Page images
PDF
EPUB

fert, that your reformation, either in whole, or in part, is no where taken notice of either by our fcriptures, or what you. call yours; fo that you are utterly excluded by both. If the new be the fulfilling and accomplishment of the old, which, according to the chriftian faith, in their fcripture, and yours, if you allow yourselves to be chriftians (but your tenets prove you not) are the laft words of Chrift when he was expiring. All this is confummated. The conclufion is this: if the Jewish covenant ended and was perfected in the new by Jefus Chrift, there can be no adding or taking away from what is perfect. Our prophecies are equally full, without diftinction, dividing or feparation, to Chrift and his church; the obftacle that feparates the Jew from the christian is the perfon of the Meffiah; remove this, we would feek no further; what the Almighty pronounces perfect; he must be a vile reptile, mifcreant, obnoxious and bane of fociety. These peft, what title can be given them, who spatter their poifon wherever they are permitted to open their blafphemous throats, fpurting and vomitting into the hearts of poor filly women. and children impieties and contradictions, clipping and feparating the fcriptures, changing and obliging the letter to speak what their in fefted fpirits are intoxicated with.

Luth. Thefe are the words proceding from a good fpirit, and we hope foon to fee it verified that the fpirit will leave nothing imperfect, that it has taken in hand to perfect. We fhall look upon your converfion as the greatest

work

work of our miniftry and labours in the Lord's vineyard.

Calv. I proved to you, in the time of the apoftles, chriftianity was, as might be faid, in its infancy or leading-ftrings, in the time of the Jews, in the womb; but by Calvinifm the perfect man Luther ufhered the youth, when Calvin made him the perfect man, I mean a ftate of perfection.

Mof. You have proved yourselves ideots and knaves; ideots, in facrificing happiness for mifery, prefenting yourfelves to the eyes of ho neft, and whoever are not in your plot or knot, illegitimate, ignominious, and depraved race; and knaves, knowing yourfelves a fpurious and counterfeit breed; yet ufe every means and contrivance in your power to perfuade all who are fo ill informed not to fee into your wicked defigns and poverty of birth. This to me is as great a mystery as any our reformation has produced.

Luth. Luther, our pious ancestor, used his fatherly, perfuafive, and mild correction, to bring Calvin and his adherents to a proper fenfe of their duty, but claim a lad their leader, being incorrigible and obdurate, would not comply with the mild remonftrance of the meekeft of parents; but perfifting in his stubborn and crafty peftilence, became, with his abettors, enemies to the fpiritual christendom, that our gracious progenitor was fo anxious to eftablish, upon a permanent and lafting foundation; this produced a grief which ended with his life, and obliged the meekest of men

C 4

T

3

Luth. As were the fheep of Amelek in the ears of the prophet Samuel.

Mf. Thefe are the lambs you wish, a peftiferous and mischievous flock; endowed with the quality of goats, you have removed the veil. I will no longer difpute your claim.

Calv. Our hereditable right claimed and obtained, by our virginal purity, unknown to the world, until the brightnefs of Sion, big with great defigns, broke through; and as the fun beams on Jonas's head, when sent to announce vengeance on the Ninevites, vehemently beat upon the head of Calvin, the apoftles tafted a glimmer or twilight of this great fun, being the infant ftate of Sion; but when, according to the fullness of time, fifteen hundred years. from the apostles, a full time, was accomplifhed, Calvin, of all the children of man, was found worthy to be the firft-born of the fpirit, to remove the mift of material webs and every corporal image, or idea, from the fouls or minds of his elect children; fo that he per fected and did away the old man by the fpirit,. as the Gourd covering Jonah was by the worm that fmote it.

Luth. You fuppofe yourselves to be fo polished and refined by the fpirit that no addition or amendment can be added.

Mof. As the covenant of the Meffiah was imperfect, no doubt but Calvin has alfo fome. thing to be amended, reformed, transformed, trimmed and tranfcended; for if you place yourselves to difpute, doubt, contradict, gainfay and vilify Jefus Chrift, whom you confefs

[ocr errors]

to be your Lord and judge, how is it to be fuppofed that an apoftate prieft and a profligate raical can gain your confidence and influence ? your distempered and tiff necks and ftony hearts never will fubmit to fo low a humiliation, a fordid faction!

Calv. The veil ftifles and diffipates your fpirit fo that you fee darkly, otherwife you would know the flight of the fpirit; but this is a language you know not, being an Ifraelite.

Luth. If Mofes has the mishap to be an Ifs raelite, I am your elder brother, of the first trumpet of reconciliation, and am at all times ready to judge and decide your fcruples in any manner, caufe, or thing whatfoever; you have therefore liberty to answer for thyself.

Mof. You are permitted by your judge?

Calv. Curfed is he that putteth his truft in man, faith the fcripture. My truft, as a Calvinift, is in the spirit who enlightens and gives us utterance. We form no image or idea whatfoever, therefore ftand unconcerned with material objects or things. Man is an inanimate being, formed out of matter, fenfelefs in his inferior man. The fuperior, or fpiritual man, is an independent and intelligent intellectual being, not at all fubject to controul, but to rule. It is this fpiritual fuperiority Calvinifm contends for. There are the children of light, fweet lambs of Sion, inhabitants of New Jerufalem, and heirs of the new covenant, who earry the mark on their foreheads of fpiritual virginity, and fing a new canticle which no other can fing or understand. This being un

derstood

derflood of our fpiritual man, I will now expofe your earthly and outward man, what feparated us.

[blocks in formation]

Luth. I hope, Mr. Mofes, we have fully explained our tenets in our fpiritual warfare, too convincing to admit of a doubt, the ne. ceffity of taking the reins of government, excommunicating the pope, and placing our father Luther in the chair of Peter; and that after every lenient and perfuafive means proved

abortive,

1

« PreviousContinue »