American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1822-08-02
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SPY their utsye shall know them do men gather grapes
of thorns, or figs of thstles"
AS SANDER and defamation seem to be the order
OF the day, especially among the jealous defenders
of the fashionable schemes now in vogue, it may
not at all times be necessary to notice the yiupera-
lions of these essaysts.
Touch but the subject of foreign missions, or the
manufacture of ministers, and you are denounced
and secuted, enemy to the sacred cause of re-
ligion Speak but the honest convictions of your
heart and you modesty told that you are astep,
ping out of your province"-that you have no right
to think for yourself, to admit the evidence OF
your senses and your understanding:--Your patrons
are invited, in language that cannot be easily mis-
understood, to withdraw their names from the list
ling spirit by which the gospel was first promulga-
It d? Does this SAVIOUR Of that "Charity which SUI.
tereth long and is knd-full OF mercy and good
fruits % Is this the effect of that "wisdom which
is from above, which is first gentle, peaceable and
easy to be entreated without Partially and without
hypocrisy" Is the fear Of investigation any proof
|of good cause? We have been accustomed To
think that Truth would bear the stricest scrutiny
that Error only need shun the light.
"a duty is enjoined," says the Stranger sand
the discharge of that duty absolutely requires the
Iagency of ministers pioas and learned" This is
miserably begging the question. "a duty is en-
joined" What is this duty requiring the agency
of ministers pious and learned? And where is the
injunction which meets the case Can we make
men pious ?-Or will their being learned, in the
sense here used qualify them TO be ministers of the
gospel ?-If SO, then money may purchase the gift
of the Holy Spirt-or money is all that is needful
to make these men "learned.8 Then Peter must
have greatly erred when he reproved Simon Magus
for thinking to purchase the gilt of God with mo-
Iney For no man ever yet preached the gospel,
without the qualifications OF the Spirit of Cod
and this Spirit is his own free gift to whomsoever
he sees meet to call to the duties Of Gospel Min.
lister.
"The Gospel of Christi according to the apos
ties doctrine, (Rom. 1, 16) sis the power of Coo
unto salvation to every one that beeveh" And he
that breaches the gospel must be endued with
measure of that power which the Spirit of Coz
alone can give otherwise he is no minister of the
gospel He may preach human earning-he may
deliver lectures on the science Of dirinity-but all
this is not preaching the gospel freely admit
that learned men may become able minister's wheI
rightly called by that which alone can qualify bu
they cannot be so by virtue or in consequence O.
their human learning. Hence Theological Semi
naries, for the purpose OF making ministers, are &
gross departure from the precepts and example o.
Christ and his Apostles.
We find this injunction delivered by our Saviour
10 his dscipes-"Pray we therefore the Lord of lht
harvest, that he would send forth laborers into hi
harvest" Who is this Lord of the harvest, that il
able to send forth laborers Are we to find him il
the head of Education Societies, or the principal
Theological Seminary? l judge not Shoulc
labor in the Lords harvest they would be "Steppine
out of their province" indeed and usurping the
prerogative of the Deity.
| l would ask the Stranger what we are to under
stand by the following sentences, taken from his last
number ''No ministry, but such as makes igno.
rance the parent Of pely, and morality the ground
of their hope. These, obsequious to the repuled
movngs of some strange spirit, may call religion
reason, but we fear they would finally make il pa
gansm. Should their writers put on the vesture ol
heathenism, their sentiments would not expose them
to the hatred of idoL worshippers, OF the persecu
tions of execrated christians. They might dIie
. IRON the ancient heather in one thing only. The,
needed Homer TO damn them 10 everlasting fame