Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

the works. He sanctified not himself to be made an High Priest, but God even the Father of our Lord Jesus hath made him Lord and Christ. The fulness of the Godhead the Spirit of the Father without measure was given him, who sitteth at the right hand of the one great and Almighty God, and who will appear again to judge the World in the Glory of the Father. Our Saviour is God himself, Emmanuel, God manifest in the Flesh: Man full of Grace and Truth, who is the Word, who is one with God, who in the Beginning was with God, and is God. The Spirit of the Father was given in portions to Moses and the seventy Elders, to Joshua, to Elijah and Elisha, and was poured out on the Disciples of Christ, and is given by God to them that ask him; but on our Savicur rested all the fulness of the Spirit."

In the Scriptures of the New Testament we read that "Christ our Mediator is the Beginning of the Creation of God, the First-born of every Creature, that in all things he might have the pre-eminence, for the works were finished before the foundation of the World." To this glorious being was delegated by the Father the Power of the Creation; "all things were made by him and for him, and he is before all things, and by him all things consist: without him was not any thing made that was made; and by him God made the Worlds." He was in the Beginning in the Bosom of his Father, and it appears not unreasonable to affirm, that through his glorious presence the Deity was revealed to Moses and the Prophets under the Old World, from the Creation to the conclusion of Prophecy by Malachi. "In the fulness of time this glorious King of Israel our Saviour, in whose Flesh God was manifest, being in the Form of God thought it not

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a Servant, and was made in the likeness of Men: and being found in fashion as a Man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto Death, even the Death of the Cross Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: and he hath put all things under his Feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is accepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all." It appeareth therefore that the Father has put his Spirit in his Son, the Mediator between God and Men, the Man Christ Jesus, and that God even the Father is the one true God, and that there is none other but he.To us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one. Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and wey him. mor the alba

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

by

In this treatise the true Faith of the Bible has, I trust, been ascertained, and the Sense of Scripture rightly delivered. This explanation of Christianity appears simple, and free from the difficulties of the received Interpretations. If our theory prove correct, the Doctrine of the Trinity, which staggers the Jew, will be removed, and those opinions concerning Eternal Generation and Procession laid aside, which have torn and miserably divided the Catholic Church. I now proceed to offer some remarks on the Liturgy and Articles of the Church of England, and to recommend some alterations, which ap-, pear to be necessary.

In all our religious Institutions we should be guided by the Sacred Writings, and our Prayers and Supplications should be conformable to the Language of the Bible. The Form of Prayer, which the Lord directed his Dis ciples to use, should be the model of our Addresses to the Supreme Being. In the Acts of the Apostles we find the Prayers offered up to God, and St. Stephen in his last moments prays to his Divine Saviour. In the Revela tions St. John is expressly commanded to confine his worship to God, and our Saviour says, "him only shalt thou serve.” In our Liturgy there seem to be a few passages, which rather deviate from this rule, which will be pointed out.

L

[ocr errors]

There are parts in our devotions repeated very frequently, which may well be altered or omitted. Instead of the Praise, Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost, as it was in the Beginning is now, and ever shall be, World without End, Amen, we might with more propriety, in addressing one God, use these words, which are taken from the Revelations, "Blessing, and Honour, and Glory, and Power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throney and unto the Lamby for ever and ever. Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shall be; O Lord God Almighty true and righteous are thy Judgements." The clauses which in many parts of our Liturgy precede the Lord's Prayer, "Lord have mercy upon us, Christ have mercy upou us, Lord have mercy upon us," should be omitted, if the Unity of the Godhead, as it is explained in this treatise is the true Faith at any fate they appear needless repe titions. Those prayers also which end with the words, "to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost, or with the

Father and the Holy Ghost, be all Honour and Glory, world without End;" or with the words, "who liveth and reigneth with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever bite God World without End," should be altered and may conclude thus, who sitteth at the right hand of God for ever and ever. Amen." In the hymn which follows the first lesson of the morning service, this alteration is proposed, "The Father of an infinité Majesty. We believe in thy true and only Son. Also in thy Holy Ghost, the Comforter." The verse," We therefore

Fas

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

pray thee," may be thus corrected, "We pray thee, O God, help thy Servants, whom thou hast redeemed with thy Son's most precious Blood." The next hymn should be taken away from the Liturgy, as it is very seldom, or never read, and is an extract from the Apocryphal Scriptures, which the Church of England does not acknowledge as of authority in matters of Faith. In my last publication I recommended the omission of the Athanasian Creed: if our present theory is correct, there is still further reason for rejecting it, as it may suit a Trinity, but not the Unity of the Godhead. From the Litany I would expunge the 28, 3d, and 4th clauses, or alter them according to the improvement suggested in the Appeal to Scripture, but it may be more prudent perhaps to omit them entirely. In the following clause we had better read, whom thou hast redeemed by thy Son's most precious Blood." The 11th and 12th clauses may be thus improved, "by the Mystery of thy Son's Holy Incarnation; by his Holy Nativity and Circumcision; by his Baptism, Fasting, and Temptation by his Agony and Bloody Sweat; by his Cross and Passion; by his precious Death and Burial; by his glorious Resurrection and Assention; and by the coming of the

3

Holy Ghost." Instead of "Son of God, we beseech thee to hear us, &c." we may pray thus, " O Lord Jesus, we beseech thee to hear us. O God our Saviour, who pardonest the Sins of the World grant us thy Peace. O God our Saviour, who pardonest the Sins of the World; have Mercy upon us. O Lord, hear us :" and proceed immediately to the Lord's Prayer. Afterwards where the words "Christ and Son of David" are used, we may thus make an alteration," from our Enemies defend us, O Lord." "O Lord Jesus, have

3

دو

mercy upon us!? "Both now and ever vouchsafe to hear us, O Lord." "Graciously hear us, O Lord." "Graciously hear us, O God our Saviour." In the Prayer for fair weather, and the Thanksgiving for the same, instead of the words "Plague and Plague of immoderate Rain," I would insert, "Punishment of Rain." The Collect for the 3d Sunday in Advent, may be thus improved, "O Lord Jesus, who at thy first coming, didst send thy Messenger to prepare thy way before thee; grant that the Ministers and Stewards of thy Mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready thy Way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just that at thy second coming to judge the World, we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight, who livest and reignest our God and Saviour, for ever and ever. Amen. The Collect for St. Stephen's Day should also conclude thus, to thee, O Blessed Jesus, who art our Lord and our God for ever and ever. Amen." The end of the Collect for the 6th Sunday after the Epiphany requires correction, and may be improved thus, in his glorious Kingdom, where he shall reign for ever and ever. Amen." The Collect for the 1st Sunday in Lent ought to be altered, and read thus, "O

[ocr errors]

66

« ZurückWeiter »