A NEW
HISTORY
OF ALL
RELIGIONS,
IN PARTICULAR,
THE CHURCHES, SECTARIES, AND PARTIES,
OF THE
Holy CHRISTIAN Religion.
STIRLING:
Printed and Sold by M RANDALL.
THE
HISTORY
OF ALL
Known Religions.
I.
Of Pagors, or Heathens.
ALTHOUGH the Pagans, or Heathens, in general, believe that there is one God above all; yet they worship and adore many gods, which are but creatures of their own fancy. Almor every nation, country, island, and tribe of people, have their own gods.
An old times the Saxons in England had seven chief gods, viz. 1 The Sun. 2 The Moon. 3 Tusk. 4 Wudden. 5 Thurst. 6 Fridge 7 Saturn. Or, in other words, I The god of light, who was adored on Sunday, 2 The goddess of night, adored on Monday. 3 The god of strength, adored on Tuesday. The god of war, adored on Wednesday. 5 The god of power, adored Thursday. 6 The god of love adored Friday. And, 7 The god of the earth, adored on Saturday-From these idols, the days of our Week are still named. In Scotland, the fire and the bull were adored,
List of Heathen Gods and Godesses.
1 Pan, the god of Egypt. 2 Dagon, the God of the Philistines 3 Barl, the god of many of the Eastern nations.-Cupid the God of love. Venus, the goddess of marriage, beauty love, &c. Bacchus, the god of wine, Boreas, the god of storms and winds. Neptune, the god of the seas, &c — O the depravity of fallen human nature!!
II.
Of the Mahometans.
About fifteen hundred years ago, a man of Turkey, seeing the high disputes about religion in Egypt, and in the neighbouring nations, formed a deep land plan to please all parties, by making a new one altogether. And so (the better to effect his purpose) commended that he was inspired by God, and named himself the Great Prophet of God. This religion is very enticing to corrupt nature, being of a carnal kind; for the heaven it promises, is the full enjoyment of women and wine in the future state, &c they believe in one supreme God, and have in general, very rational views of a divine Providence.
III.
Of The Jews.
I need say little of them, as the doctrin and laws of the Jews are fully recorded in our Old Testament, But their great error is unbelief they do not believe that JESUS whom their fathers crucified, was the true Messiah. and are still looking for another.
I could have given a more full account of the false religions, but my main design is to treat of the true: And therefore I shall now proceed to speak of the Christian Religion and the various denominations of its professors.
IV.
OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION.
Of the Church of Rome.
THEY hold the great truths of Christianinity but have added much to them, such as the following:
1—The infallibity of the the Church, viz. the Pope and high Bishops.
2—The worshipping of angels, the Virgin Mary, Apostles, Saints, &c:
3—The doctrine of Purgatory, or a middle state between heaven and hell, to purge the soul from sin
4—Of seven Sacraments. 1 The Euchalist, or Lord's Supper. 2 Baptism. 3 Mass. 4 Extreme Unction or giving the Lord's supper to dying people 5 Holy Order or making of Priests. 6 Confirmation. And, Marriage.
5—Of Indulgences, or pardon of sins (for money) on confession to the priest. 6—Or Pennance, or afflicting the body for sin, by fasting, the black stool, sack gown, black hood &c.
7—Of keeping holidays, and eating no flesh in Lent, in memory of our Lord's fasting forty days in the wilderness
8—Transubstantiation, or that the bread and wine in the Lord's Supper, are turned into Christ's real body and blood, by the Priests prayer.
9—Holy Magistrates, os that Churchmen should have power over states.
10—Of Nunneries, Monasteries, &c. or houses where holy Virgins live retired from the world of mankind: no man being permitted there but the Priests.
11—0f many orders of Priests 1 The Pope———2 Arch Cardinals———3 Arch Bishops———4 Ordinary Bishops———5 Priests——— 6 Friars———7 Monks, &c
They hold, that there is no salvation out of their church; and adore particular places, Relics of the dead, Wells, Saints, Tombs &c, and go on pilgrimage to them.
They believe that the souls of unbaptized Children, wander or hover about in the air
till the last day. Of the Church of England.
About the year 1530, Henry VIIIth. King of England threw off the Pope's authority, protested against the Church of Rome. And put the church of England on a new footing, having no higher Churchmen than Bishops. They deny all the forementioned articles held by the Romish Church; and hold the doctrines of Luther, Calvin, and other Protestant Reformers in Germany.
Of the Church of Scotland.
The people in Scotland being weary of all tyranny, oppression, and licentious lives of the Roman clergy, and having received considerable light from the preaching of a Mr George Wishart, an eminent Divine who had been instructed in the principles of the Protestant religion, when on his travels to Germany, that they might bring about reformation, entered into a National Covenant in the year 1580. It was renewed by people of all ranks in the year 1581. It was again renewed by royal and church authority in 1590, and afterwards by nobles, barons, Burgesses, Ministers, and commons, in the year 1638, and approven by the General Assembly, and by an Act of Parliament 1650 It was also subscribed by King Charles at the river Spey, in the north of Scotland and at the palace of Scoon, near Perth, the year 1651. This Covenant is recorded at large in the Confession of Faith, p. 45 the substance of which is as follows
"We protest against all false Religions chiefly all kinds of Popery, (see the Articles of the Church of Rome) as also to defend the King's person and government, in defence of the true Religion"
Of the Reformed Presbetery.
Some Ministers and people conceiving at particular grievances were not redressed, with other misunderstandings attending the settlement in 1628, and wishing Church and State to be put on the very same footing in 1638*, did separate themselves into a distinct body, under the denomination of the Reformed Presbytery. They are vulgarly called Cameronians or M'Millans, from two of their Ministers of that name.
Of Seceders in General.
Between the years 1732, and 1740, Mr Ebenezer Erskine, and his brother Ralph, Mr Fisher, and some others, came about from the Established Church of Scotland. They stated many errors (in their view) what had crept into the Church, such as
- See Confession of Faith and Covenants,
National and Solemn League, p.67. Arminian and Socializm doctrine, laxness in discipline, and Patronage that is the chief laird in the parish to have power to put in any Minister he pleaseth; this power in some parishes is lodged in the crown, as Falkirk, Alloa, &c.
Of the Burghers and Antiburghers.
Soon after the Secession took place, they differed among themselves. The ground of this dispute was as follows:
The Burghers maintained that it was lawful to swear the Burgess Oath in all its extent: and that the Covenants cannot be properly sworn by a party, but ought to be done in a national way, being a public deed; otherwise it would not be a National but a Party Covenant.
The Antiurghers, in opposition to this, said, that it was not right to swear the Burgess Oath, having a religious clause in it; and that it is lawful for a party to renew the the Covenants at all times.
Of the Presbytery of Relief.
About 50 years ago Mr Thomas Gillespie, then present parish minister of Carnock, being appointed by the General Assembly to place a minister at Inverkeithing against the people's will, refused to do it; for which he was laid aside for a year. Next Assembly he spoke boldly against Patronage, and was deposed. Soon after, he, with his followers formed a party, under the denomination of the Presbytery of Relief, being thereby relieved from Patronage.———They are Calvillsts*, but they are very free in receiving church members.
Of the Old and New Light Burghers.
The Old Light people say, that they stand to the Confesion of Faith in every point? The New Light party do not deny it.———Wherein lies the difference?
1 The Old Light party say, that the civil Magistrate hath a right to call Church courts, and sit in them; and also to punish all heretics and errors, even to bodily punishment. Moreover, they say, that the Covenants, National and solemn Leauge: sworn above 50 years ago, are as binding upon us to his day, as they were upon them by whom.
- They hold Justification by free grace, only
thro' the sacrifice of Christ, received by faith. The dissenters & Independants hold the same.
See Confession of Faith, chap.23, sect 3. they are sworn; and if we do not take or acknowledge them, we are perjured persons, although many cannot in conscience approve of the proceedings of that time, they also think, that public national covenanting. as such, is as warrantable now under the New Testament, as it was under the Old when the the true worship of God was confined to the carnal seed of Abraham in short, all alterations whatever either essential or circumstanial (in the r-view) are deviations from the truths and received canons of the Church of Scotland, as received in 1638.
Of Independants and Missionaries.
The Independants and those called Missionaries, are no new party, but an old one revived Every congregation formeth a particular Church hath no higher Court than its own members and every member has a right to speak. They say that faith, human or vine, implies nothing more but simply believing ——— but the difference between divine and human faith, doth not consist in its nature, but in the object of it. That the Lord's supper ought to be taken every first day of the week* — They view it as a thanksgiving, and so bless not the bread, but bless God of Christ; as represented in that ordinance to true believers only.
∗Acts xx. 7.
Of the Predobaptists.
They baptize tone till the person actually profess faith in Christ, according to Matth. xxviii 19. Mark xvi 16. In baptism they dip, or immerse the whole body in water, in imitation of John's baptism, Matth iii 16. Their teachers and church office bearers, are chosen from among themselves in every particular meeting, which forms a church, in which all controversies are solved. The manner of their church discipline and censures are recorded in Matth. xvii. and xxviii. 2 Cor. xi−l Cor v &c.
They say, though none can be saved but
those who repent, believe, and obey the gospel; yet faith repentance, and good works, are no ground or condition of a sinner's justification before God, but resteth alone upon the eternal decree of free grace. They receive the Lord's upper weekly———But are improperly called Anabaptists; for the Anabaptists are another Sect who baptize all their members every year. The Latin word Anno from which Anabaptist is derived, signify the year; and therefore that denomination may more plainly be rendered Yearly Baptist. Of Quakers.
They are so called, because they sometimes groan and tremble in their prayers. And preach none; unless moved (as they view it) by the Holy Ghost. Many people are so bold as to say, that this is a delusion of Satan; but it is very dangerous to speak in that manner, so many good fruits appear in them, such as plain honest dealing in the world: mercy to the poor: abstaining from swearing, lying, and the like. They give titles or honor to no man∗, nor uncover their heads, though in the presence of the highest personage, nor in their own places of worship but when they are disposed to speak. They do not name the days of the week, as we do but number them 1, 2, &c for, in their view (in the main it is so) the names at present in use, were handed down to us from the heathens∮. They allow women to exhort in their meetings, but not to rule. Acts xxi 9-1 Cor xi 5.
They appeared first in England in the time of Cromwell. Their founder was one David George, a respectable shoemaker in Oxford, after him, another remarkable character arose among them called, William Penn whose unitie had been a very active
∗Matth. xxiii 9. ∮See page 2 Admiral in the reign of Charles I. and for which he had been promised a consideration by the Government. Upon the death of the Admiral, his nephew William, waited on Charles II and (with his head covered) demanded what had been promised his uncle in the former reign and the Admiral having, besides his meritorious services, advanced a considerable sum for, the use of Government; the Parliament gave William a grant of the Province of Pensylvannia in North America; to which a great number of the Quakers emigrated, and founded one of the most beautiful cities in the world, the capital of that Province, and called it Philadelphia, which signifies Brotherly love. The name of the province itself has its derivation from the founder's name PEN.
I shall conclude the account of this Sect, with an anecdote of another distinguished character among them, called Robert Bartlay, who addressed King Charles II. upon his restoration, in the following manner:
"Thou hast tasted of prosperity and adversity, thou knowest what it is to be banished thy native country, to be over-ruled, as well as to rule and to sit upon the throne; and being oppressed, thou hast reason to know how hateful the oppressor is both to God and man; If, after all there warnings and advertisements, thou dost not turn unto the Lord with all thy heart, but forget him who remembered thee in thy distress, and give up thyself to follow lust and vanity, surely great will be thy condemnation—Against which snare, as well as the temptations of those who may or do feed thee and prompt thee to evil, the most excellent and prevalent remedy, will be to apply thyself to that light of Christ which shineth in thy conscience, and which neither can nor will flatter thee, nor suffer the to be at ease in thy sins"
Of the Bereans.
They take this name to themselves from
Acts xvii. 11, "The Bereans were more noble than those of Thessalonica, in that they received the word with with all readiness of mind; and searched the scriptures daily, whether these things were so." Whom they pretend to have imitated that they might find out truth, and lay the foundation of their Church is distinction from all other denominations of Christians Their founder was one Mr John Barclay preacher of the
Gospel in the parish of Fettercairn, Angusshire, and assistant to the late Rev Mr Dow, an aged Minister of at parish. Upon the death of Mr Dow, having little interest to suceed in the parish, Mr Barclay set out for
Edinburgh, and in a short time after it was
announced in the News Papers, that he had
formed and joined himself to the Serean Society in that city, about the year 1770.
So far as is known, Mr Barclay was a man of good character, of a religious turn of mind, and only rendered singular by his peculiar sentiments concerning the doctrine of the Assurance of Faith, viz
They say, As faith and doubting are opposite principles, so no true Christian can have any doubt of the truth of the gospel; that is, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and the only Redeemer of God's elect; nor of their own salvation; for both resteth on the same testimony: "He that believeth, shall be saved." &c Mark xvi 16.
They are Independants, and allow infant-bapism, although some of them are very scrupulous on that head.
They say, that people ought to remain in no doubt of their believing, and consequently of their being saved; for such as do are in the gall of bitterness, and bond of iniquity.
Mr Barclay asserts, in a letter to a friend, on the doctrine of assurance. That he has no more doubt of his shining as a star in the kingdom of heaven, after death, than he has of the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah being already in that happy state; because it is positively said, " He that beleiveth shall "be saved." And therefore, as he was persuaded that he did believe we Gospel, he saw no reason to doubt of his salvation."
He had a peculiar talent for religious poetry, and published a new version of the Psalms of David in more adapted to the Christian dispensation: in which he applies all the psalms to Christ and his church.
He also published a volume of Spiritual Songs, to the tunes of the most common songs, sung by the young women of Fertecairn at their wheels to prevent them from prostituting their musical talents on profane or senseless subjects. He died but a few weeks ago, on a Sabbath morning, going from his own house to their place of worship, in Edinburgh.
Of the Arians.
They have their name from one Arius,
a Lybirn by birth, and a Presbyter of Alexandria by profession. This heresy brake out under the emperor Constantine, 290 years after Christ, and over ran a great part of the world; being opposed by none, for some time, but the famous Athanasius, an eminent father of the church at the time; who composed an admirable Creed in opposition to the Arian doctrine: their errors
were condemned in the council of Nice, gathered by Constantine's appointment, in the year 325, after a most cruel and bloody persecution wherein many of those who opposed it, and were therefore called the Orthodox, suffered martyrdom.
Arians say that God is one absolute being, that Jesus Christ is the first and best of all the creation of God-and the Holy Ghost only an attribute of Deity.
Of Arminians
They are so called from James Arminius,
divinity reader in Leyden who in the year 1605, published and maintained five articles, which have occasioned great trouble to the church of God: being eagerly maintained by his followers, called remonstrants. The five articles are concerning predestination, redemption, God's grace, free-will, and the perseverance of the saints.
Of Socinians.
So called from one Faustus Socinus, an
Italian of Stena. They place all their religion in the old condemned heresies; following their master, a most vile heretic.
Amongst other things, they hold the doctrine of man's free-will; and say, that original sin is nothing more than the power of bad example:—that Jesus Christ was the best man that ever appeared in our world; and was sent by God to correct the errors which had crept into the moral world; that his death was a natural incident; and that God raised him from the dead, to show us that our death is not eternal.
Of Antinomians
So called from two Greek words, which signifies AGAINST, and THE LAW; they sprung up from one John Agricola, who affirmed, that the moral law was altogether madness, and that Christians were not tied to the observation thereof. This sect began about the year 1535.
Of Erastians.
So called from Thomas Erastus, a physiscian in Heidelberg in Germany, who held that the civil magistrate had the supreme power in church and state.
Of Jesuits.
Of the Douglasites.
They hold the heresy of the Originists, and some German Anabaptists viz Not only the wicked, but the devils themselves, after suffering the torments of hell for an appointed period, shall be received into the favor of God, and be made for ever blessed and happy.
As is heresy has has been long since condemned, I shall say no more about it.
_-_Title.png)
An Account of the Origen of
Burning Heretics in England.
IN the year 1401, and reign of Henry IV. King of England, it was found that the number of the Lollards, which was the name when generally given to the Wickliffites, was continually increasing, it was, by the influence of the ecclesiastics enacted, that he should preach without a licence from the Bishop of the diocese. However, this and the other laws in being, were thought sufficient for the protection of the church, and to prevent the growth of heresy; The clergy were desirous of saving a shorter easier method of defending the doctrines of the Church than by the tedious and differ one of reason, and argument. They therefore gave the King to understand, that one thing would more attach the Clergy, to the interests than his exerting himself for the protection of the Church by which is meant, to make a law for the burning of heretics. The King does not appear to have discovered any great reluctance; but the Commons, many of whom thought favourably of Wickliff were very averse to such sanguinary proceedings. An act, however, was at length passed impowering the Clergy to the extent of their wishes, but this passed not but with the utmost stretch of the King's authoritry and Mr Fox says, that he cannot find that it ever did pass the Commons; but supposes, that as parliamentary affairs were then managed with little regularity it was huddled in among other acts and signed by the King without further notice. It is indeed by no means improbable, that this act might be passed without the consent of the Commons; for in the next reign we find the lower House of Parliament petitioning that no act or statute might pass without their assent. However, it was now enacted the upon a certificate of the diocese Bishop, or his commissaries, delivering those who either refused to abjure their heresy or relapsed after abjuration, over to the secular arm, the civil magistrate should receive their bodies and cause them to be burnt in public William Sawtre a Lollard, and rector of St Ofithe's in London, was the first man who was put to death of destature. Sentence was pronounced against him in the ecclesiastical court immediatly after the act was passed: so eager were they to proceed to the extripation of heresy.
F I N I S.
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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