The Christians now enjoyed a great calm under the reign of Constantine and Theodosius; but Satan always took an opportunity to ruin the Church by Heresies when he could not by Persecution. Arianism, and many other errors were propogated, which occasioned dreadful troubles to the Church. Julian the Apostate, endeavored once more to extirpate Christianity, but was killed in a Persecution he raised, before he had reigned two years. Errors increased daily. About the beginning of the sixth century the Church seemed more tranquil, but the Devil was incessantly working her ruin by the introduction of Popish errors; ignorance and profaneness was almost universal. The Government was almost one perpetual struggle between the Bishops, which should be the greatest. Gregory the Great, by immense superstition, troubled the Church; and her discomfiture was soon universal. This was the case of the Church in the West; while, about this time, Mahomet the Arab, took his rise in the East, and propogated his delusion there. Thus the Beast rose about 606, or 666; and now, in another sense, the Church entered into her Wilderness state, the outer Court being given to the Gentiles, to be trodden under foot for forty-two months, or 1260 years. Sad indeed the consequence of the rise of the Man of Sin. For many years worse Persecutions than under the Pagans took place, but God did not leave the World without a Witness for himself. Every now and then the Lord raised up faithful men, who opposed the Pope’s Supremacy; particularly Luther, in Germany—Zuinglius, in Switzerland, and Calvin; in France. The christian Religion, as taught by Luther, was established in Demark, Sweden, and Germany. The Doctrines taught by Calvin, in Holland, Scotland, England, and Ireland; but in Ireland the Persecution was dreadful indeed, and not much less in England. The Popish massacre of about three hundred thousand Protestants in Ireland, and the Persecution in England, bid fair to abolish the Protestant cause among us. In France the Persecution was dreadful—Lewis the 13th distressed the Protestants greatly; numbers were barbarously murdered, and several hundred thousand with difficulty fled to Holland, England, and elsewhere. But blessed be God for the glorious Reformation! for a Protestant King and Princes; for the Will of God in our mother Tongue; for Parliaments that secure our Rights; for the clear Preaching of the Gospel, which is our joy, though we have to lament great decays among Churches; a dry, speculative, legal System, in opposition to the pure truth, which is branded with the odious term of Antinomianism; and in the world an infidel spirit of Free-thinking, in opposition to the Word of God. But we are looking to a glorious period, when truth in its native simplicity, shall fly with the rapidity of lightning, and illuminate the World; when Anti-christ, in the East and West, shall fall, to rise no more—when Zion’s Watchmen shall see, eye to eye—when Jews and Gentiles form one fold—when peace and holiness shall be universal—when kings shall be nursing fathers to the Church, and the whole earth serve the Lord! Happy period! the Lord hasten it in his time.
Brethren, we shall soon be done with time, and through rich grace, join the chorus of the skies.—Hold fast the form of sound words: be concerned to feel the power of truth in the heart; keep in the fear of God, obeying his will, walking as he has set forth his mind; looking unto Jesus; praying to be kept in all danger, temptation, persecution, and trial, and so we shall give him glory in the Church below, and in the Church above.—Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory—to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory, dominion, and power. Amen.
The following are the Articles of Faith I read at my Ordination; and are necessary for every Christian to know, feel, and enjoy—they are the Sentiments I preach, and you, as a Church, believe. May we rejoice in the truth, and yield obedience thereto.—
We think if requisite that every Member of the Church should give his or her assent to the annexed
CONFESSION of FAITH.
I. I BELIEVE, that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the word of God, and the only rule of faith and practice.
II. I believe, that there is but One only, living, and true God; that there are three Persons in the Godhead, who are equal in nature, power, and glory; and, that the Son and Holy Ghost, are as truly and properly God, as the Father. These Three divine Persons are distinguished from each other by peculiar relative properties. These Three divine distinct Persons, I profess to reverence, serve, and worship, as the One true God.
III. I believe that before the World began, God did elect a certain number of Mankind unto everlasting life, whom he did predestinate to the adoption of Children, by Jesus Christ, of his own free grace, and according to the good pleasure of his will; that he appointed holiness as the means: and that no one has a right to consider himself as a chosen vessel, till he is effectually called by the grace of God.
IV. I believe, that God made all things in Creation, out of nothing, to display his goodness, wisdom, power, and glory; and, that by the same power, he upholds and governs, rules and directs all things in Heaven and Earth; and, that he displays his sovereignty according to the counsel of his own will, or his eternal plan, formed before all Worlds.
V. I believe, that there is one Mediator between God and Man; the Man, Christ Jesus; that he stood in his mediatorial capacity as our representative and head, in the covenant of eternal redemption and grace; engaged to be all that to his people, they could possibly need in time, and their bliss through eternity.