 te ^ Robert Robinson ' s . f 5
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Jan. 2, 1821, page 15, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2496/page/15/
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