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acquainted with the Holy Scriptures; had been a convert about twelve or thirteen years; had been continually instructed in the Gospel by St. Paul, and had enjoyed the benefit of his wisdom, learning, and inspiration, throughout this period. Besides, he appears to have possessed superior talents, a good education, and supernatural endowments in a high degree. Still, all these directions Paul judged to be necessary for him. For he expressly cautions him not to let any man despise his youth. How much more are the same directions necessary to a youth, who is only prepar ing himself for the Ministry of the Gospel!

To every man, who would well understand any complicated subject, comprehensive views, clear discernment, and the art of arranging his thoughts with skill and perspicuity, are indispensable. These attainments are the result only of long-continued study, habits of exact discrimination, and extensive practice in the art of methodizing his thoughts.

To a Minister, all this is peculiarly necessary. His prime business is to teach; and he must therefore have learned. An ignorant teacher is a contradiction in terms.

The prime object of study to a Minister is the BIBLE. In order to understand this sacred book, it is necessary not only to study it intensely, and abundantly, but to become acquainted, also, with the languages, in which it was written. The importance of this knowledge is completely seen in the fact, that the Scriptures are ultimately what they were, as they came from the hands of the writers; not as they came from the hands of the translators.

Another requisite is an acquaintance with Ecclesiastical history. This will teach him the sins and virtues, the errors and sound doctrines, the prosperous and the adverse circumstances, which have existed in the Church, in its various ages; together with the causes, by which they have been produced. Generally, he will derive from this source the same advantages, in the Ecclesiastical sense, which the statesman derives, in a political sense, from Civil history. He will learn what the Church has been; why it has thus been; and how in many respects it may be rendered better and happier.

Another requisite to the same end is an acquaintance with wise and learned commentators on the Scriptures. The authors of these must in many instances, have understood this sacred book better than himself. By a prudent recurrence to their explications, he will be enabled to gain a knowledge of it, which, otherwise, would be impracticable.

The Science of Ethics is only a branch of theology.

Logic is indispensable, to make him a sound reasoner; and Rhetoric to teach him how to write, and how to speak, with skill,

and success.

The knowledge of History and Geography is indispensable to all

men, who would make contemplation, or instruction, any serious part of their business.

The Book of Man is to every minister a necessary object of investigation, that he may know to what beings he preaches; how to preach to them in an interesting and useful manner; and how to understand, explain, and impress, a multitude of Scriptural passages.

Generally, all that knowledge, which will enlarge and invigorate his mind, will, so far as he can attain it, contribute to render him a more able and judicious preacher, and his discourses more instructive, interesting, and edifying to his hearers.

A considerable number of persons, professing to believe the Bible, are found in this and other countries, generally persons remarkably ignorant, who have pronounced learning, or as they have termed it, book-learning, to be a disqualification for the Ministerial office. Ignorant as they are, they have, still, understanding enough to perceive, that ignorance itself cannot furnish a man for the business of teaching. They have accordingly provided a substitute for learning; which, in a preacher, they could not otherwise avoid acknowledging to be indispensable. The substitute is this. Their preachers, as they profess to believe, are supplied, directly from heaven, with supernatural light and power; so as to enable them clearly to understand, and profitably to expound, the Word of God. They further declare, that men destitute of these endowments, cannot even understand his Word; that the real, and only, profitable, sense of the Scriptures is mystical, and not at all discerned by common eyes; that, to understand it at all, the supernatural endowments, which they claim, are absolutely necessary; and that learning, therefore, is of no use to this end. This is the substance of their doctrine; although expressed by them, as every thing else concerning religion is expressed by ignorant and enthusiastic men, with much uncertainty and confusion.

This scheme deserves a sober examination on two accounts only. One is, that it is seriously adopted by its votaries. The other is, that these are considerably numerous. For these reasons I shall animadvert upon it in the following observations.

1. The Scriptures give us no reason to conclude, that Inspiration would continue after the Apostolic age.

The endowment, challenged by these men, appears to be that kind, and degree, of Inspiration, which was formerly given to those, whose business it was to interpret unknown tongues. I do not mean, that they directly challenge this character in express terms; but this is what they mean, if they mean any thing. The Scriptures they declare to be written in language, which, as to its true and useful meaning, is unknown to mankind at large. They, as they profess, are endowed by Heaven with the power of interpreting it to others. But the Scriptures give us no reason to believe, that any such Inspiration exists. The burden of proof plain

ly lies upon them: and, if they fail of furnishing it, their pretensions stand for nothing.

2. If they are actually thus inspired; their Inspiration can be of

no use to mankind.

The language, which they use in interpreting the Scriptures, is the plain, common language of men. The Scriptures are written in this very language, chosen with incomparably more skill and success, than that, which is used by these preachers. The most important things in the Bible are written in the plainest possible manner. If mankind cannot understand the terms here used; the terms, which they employ, must be still more unintelligible. Their labours, therefore, must be absolutely useless.

So far as the language of the Scriptures is attended with any difficulty, and demands any skill in interpreting it, the efforts of these men are worse than nothing. The only power, by which any language can be correctly explained to those, who speak it, is critical skill in that language. But this, these men have not begun to possess. When, therefore, they comment, they merely blunder. What they attempt to explain, they only perplex. As they do not understand the language themselves; it is impossible, that they should make it understood by others.

3. They give no proof, that they are thus inspired.

The Apostles proved their inspiration in three unobjectionable ways. They wrought miracles, uttered unrivalled wisdom; and exhibited throughout their lives unrivalled virtue. These men furnish neither of these proofs. They do not pretend to work miracles; they are always weak, ignorant, and foolish; and, though sometimes, it is to be hoped, men of piety, are never distinguished by any remarkable excellence, but fall below most other pious men, through the influence of characteristical pride, prejudice, enthusiasm, censoriousness, and bigotry.

As, therefore, they furnish no proof, that they possess this power; mankind are under no obligation to believe their pretensions. Neither the Apostles, nor even Christ himself, claimed the least faith in their mission, nor the least obedience to their precepts, until they had proved themselves sent from God, and inspired with the knowledge of his will, by the unanswerable evidence of miracles. Nor can it be supposed, that God would require us to believe any man to be inspired, or sent with a commission from himself, unless he furnished clear, unquestionable proof of his inspiration. If we were to admit the contrary position, and were required to believe men to be inspired because they asserted themselves to be inspired; there is no error, which we should not be obliged to receive; and scarcely any crime, which we should not be called upon to commit. No men have been more erroneous; few men have been more wicked; than such, as have claimed inspiration. Such were Judas Gaulonites, Theudas, and Barchochab; and such have been many in succeeding ages. But the

preachers, in question, furnish no evidence of their own inspiration, whatever.

4. They are not thus inspired.

From what has been observed under the last head, it is evident, that, if they were inspired, their inspiration could be of no possible use to any but themselves; because, as they give no proof of it, none can warrantably believe it. But it is contradictory to the whole history of God's providence, that men should be inspired for their own benefit merely. No fact of this kind is recorded in the Scriptures. Nor can it be admitted by Common sense.

But the men themselves furnish ample proof, that they are not inspired. They are ignorant of the propriety and meaning of language; and use it falsely, absurdly, and in violation of the plainest rules of grammar. They reason weakly, erroneously, and inconclusively; lay down false premises, and draw false conclusions. Their sentiments are regularly vulgar; often gross, and not unfrequently indecent. It is impossible, that the Author of all wisdom should be the author of folly; inspire absurdity; and disclose his own pleasure in the lame conceptions of ignorance, in the mistakes of mental imbecility, and in the disgusting sentiments of indecent vulgarism. Ignorant men, he may undoubtedly inspire: but their inspiration makes them cease to be ignorant men; enlarges their views; ennobles their sentiments; and adorns ali their communications with pre-eminent propriety and dignity. The writings of Peter and John have communicated wisdom, elevation, and refinement, to the ablest men of all succeeding ages. Nothing was ever more unlike their writings, than the crude effusions of the preachers in question. Besides, the doctrines, which they teach, are contradictory to each other. The language of Scripture, they frequently misunderstand, and misinterpret; supposing that, which is simple, to be figurative, and that, which is figurative, to be simple; and thus making the Scriptures speak not only what they never meant, but what it is impossible, that they should mean; viz. gross absurdity. Were an intelligent man to attribute these things to the Spirit of God; he would, in my view, be guilty of blasphemy. These preachers are shielded from this charge only by their ignorance.

The Priests, and Prophets, of the Jewish Church were almost all educated men. Whenever they were not, and often when they were, they were inspired. The Priest's lips, says God in Malachi, should keep knowledge; and they should seek the Law at his mouth: for he is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts. If the Priests were to keep knowledge; they must have previously obtained it. Such, plainly, ought to be the conduct of every messenger of the Lord of Hosts. The Apostles were educated for a series of years by the best of all teachers, the Saviour of mankind; and were then inspired. In this manner were Ministers anciently prepared for the business of instructing mankind.

Thus the pretence, on which these men act, is unfounded, false, and vain.

The basis, on which it is erected, is, I presume, the following text: The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But of this text, and of others like it, they totally mistake the meaning. Spiritual discernment is that view of Divine truth, which is experienced by those, who love it. Such persons, by this discernment, perceive the excellence and beauty of that truth, but are not enabled by it to understand, in any other respect, the meaning of a single passage at all better, than they would have understood it without this discernment. It does not at all enlarge the understanding, communicate knowledge of language, nor enable the mind to discern the proper sense of that language. Every sanctified child has spiritual discernment. Still he is a child; extremely limited in his understanding, ignorant of the meaning of words, and incapable of interpreting Scriptural passages. These preachers are only larger children. St. Paul has forcibly described their character in Heb. v. 12; &c. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers; or, as rendered by Dr. Macknight; For though ye ought to have been teachers, on account of the time, (that is, have lived so long under the Gospel, that ye ought to have known enough of it to teach others) ye have need, that one teach you again which be the first principles of the Oracles of God; and are become such, as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one, that useth milk, is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them, that are of full age, even those, who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. How different is this character from that of the Scribe, instructed unto the kingdom of Heaven, who is like unto a householder, that bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old!

II. Every Minister is to conduct both the common and peculiar Ordinances of Divine worship.

The common Ordinances of this Worship he is to regulate according to the Scriptures; and administer them to all who are present and no other person is to interfere with his administrations. The peculiar Ordinances he alone is also to administer: the Lord's Supper, as the Apostles did, to professing Christians only; Baptism to professing Christians offering themselves to him, unexceptionably, as candidates for admission into the Church; and to the infant children of professing Christians.

The rules, by which he is to conduct the mode of administration, are, so far as they are applicable, those, which have been given concerning Preaching. The administration is to be marked with dignity, solemnity, explicitness, and affection: so that every thing may be distinctly understood, and deeply felt. In the Prayers, accompanying these administrations, and when the occa

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