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10. He endeavours to show that his religion is founded on the sacred scriptures.

II. "The True Faith of Christians, &c." In this treatise are contained his peculiar views respecting the Incarnation. III. Fundamental Doctrines from the word of God." Regeneration and its fruits-The regenerate form the true church of ChristTheir weapons not carnal, but spiritual-They seek no kingdom but that of grace-Adult baptism The Lord's Supper Church discipline-Christians daily lament their sins-They have no justifying righteousness but that which proceeds from faith in Christ-Exhortation to the dispersed and concealed children of God faithfully to persevere in sanctity of life. IV. "A consolatory Admonition to the people of God under persecution." Christians are here particularly exhorted never to have recourse to arms. VII. "The Doctrine of Excommunication." Definition Who are to be excommunicated-Design; namely, that transgressors may be ashamed and may repent; and that the church may preserve its purity-Duty of the pious to withdraw from them, and to have no dealings with them, lest they be defiled, and the name of God be blasphemed-That excommunication dissolves all society between father and children, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives, union with Christ by faith being infinitely more important than any earthly union. This severe practice is rejected by all the present Mennonites, except the Uckewallists and the Dantzigers; and even these have abated in some degree its severity. IX. "Reply to Gellius Faber, minister at Embden." This dispute, which respects most

of the distinguishing tenets of Menno, was conducted with considerable acrimony on both sides. Menno accuses Gellius of being the cause of the persecutions of his party. X. "A piteous Supplication of poor Christians, addressed to magistrates, &c." In. this work the connexion between the party of Menno and the Anabaptists of Munster is abundantly disproved. XI. "A brief Vindication of miserable Christians and dispersed Strangers, &c. Addressed to all divines and preachers in the Netherlands." XIII. "On the Person of Christ." XXII. "A Treatise against the horrible Blasphemy of John of Leyden, &c." This was written either before his secession from the church of Rome, or very soon afterwards.

He also wrote a Narrative of his Secession from Popery, which he thus concludes: "Because we are with so much acrimony and falsehood accused by our adversaries of assenting to the dogmas of the Munster Anabaptists, and of agreeing with them in the articles concerning the King, the Sword, Sedition, Vindictive Recrimination, Polygamy, and other abominations; know, my good reader, that in the whole course of my life I never assented to those tenets of Munzer, but, according to my feeble capacity, for the space of seventeen years, have dehorted every one from imbibing their horrible errors; and have led some back into the right way. I never saw Munster; I never was in their society and communion; and I hope, by the grace of God, never to eat or drink with such persons, if any such remain, as the scriptures teach me, except they shall confess their wickedness from the heart, and shall bring forth the genuine fruits of

repentance, and rightly obey the gospel."

of different countries, who were persecuted under the name of In Dr. Rippon's Baptist Regis- Anabaptists, and contains a hister, Vol. I. p. 303-312, there is tory of the cruel deaths of thoua catalogue of the Baptist sands of persons, few of whom churches in the Netherlands. have been heard of in this counThey still bear the names of Wa- | try. This indefatigable author terlanders, Frieslanders, and published, likewise, a useful work Flemings; but they all hold communion with each other, except the Switzers and the Old Flemings.

in octavo, for young persons, which has passed through four editions. He died at the early age of thirty-nine. A quarto volume of fifty-one Sermons was published after his death.

It may not be improper to close the life of so eminent a person among the Dutch Baptists, with Would not a good translation mentioning "The Martyrology of of Van Braght's Martyrology be the Baptists:" by Tielman Vanan acceptable present to the reliBraght. It is a work of immense gious world?* labour. The first edition was published in a large folio volume at Dordrecht, in 1660; the second, with more than 100 engravings, at Amsterdam, in 1685. work is divided into two books. It is dedicated to the Divine Being. After the Dedication there

This

are two Addresses: one to the members of the Mennonite churches; the other to readers in general. Then follows an epitome of the work. The first book contains two parts, each of which is divided into centuries, from the apostolic age

down to the author's own time. The first part contains "A circumstantial Account of the True

THE GREAT PHYSICIAN

NEGLECTED.

A WRITER in the last Number of the Magazine, expatiated upon the dignity of the Saviour's person, and the exceeding riches of his grace, in an animated and truly evangelical strain. How happy are the inhabitants of this kingdom, who are constantly receiving instruction upon this most interesting of all subjects, both from the pulpit and the press! One would think, from the abundant means whereby religious

nicated and diffused, that but few

Church of God in its Origin, Pro-knowledge in England is commugress, and unshaken Stability of its highly-favoured sons and through all Ages." An Appendix daughters could be without opto this part contains Three Confessions of Faith of the Mennon-portunities of hearing, in some a faithful ites. The second part contains way or other, that it is " "An Account of the Origin, Pro- saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into gress, and Conduct of the False the world to save sinners." And Church through all Ages." Each century contains an account of yet who is there that is at all acthe persecutions of the Baptists, and quotations from their writings in favour of believers' baptism. The second book is entirely composed of accounts of the trials and sufferings of Baptist martyrs

* The engraving, prefixed to this article, was taken from a portrait of Menno, which formerly hung up in the vestry of the Mennonite congregation, at Rotterdam, but which has been presented to the Editors of this Magazine.

quainted with the state of society a similar cause? God has given in our cities, towns, and villages, them his word, and ministers to that does not know, from the ig-publish the unsearchable riches norance which exists, and the dis- of Christ, and to declare the unsipation which prevails, that a paralleled sufficiency of his blood large proportion of our country- to take away the guilt and pollumen are still labouring under the tion of sin. Does not the fault most fatal of all diseases, namely, lie wholly in the patients thema carnal mind, which is enmity selves, who refuse to submit to against God, and which is not the prescription? Is not the blood subject to his law, neither indeed of Christ more sufficient to heal can be? Jehovah is saying in his the wounded conscience, and the word, respecting the state of so- distempered heart, than any meciety in England, as well as of dicines to cure the diseases of the Israel," I hearkened and heard, body? Why then are not sinners but they spake not aright; no healed? The Saviour himself, man repented of his wickedness, the great Physician, answers the saying, What have I done?" In-question-"They will not come stead of a spirit of contrition and unto me that they may have self-condemnation, does there not life." evidently prevail, even among those who would be classed with the disciples of the Saviour, a spirit of presumption and selfjustification? Is there not reason to apprehend, that very many persons who hear evangelical preachers, are still unconverted and unsanctified? To all such it may be said, in the impassioned language of the weeping prophet, "Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?"

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Among these are many who, notwithstanding the plain declaration that "all flesh have corrupted their way," nevertheless deem themselves whole, and insist upon it that they "need not the Physician." Ignorant of God's righteousness, they go about to establish their own righteousness; and thus all the awful denunciations of the law of God are lost upon them. They have no conception that they are the "wicked, with whom God is angry every day;" that their prayer is an abomination to the Lord; that they are the proud whom the Lord abhors. Hence, through the pride of their countenance, they do not seek after God; nor repent of their wickedness; nor inquire what they shall do to be saved; nor bathe in the fountain which is open for sin and unclean

The interrogation supposes that the continued maladies of Israel arose from infidelity. "God had sent prophets," says Bishop Lowth, as so many spiritual physicians; and they had given them the best advice; but the fault lay wholly in the patients themselves, who refused to sub-ness; nor apply to the balm in mit to their prescriptions." And may not the unsuccessfulness of the means of spiritual instruction, for the renovation of the heart, and the sanctification of the life, of those who are hearers of the gospel of Christ, be attributed to

Gilead, and the Physician there. There are persons so bewildered with erroneous views of their own character, that the skill of the great Physician is utterly unknown to them. The God of this world has blinded their eyes, lest the

light of the glorious gospel of Christ should shine upon them. It is to them as if there were no Saviour, nor Sanctifier. They trust in themselves that they are righteous, and expect heaven without faith, regeneration, or holiness of heart and life. Of this class, it is to be feared, are many of the children of Christian parents; they have the form of godliness, but know nothing of its power; they consider themselves safe for eternity, while they are neglecting the great salvation. Is it at all wonderful, that with such a state of mind, the hurt of sinners is not healed?

a

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one that believeth. Is it therefore
any wonder that, while they are
substituting other means of cure,
and other methods of recovery,
for those which God has appoint-
ed, their malady remains? If
an ignorant person should re-
solve to be his own physician,
and should refuse all medicines
but those of his own prescribing,
would any one be surprised if his
disorder was not healed? And if
sinners, instead of "coming to
Christ" according to his most free
and gracious invitation, seek sal-
vation as it were by the works of
the law, do they not, as it might
be expected, spend their money
upon unskilful physicians, and
grow worse rather than better?
A heart-felt sense of the guilt of
sin is a disease too deeply seated
to be reached by any other reme-
dy than the blood of sprinkling.
An application of this, and of this
only, will
purge the con-
science."
When faith appro-
priates and applies the blood of
Christ, that sovereign balm heals
the wounds of a guilty con-
science, and the mind finds ease
and refreshment.
An elegant
writer has thus expressed himself,
for the encouragement of sinners,
under a sense of guilt, to depend
upon the promises of Christ in
the gospel: "Can the thirsty soul
taste of the running water, and
not find refreshment; since God,

66

Besides these, there are persons of another description. They attend an evangelical ministry, and have constantly heard that they are sinners, exposed to the just condemnation of the law of God; and they feel tormenting fears from the exercises of mind which spirit of bondage" excites. They have a "wounded spirit." The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, has pricked them to the heart. They are desirous of obtaining eternal life, and they aim to do some good thing, in order that they may inherit it. They think it is not for them to receive the atonement, not understanding that "God justifieth the ungodly, who believeth in Jesus;" and not comprehending that he who "work-who created water, has eth not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly," is justified by faith, without the deeds of the law. Many of these, it may be presumed, are not aware, that they are secretly encouraging an unbelieving and pharisaical spirit, which prevents them from "submitting to the righteousness of God," and from depending upon Christ, who is the end of the law for righteousness to every

or

dained it to refresh the thirsty? Can weary limbs lie down on a bed, and not find ease; since a bed is made to give ease and rest to the weary? Can a fainting creature drink a divine cordial, appointed to give life, and yet feel no revival? No more can a guilty, distressed, and penitent sinner believe the truths of the gospel, and trust in Jesus the Saviour, and yet find no relief; for it is the

will and settled law of the God of heaven, that peace and holiness shall be obtained in this y sway.

was the minister of sin ;" and that, instead of giving himself for us, to cleanse us from all iniquity, It is to be feared there are per- and to purify to himself a pecusons of a third class, who attend liar people zealous of good the preaching of the gospel with- works, he had shed his blood, out any intention to receive the that people with religion in their truth, and to obtain the cure of mouths, and the love of sin in their souls from the contagion of their hearts, might have the pecusin. They act as if they were in liar privilege of crucifying the love with their disease; convert- Son of God afresh, and of putting ing the means which are pre-him to an open shame. The fact scribed as an antidote against sin, respecting such ungodly men, who into an encouragement of vice" know not the truth, and who and uncleanness, thereby proving are to every good work reprothat their very mind and con- bate," is, they hate the Physcience are defiled. They turn sician, and his means of cure. the grace of God into lascivious-That their heart therefore is not ness, and derive aliment for their healed is very easily to be aclusts, from that flood from which counted for: they love the disbelievers receive the life of their ease of sin better than the salvasouls. To silence the upbraidings tion of Christ, because their deeds of conscience, which they some- are evil. Such persons are to be times hear, they deny that they found where the doctrines of are free agents, and that they vo- grace are preached speculatively, luntarily choose the way of wick-and not experimentally and pracedness, and affect to believe that tically. Of such ministers it may they are impelled by an involun- be said, "They have healed the tary necessity to the commission heart of the daughter of my peoof sin. Thus, in direct opposi-ple slightly, saying, Peace, peace, tion to the injunction of the apos- when there is no peace.' And tle, they say that they are tempt- concerning such professors it may ed of God, and endeavour to stifle be said, "Were they ashamed the voice of conscience, which when they had committed abomitells them that " they are drawn nation? nay, they were not at all away by their own lust, and en- ashamed, neither could they ticed." Or, from having listened blush; therefore they shall fall to the instruction which has among them that fall: at the time caused them to err, they have that I visit them they shall be concluded that their presumptu- cast down, saith the Lord." ous confidence of safety is "the What an awful responsibility feeble assurance of hope," and attaches to them who preach the they ward off the arrows of truth gospel! Happy are they who are with the shield of a system, which able to say, "We are a sweet sateaches them that conviction of vour of Christ in them that are sin is no part of the Holy Spirit's saved, and in them that perish: work, but the working of a legal to the one we are a savour of spirit, and the exercise of unbe-death unto death, and to the lief. To judge of the genius of other a savour of life unto life the gospel from the sentiments and who is sufficient for these and conduct of such men, the things?" conclusion would be, that" Christ

VOL. X.

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