INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS

ON THE

RIGHT OF PRIVATE JUDGMENT

IN MATTERS OF RELIGION.

Honest and reasonable Christians would be of the same religion if they were thoroughly understood by one another; if they did but talk enough together every day, and had nothing to do together but to serve God, and live in peace with their neighbour.

Rise-let us no more contend, nor blame

POPE.

Each other, blamed enough elsewhere; but strive,
In offices of love, how we may lighten
Each other's burden in our share of woe!

MILTON.

CHRISTIAN Brethren,

We are informed in various parts of the evangelical history, that JESUS CHRIST upbraided the Pharisees with their obstinacy, and with their indolence. Attentive to the appearances of nature around them, they should have been still more attentive to the signs of the times. The advent of the Messiah had been predicted, and its attendant circumstances mi

B

nutely specified. They, however, disregarded these evidences of our Saviour's Messiahship, and with this inattention he thus reproaches them. When ye see a cloud arise out of the west, straightway ye say, there cometh a shower, and so it is. And when the south wind blow, ye say, there will be heat, and it cometh to pass. Ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it, that ye do not discern this time? And,

ye see

WHY EVEN OF YOURSELVES JUDGE YE NOT WHAT IS RIGHT?

Jesus Christ, by this reproof, intimates, that it is our indispensable duty to exercise our reason in matters of religion; and this duty is the more strongly inculcated by reproaching the Pharisees with a neglect of it. Other passages of a similar import might be selected from the New Testament. But to this declaration of our Blessed Saviour, I would wish the attention of the reader to be directed.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ may be divided into two parts; that which is to be believed, and that which is to be practised. Both are delivered to us in the Scriptures; and it is our business to consider what information is there communicated respecting them. The speculative part of revelation has a reference to the understanding, and contains doctrines which require our belief. These doctrines are declarations made concerning the nature, the properties, and the relations of certain subjects with which we are concerned. The subjects in which we are interested as intelligent and accountable