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George Whitfield and John Wesley were the chief instruments in promoting this wonderful revival of religion: but a distinct chapter will be requisite to record the operations of these new dissenters, under the appropriate denomination of METHODISTS.

CHAPTER VIII.

DISSENTERS UNDER GEORGE I AND GEORGE II.

Toleration of George I — Arianism among Dissenters - The Exeter Controversy London discussions at Salter's Hall - Trinitarianism prevails-Antinomianism — Presbyterianism declines-State of religion among the Independents Academies for the ministry - Revival of religion - Dr. Watts's works- Matthew Henry's Commentary- Dr. Doddridge's efforts - His plans for missions" General Consent of Prayer " for England, Scotland and America - Religious Book Society-Learning among the Dissenters - Dr. Doddridge persecuted - Dissenting tutors Learned Dissenting writers - The Baptists-Controversies.

GEORGE I having ascended the British throne, the Dissenting ministers of the "Three Denominations" in and about the metropolis, waited on his majesty with an address of congratulation.

Dr. Daniel Williams headed this deputation from the Dissenters, who received from the king the following gracious auswer: "I am very well pleased with your expressions of duty to me, and you may depend upon having my protection." His majesty held his promise sacred; and, notwithstanding the violent ebullitions of bigotry, the king's influence confirmed and enlarged the toleration.

Arianism having arisen in the church of England, in a few years after the publication of Clarke and Whiston's books, made its appearance in the city of Exeter, under the patronage of two Presbyterian ministers, Joseph Hallet and James Pierce. "In the year 1717, Arianism began to rise above ground. A few individuals, who were said to be in the confidence of these ministers, were heard to speak contemptuously of the orthodox doctrine, charged the common notions of the Trinity with blasphemy, and argued boldly for the Arian system. Some they perverted, and others they

filled with horror. The city of Exeter was in a blaze; the favourers of the new system, and the converts, were active and bold and by the friends of the orthodox doctrine, the most powerful alarm was felt for the purity of divine truth *."

"Mr. Pierce complied, but with an ill grace " with the request of thirteen of the elders of the congregations in Exeter, to preach on the divinity of Christ. Not satisfied with his discourse, they requested the ministers of the city to preach in defence of "the eternal Deity of Jesus Christ." Mr. Pierce felt offended at the request, and a controversy arose, which soon spread through the west, and eastward to London. "The students for the ministry, under the tuition of Mr. Hallet, were discovering an attachment to the growing error; and a Baptist minister, at whose house they used constantly to resort, was dismissed by his church for imbibing the Arian heresy." "The clergy of the city from their pulpits warned their hearers against the Dissenters, affirming they denied the Lord that bought them, and made the press to groan with their blasphemies †.'

The "thirteen" elders formed a committee, who sought counsel of the leading ministers in London, and then called in seven of the principal ministers in Devon, to assist them in their perplexities. After much deliberation they agreed to the following resolutions:

"1. That there are some errors in doctrine which are a sufficient ground for the people to withdraw from their ministers holding such errors.

"2. That denying the true and proper divinity of the Son of God, viz. that he is one God with the Father, is an error of that nature, contrary to the Holy Scriptures and common faith of the reformed churches.

"3. That when so dangerous an error is industriously propagated, to the overthrowing of the faith of many, we think it the indispensable duty of ministers, who are set for the defence of the Gospel, earnestly to withstand it, and to give reasonable satisfaction to their people of the soundness of

History of Dissenters, vol. ii, p. 168.

+ Ibid. p. 171.

their faith. And we likewise recommend to the people as their duty, to hold fast the truth in love, avoiding anger, clamour, and evil speaking, and to behave themselves with all sincerity and meekness, as becometh Christians *."

Mr. Hallet and Mr. Pierce refusing to give satisfaction in any way, the committee, who held the meeting-houses as proprietors and trustees, refused them permission to preach any longer in their places of worship, and broke off all connection with them as ministers. Mr. Pierce complained of being persecuted by this procedure; while the committee, conceiving that their ministers, by introducing dangerous doctrine clandestinely, had forfeited all claims to their esteem, threw the whole blame on them as apostates from the true faith of the Gospel.

London now became the theatre of controversy. Some gentlemen drew up a paper of "Advices" to their Exeter brethren, to consider which the "General Body of Dissenting Ministers" met, when it was proposed to be accompanied with a "Declaration of their own faith in the doctrine of the Trinity." An eager debate was the consequence, and it was carried by a majority of fifty-seven to fifty-three, that the Declaration should not be inserted in the Advices. This vote grieved the people of the several churches in London; as it looked like an intimation of their ministers not believing the doctrine of the Trinity. When they met, therefore, May 3, 1719, it was moved, that, for the satisfaction of their friends, they should make an explicit "Declaration of their belief in the doctrine of the Trinity, and especially of the Divinity of Christ." The moderator refusing to put the vote, sixty of the ministers immediately withdrew, and meeting at another place, unanimously resolved to adopt the words of the First Article of the church of England, and the Answers to the fifth and sixth questions of the Assembly's Catechism, as a form of sound words stating the Scripture doctrine of the Trinity. Those ministers who remained with the moderator, at length finished their "Advices," which they forwarded to Exeter, accompanied with a letter, in which they also de

* 1bid. p. 172-174.

clared their belief in the doctrine of the Trinity and Divinity of Christ, and recommending moderation, peace, and love. At Exeter also, in May 1719, the meeting of ministers resolved to publish their sentiments explicitly to the world; and this they did by affixing their names to the First Article of the church of England. It was subscribed by the ministers of Devon and Cornwall, to the number of fifty-six. Nineteen, including Joseph Hallet and James Pierce, refused to concur, professing to act on the principles of the nonsubscribers in London. But the fifty-six subscribers, accompanied their declaration with a letter of advice to their congregations, "to adhere stedfastly to the received doctrine of the ever-blessed Trinity." Thus the public controversy closed; but several of the ministers appeared still attached to Arianism.

"Arianism was the grave of the Presbyterian congregations." This mournful change was accelerated by the Crispian Controversy," which arose from the republication of the Antinomian works of Dr. Tobias Crisp, a clergyman of the church of England in the last century. "The evils of the Antinomian system, Dr. Williams, one of their body, had exposed with great clearness and force. His pieces were much read by the young ministers of that denomination, and inspired them with horror for every thing which had the name of Antinomianism. In their fear and flight they unwisely cast away a part of the truth. The doctrine of grace had been abused to licentiousness, and they kept it out of the people's sight: the righteousness of Christ had been perverted to a contempt of sanctity in heart and life; and instead of glorying in the truth, and enlarging on it with all the ardour of the most cordial delight, they either omitted it altogether, or only introduced it to show how much it might be abused. Through the unhappy influence of such sentiments, they gradually receded from the truth, and many of the Presbyterian ministers departed from the evangelical doctrines into high Arminianism and Arianism, and some at last into Socinianism *"

* Ibid. p. 303, 304.

Religion among the Independents was far more pure and flourishing; and they were greatly increasing through the nation, not a little augmented by secessions of many of the pious, from among the lukewarm or Arian Presbyterians. Bogue and Bennet remark: "Among the Independents, the state of religion was so much more favourable, that it may justly excite in every reader a desire to know whence the difference did proceed. Instead of the diversity of sentiments which prevailed among the Presbyterians, the religious principles of the Nonconformists were maintained by the Independents in all their purity: it may be questioned whether an Arian, or even an Arminian, was to be found in the whole body. There was no denomination in England which could boast of so much unanimity as to doctrine *."

The historians of the Dissenters attribute the purity of doctrines among the Independents, greatly to their congregational system of church-government, admitting none to their communion at the Lord's Supper but those who professed to be truly converted to the faith of Christ, and giving satisfactory evidences of personal godliness. Such only being allowed to enter their seminaries as candidates for the ministry, is stated as another means of their scriptural orthodoxy; and for the education of such promising youths, some generous individuals, especially Mr. William Coward, a merchant in London, largely contributed, and organized an institution, known from the place of meeting by the name of the "King's Head Society," in 1730, which resulted in the foundation of "Homerton College," and since of "Coward College," in London.

Deeply impressed with the consideration of the low state of religion in England, various means were employed for its revival in their churches, by several ministers of the Independent denomination. Among these the principal honour appears due to Dr. Watts, and his friends Mr. Soame and Dr. Doddridge. Dr. Watts's writings were greatly blessed to the edification of the people: besides his "Hymns and Psalms," and his "Divine and Moral Songs," which were

* Ibid. p. 313.

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