Christian Sects in the Nineteenth Century Part 1

Christian Sects in the Nineteenth Century.

by Caroline Frances Cornwallis.

"Heaven and h.e.l.l are not more distant, than the benevolent spirit of the Gospel, and the malignant spirit of party. The most impious wars ever made were called-'Holy Wars.'"

LYTTLETON.

"Let those ill-invented terms whereby we have been distinguished from each other be swallowed up in that name which will lead us hand in hand to heaven-the name of CHRISTIAN."

BISHOP RYDER.

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The following letters grew out of a conversation between one of the editors of the "Small Books," and a lady of his acquaintance; and as there are probably many who have felt the want of the information they contain, it has been thought that by publis.h.i.+ng them in a collected form they may be useful. The views of the writer are sufficiently explained in the letters themselves. All lament the small sum of Christian charity to be found among religionists in general, but few when they begin to write have kept clear of a severity of comment which but prolongs differences. The writer, himself a member of the Church of England, is anxious to show that it is possible to be attached to one persuasion without imputing either folly or ill intention to others; and it is with a view of promoting the loving fellows.h.i.+p of all whom G.o.d disdains not to create and support, that this slight sketch is given to the world.

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LETTER I.

You some time ago requested me to give you the result of my inquiries into the tenets of the different religious sects which I had been acquainted with; and respecting which we had at different times conversed. In the time which has since elapsed I have been endeavouring, both to ascertain them more completely, and to compare them with what I conceive to be the true spirit of Christianity; but the subject has so grown as I proceeded, that even now I can only give you a very short, and I fear, in some cases, an imperfect notion of them. Yet the subject is one of deep interest; and as I feel convinced that if we looked a little closer into the differences between the established church and those who separate from it, both parties would find them smaller and less important than they imagine, and that Christian charity would be increased by the examination, I do not shrink from the task however inadequately I may execute it.

I propose therefore to show you by extracts from the works of the princ.i.p.al writers among the different religious sects, how they all agree in most of the fundamental doctrines of Christianity; at the same time that I point out the evil consequences which I conceive would ensue were some of their tenets _fully carried out_ into practice: and also to state wherein their peculiar opinions appear to me to be opposed to "the truth as it is in Christ Jesus," so far as to prevent me from adopting them; though I can fully believe that those who hold these opinions in the abstract, may, notwithstanding, be excellent practical Christians.

Firmly attached as I am to the Church of England, whose form of wors.h.i.+p (allowing for the imperfections which naturally cling to all human inst.i.tutions), I consider preferable to any other; I can still see much to admire in other persuasions and other ceremonies, mixed up, though it be, with some imperfections and error; and my love to the established church does not blind me to some matters which might be better otherwise, and which I shall point out as I proceed.

"Of all the Christian graces," says a quaint writer, "zeal is the most apt to turn sour;" and the observation is no less true than it is sad, for men too seldom remember that they must add to their faith knowledge, and that both are of no avail without the crowning gift of charity, {3} or in other words, brotherly love for all mankind. The real Christian, it seems to me, should imitate the liberality of St. Paul, who, after having been bred up in the habits of the "strictest sect" of the Jews, scrupled not to quit all his former prejudices, in order to preach Christ to the Gentiles, without disgusting them by ceremonies which were no fundamental part of the religion he taught, and was content to become "as a Jew, that he might gain the Jews, and to them that were without law, to become as without law (being not without law to G.o.d), that he might by all means save some." {4}

We are too apt to hold each other accountable for all the consequences which can be logically deduced from an opinion, however extreme they may be: and then having persuaded ourselves that those abstract tenets which, by straining them to an extreme point, _may_ have an evil effect, _must_ have an evil effect on all who profess them,-we avoid those who differ from us on religious subjects, because we have a.s.sumed that they are actually immoral by virtue of their opinions; and thus we miss the opportunity of convincing ourselves of our mistake by a more intimate knowledge of their lives. "By their fruits ye shall know them," says our Lord; but we seldom approach them closely enough to see the fruits.

If we would be content to sink minor differences, and be satisfied that "in every nation he that feareth G.o.d and worketh righteousness is accepted with him," we should soon meet on better terms; for we do not hold at a distance from those on earth whom we expect to meet in heaven; and thanks be to G.o.d, there is no religious persuasion that cannot boast of many such as Cornelius.

St. Paul recommends to the churches that they be "kindly affectioned one towards another, in honour preferring one another:" {5a} "by this shall men know that ye are my disciples," says our Great Exemplar, "if ye have love one to another;" but alas! if we contemplate what is called the Christian world, where shall we find Christ's _true_ disciples? Grievous indeed it is, as has been well observed, that that religion, which "should most correct and sweeten men's spirits, sours and sharpens them the most." But surely "_we_ have not so learned Christ." Let us for a moment contemplate His conduct towards those who differed from him in religious opinions; his compa.s.sion towards them; his meek reproofs not only to the Sadducees and the Samaritans, but even to the more hardened; {5b} and then let us turn to our own hearts and confess with shame that we have fallen miserably short of that charity without which "whosoever liveth is counted dead before G.o.d."

So clear is the command to exercise universal benevolence, that whatever obscurity there may be in other parts of Scripture, however men, even wise ones, may differ as to the real signification of certain pa.s.sages in the Bible, _here_ at least there can be no cavilling. It is intelligible to the most ignorant as well as the most learned, so that "the wayfaring man, though a fool, shall not err therein."

Archbishop Tillotson relates of Mr. Gouge, an eminent nonconformist, that he allowed men to differ from him in opinions that were "_very dear_ to him;" and provided men did but "fear G.o.d and work righteousness," he loved them heartily, how distant soever from him in judgment about things less necessary: "in all which," observes the Archbishop, "he is very worthy to be a pattern to men of all persuasions." "I abhor two principles in religion," says William Penn in a letter to the same archbishop, "and pity them that own them. The first is obedience upon authority without conviction; and the other, destroying them that differ from me for G.o.d's sake: such a religion is without judgment, though not without truth. Union is best, if right; if not, charity."

I have given the opinion of these two eminent men of different persuasions, partly to show that the evil I complain of is one of long standing; partly to justify my own opinion as to the remedy; namely, the paying _more_ attention to the fundamental doctrines of Christianity; _less_, to those minor differences which, from the very obscurity of the texts on which they are founded, come more frequently under discussion, and thus, from a mental operation somewhat a.n.a.logous to that of the laws of perspective, seem large and important because they are close under our eyes, though they are in fact minute in comparison with those which we have not been examining so closely. Thus men inadvertently reverse the order of things, and zeal for the maintenance of peculiar tenets too often supersedes the far more important virtue of Christian benevolence, to the scandal of all good Christians and the mockery of unbelievers.

The Quakers, in their address to James II. on his accession, told him that they understood he was no more of the established religion than themselves. "We therefore hope," said they, "that thou wilt allow us that liberty which thou takest thyself:" and it would be well if we took a hint from this, and reflected that we differ as much from other sects as they do from us, {8} and that the greatest heresy is, as a Christian Father declared it to be long ago-"a wicked life."

It is, however, needful to distinguish between the Christian spirit of forbearance towards those who differ from us in religious opinions, which Christ and his apostles so strongly inculcate, and the indolent lat.i.tudinarianism which induces many to declare that "a man cannot help his belief," that "sincerity is everything," that "all religious sects are alike," &c.: positions which, as you well observed on one occasion, ought rather to be reversed; for when men are _not_ sincere, all sects certainly _are_ alike: for then it is but a lip service which will never influence the life, and it matters not what opinion is professed; it will be equally powerless.

Sincere belief must be the consequence of proof, without which we cannot believe truly; with it, we must. If then we content ourselves with the mere _ipse dixit_ of others without seeking proof, our belief is the result of indolence, and for that indolence we shall be accountable when we are called on to give an account of the talent committed to our charge, if error has been consequent upon it. He, on the contrary, whose education or whose means have not put proof within his reach, although he may wish earnestly for it, _may_ be wrong in understanding, but he will never be wrong in heart: his tenets may be wrong, but his life will be right. It behoves us therefore to be cautious how we pa.s.s sentence on one another in religious matters, since, as has been well observed, we are ourselves amenable to a tribunal where uncharitable conduct towards others, will bring down a just and heavy sentence on ourselves. We are not to erect ourselves into judges of other men's consciences, {10} but leave them to the judgment and disposal of ONE who alone can see into the heart of men, and alone can ascertain the real nature and ultimate consequence of all questions which admit of "doubtful disputation."

There will be some danger of losing our way among the almost numberless divisions and subdivisions of sects, which present themselves as soon as we begin to consider the subject at all narrowly. I therefore propose to simplify my task, and make our course a little plainer, by adopting the two great divisions into which the reformed churches may have been said to have arranged themselves at the era of the Reformation, as a foundation for the cla.s.sification of Christian sects at present. Calvin and Melancthon may be considered as the prototypes and heads of these two divisions, which however they may sometimes vary and sometimes intermingle, are continually reproduced, because they are grounded upon two great natural divisions of human kind, the stern and the gentle. My own leaning is to the latter, because it appears to me most in accordance with the spirit of that gospel whose great Promulgator made universal benevolence the test of his disciples; but at the same time I must acknowledge, and shall indeed prove before I have done, that the sterner theoretical view may coexist in the mind with a large share of true Christian charity and benevolence. Be the abstract belief of the Christian what it may, if he be really at heart a disciple, the example of his mild Master will always influence his life and feelings, and he will tread in the steps of his Lord, even if his judgment should sometimes have mistaken the true meaning of some of his words.

These two views of the Divine dispensations towards man were first arrayed in actual hostility at the Synod of Dort in 1618, where the doctrines of James Arminius, professor of divinity in the University of Leyden, who had followed the opinions of Luther and Melancthon, were condemned, and those of the Calvinistic church of Geneva affirmed. From that time the various sects of the reformed church have generally been known as Arminian or Calvinistic, according as they embraced the peculiar tenets of either party on the subject of man's salvation: I shall therefore thus distinguish the two cla.s.ses into which I propose to arrange them, though they may not follow out either in the whole of their opinions.

I. ARMINIAN.

1. Quakers.

2. Socinians and Unitarians.

3. Wesleyan Methodists.

4. General Baptists, Moravians, Swedenborgians, Plymouth Brethren.

II. CALVINISTIC.

1. Presbyterians, Independents.

2. Particular Baptists, Sub and Supralapsarians, Sandemanians.

3. Calvinistic Methodists. Evangelical or Low Church.

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LETTER II.

QUAKERS.

The sect which I have placed first upon my list, arose about the middle of the seventeenth century, when a number of individuals withdrew from the communion of every _visible_ church "to seek," {14} as they expressed it, "the Lord, in retirement:" and George Fox, their leader, or as they termed him, their "honourable elder," went about preaching their opinions in fairs and markets, in courts of justice, and steeple houses, i.e.

churches. He denounced the state wors.h.i.+p as "superst.i.tious," and warned all to obey the Holy Spirit, speaking by him. He was in consequence brought before two justices of the peace in Derbys.h.i.+re in 1650, one of whom, Mr. Bennet, called Fox, and his hearers "Quakers," in derision of their frequent admonitions to "_tremble_ at the Word of G.o.d;" and this appellation soon became general, though they themselves took then, and still preserve, the t.i.tle of "the Society of Friends."

The rigid peculiarities of phrase, &c. which Fox added to his religious sentiments; the regular discipline which he enforced; and the zeal with which he maintained and propagated his tenets gave consistency to this sect, although he was not, as has been supposed, the originator of their doctrines. He conceived himself forbidden by divine command to pull off his hat to any one, or to address any one excepting in the singular number, or to "call any man master;" and for these peculiarities as well as for the refusal to give or accept t.i.tles of honour, or to take an oath, the "Friends" suffered the most cruel persecutions; for we are told that "they tortured with cruel whippings the bodies of both men and women of good estate and reputation;" {15a} and were further punished by impounding of their horses; by distress of goods; by fines, imprisonments, whipping, and setting in the stocks: {15b} yet, notwithstanding these severities, the sect increased and spread far and wide, and great numbers of people were drawn together, many out of animosity, to hear them.

The Declaration of Indulgence in 1663 stopped for a short time the persecution of the Quakers, but by the Conventicle Act of 1664, numbers of them were condemned to transportation: in 1666, however, their condition improved, when the celebrated William Penn, the son of Admiral Penn, joined them.

The discipline of this society is kept up by monthly meetings, composed of an aggregate of several particular congregations, whose business it is to provide for the maintenance of their poor, and the education of their children; also to judge of the sincerity and fitness of persons desirous of being admitted as members; to direct proper attention to religion and moral duty; and to deal with disorderly members. At each monthly meeting persons are appointed to see that the rules of their discipline are put in practice. It is usual when any member has misconducted himself, to appoint a small committee to visit the offender, to endeavour to convince him of his error and induce him to forsake it. If they succeed, he is declared to have "made satisfaction for his offence," otherwise he is dismissed from the society. In disputes between individuals, it is enjoined that the members of this sect should not sue each other at law, but settle their differences by the rules of the society.

Marriage is regarded by the Quakers as a religious, not a mere civil compact. Those who wish to enter into that state appear together, and state their intentions at one of the monthly meetings, and if not attended by parents or guardians must produce their consent in writing duly witnessed; and if no objections are raised at a subsequent meeting, they are allowed to solemnize their marriage, which is done at a public meeting for wors.h.i.+p; towards the close of which the parties stand up and solemnly take each other for man and wife. A certificate of the proceedings is then read publicly and signed by the parties, and afterwards by the relations as witnesses. The monthly meeting keeps a register of the marriages as well as of the births and burials of the society.

Children are named without any attending ceremony; neither is it held _needful_ that there should be any at burial, though the body followed by the relatives and friends is sometimes carried into a meeting house, and at the grave a pause is generally made to allow of a discourse from any friend attending if he be so inclined.

The women have monthly, quarterly, and yearly meetings of their own s.e.x, but without the power of making rules. "As we believe," they say, "that women may be rightly called to the work of the ministry, we also think that to them belongs a share in the support of Christian discipline; and that some parts of it wherein their own s.e.x is concerned devolve on them with peculiar propriety."