144 



ON THE GENERAL DIFFUSION OF KNOWLEDGE. 



Shakurs, &c. Of some of these there are 

 several subdivisions. Thus, there are three or 

 four denominations of Seceders, four or five of 

 Baptists, three or four of Methodists, and two 

 or three of Glassites or Sandemanians. Most 

 of these denominations recognise the leading 

 truths of divine revelation, the natural and 

 moral attributes of the Deity, the fall of man, 

 the necessity of a Saviour, the incarnation 

 of Christ, the indispensable duty of faith in 

 him for the remission of sins, the necessity of 

 regeneration, and of holiness in principle and 

 practice, the obligation of the moral law, the 

 doctrine of a resurrection from the dead, and of a 

 future state of rewards and punishments, in 

 short, every thing by which Christianity is dis 

 tinguished from Mahomedanism, Pagan idola- 

 tary, and all the other systems of religion that 

 prevail in the world. Yet, while agreeing in 

 the leading doctrines of the Christian faith, 

 they continue in a state of separation from each 

 other, as if they had no common bond of union, 

 and, as rival sects, are too frequently in a state 

 of alienation, and even of open hostility. The 

 poinls in which they differ are frequently so mi 

 nute as to be incapable of being accurately de 

 fined, or rendered palpable to an impartial in 

 quirer. Where the difference is most apparent, 

 it consists chiefly in a diversity of opinion res 

 pecting such questions as the following: 

 Whether the election of man to eternal life be 

 absolute or conditional. whether Christ died 

 for the sins of the whole world, or only for a li 

 mited number, whether there be a gradation 

 or an equality among the ministers of the Chris 

 tian church, whether every particular society 

 of Christians has power to regulate its own af 

 fairs, or ought to be in subjection to higher 

 courts of judicature, whether the ordinance of 

 the Lord s Supper should be received in the pos 

 ture of sitting or of kneeling, whether Baptism 

 should be administered to infants or adults, or be 

 performed by dipping or sprinkling, &c. Such 

 are some of the points of dispute, which have 

 torn the Christian church into a number of 

 shreds, and produced among the different secta 

 ries jealousies, recriminations and contentions. 

 When we consider the number and the impor 

 tance of the leading facts and doctrines in which 

 they all agree, it appears somewhat strange and 

 even absurd, that they should stand aloof from 

 each other, and even assume a hostile altitude, 

 on account of such comparatively trivial differ 

 ences of opinion, especially when they all pro 

 fess to be promoting the same grand object, 

 travelling to the same heavenly country, and 

 expect, ere long, to sit down in harmony in the 

 mansions above. The grand principles of hu 

 man action, which it is the chief object of Re 

 velation to establish, and the precepts of morality 

 which ought to govern the affections and conduct 

 f every Christian, are recognised by all ; and 



why then should they separate from each other, 

 arid remain at variance on account of matters ut 

 &quot; doubtful disputation ?&quot; 



The evils which flow from such a divided 

 state of Christian society, are numerous and 

 much to be deplored. A seciariaji spirit has 

 burst asunder the bonds of Christian love, and 

 prevented that harmonious and affectionate in 

 tercourse among Christians which is one of the 

 chief enjoyments of social religion. It has in 

 fused jealousies, fanned the flame of animosity 

 and discord, set friends, brethren and families at 

 variance, and shattered even civil communities 

 into factions and parties. It has kindled con 

 tentions and heart-burnings, produced envyings, 

 animosites, and hatred of brethren, burst asun 

 der ihe strongest ties of natural affection, and 

 has led professed Christians to violate the 

 plainest dictates of humanity and of natural jus 

 tice. It has excited a feverish zeal for the pe 

 culiarities of a sectary, while the distinguishing 

 features of Christianity have either been over 

 looked or trampled under foot. It has wasted 

 money unnecessarily in erecting separate places 

 of worship, which might have been devoted to the 

 promotion of the interests of our common Christi 

 anity. It has even corrupted our very prayers, 

 infused into them human passions, and a spirit of 

 party, and confined them to the narrow limits of 

 our own sectary, as if the Omnipotent, whom we 

 profess to adore, were biassed by the same pre 

 judices as ourselves, and dispensed his favours 

 according to our contracted views. Could we 

 fly with the swiftness of an angelic messenger 

 through the various assemblies convened on the 

 Christian Sabbath, while they are offering up 

 their prayers to heaven, what a repulsive and 

 discordant scene would present itself, when we 

 beheld the leaders of certain sectaries confining 

 their petitions to their own votaries, imploring a 

 special blessing upon themselves, as if they were 

 the chief favourites of heaven, lamenting the 

 errors of others, throwing out inuendos against 

 rival sectaries, taking credit to themselves as 

 the chief depositories of gospel truth, and thank 

 ing God for their superior attainments in Chris 

 tian perfection ! How unlike the noble, bene 

 volent and expansive spirit which Christianity 

 inculcates ! Nay, the intolerance which the di 

 visions of the Christian church have engendered, 

 has established Inquisitions for the purpose ot 

 torturing and burning supposed heretics, has 

 banished, imprisoned, plundered, hanged and 

 committed to the flames, thousands and ten thou 

 sands, on account of their religious opinions ; and 

 many eminent characters, illustrious for piety 

 and virtue, have fallen victims to such unchris 

 tian barbarities. 



In particular, the divisions and contentions of 

 Christians have been one of the chief causes of 

 the progress of infidelity. The truth and excel 

 lence of our religion can only be exhibited to the 



