Milton on Liturgies, 379. Good Habits, 384. Letter of Duguet-Advice to a Young Friend, 387. The Beloved Disciple, 403. Suggestions to Tract Distributors, 412. Reconciliation, 423. Immortality of Learning, 423. Christian Unity, 424. JOHN WICLIFF, 196, 223. COTTON MATHER, 259. JOHN HOWE, 331. JOHN OWEN, 367. REVIEWS, 36, 69, 102, 149, 181, 220, 254, 288, 326, 360, 399, Verses for a Social Tea Meeting, 311. Evening Song for the Sabbath Day, 287. The One Hundred and Thirty-seventh Psalm, by Dr. Dwight, 393. THE INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE. 1842. TO THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN OF THE INDEPENDENT DENOMINATION OF CHRISTIANS. This magazine, dear friends, is yours. It is written for you. It regards you as young christians who are seeking the glory of God in the good of your fellow men; and designs to inform your minds and stir your hearts on subjects which, in such a character, will prove of deepest interest and of greatest use to you. The sabbath school and the missionary departments will directly contribute to this great object. But there is another class of topics which we intend to treat. These, though they may seem, at first sight, to be capable of aiding usefulness only indirectly, will prove to be the very ground work and strength of all that is permanent in your power, by the grace of God, to bless the world. We refer to those DISTINCTIVE PRINCIPLES, whether of church polity or of scriptural doctrine, which such men as Howe and Owen, Watts and Doddridge accounted dear. How many hopeful youths, in these days, full though they be of pious zeal, are, from their ignorance and unrooted principle, drawn aside into extravagant error; giving pain to their friends and pastors now, and laying up a store of unavailing regret for their own declining days! How many more from the same ignorance, but with different motives, have left the sacred principles of liberty— liberty the bulwark of truthfor whit their fathers bled ! And how large a number of admirers has that false and treacherous charity gained, which thinks to glorify God by hiding the truths on the prevalence of which so much of his glory depends, and vainly B seeks for union in a show of uniformity! We shall strive to train you in the love of firm principle. But we shall also endeavour to show, by precept and example, that this will be of little use, unless it be seasoned with that true charity, which cheerfully yields the liberty it claims, and loves no man the less for taking it. We shall avoid all direct interference with the religious or political disputes of the day; and thus, free from the heat of strife, give our diligence rather to form your principles than to apply them. We are among those who esteem it the choicest privilege which God bestowed upon our youth, that we were born of christian parents. One other favour which his love conferred we must always reckon next in value. It is that our parents belonged to that body of christians whose distinguishing character has been from the beginning a simple and unfearing obedience to God's word in matters of religion, and such a jealous love of liberty and untrammelled thought as has made them, in all their history, friends of the bleeding conscience, and the tyrant's unwearied foes. Oh! it is a blessing beyond compute, when the light of pure truth shines around our early steps, and a scrupulous deference to the liberty of others—for that is the true love of liberty is taught in the lessons of every day! And whom, under God, have we to thank for this? Doubtless our parents first; but next our forefathers, who handed down this precious heritage. Often shall we turn you back to the fountain of their great thoughts, and pray you to breathe their lofty spirit: but while we do so, permit us to record as our own motto the words of one of the earliest and best of them-the noble Robinson charge you before God, and before his blessed angels, that you follow me no further than you have seen me follow the Lord Jesus Christ." : "I INDEPENDENCY-ITS PRINCIPLES AND HISTORY.* We do not glory in our distinctive principles because they are distinctive, but because they are principles-principles of truth * Let us here once for allly concede that our Baptist friends are, in their advocacy of our great principles, truly Independents: that they have, moreover, shared in on sufferings and struggles in the cause of truth and liberty, and shall freely share in our triumphs too. and liberty; we mourn that they are distinctive. While we trace the lines which separate us from other christians, we delight to remember with our own Milton, "the firm root out of which we all grow, though it be into branches," and then we feel that a love of principle though it breaks uniformity, yet makes union more rational and sure. We are distinguished first as Protestants, uniting with the Lutheran and the Reformed churches on the continent, with the Presbyterian church of Scotland and the Episcopal church of England, to oppose the heresies of Rome. Next, with the Presbyterians we join to oppose Episcopacy. And in opposition to both, as "established” sects, we vindicate religious liberty. Independents were the first to claim from human governments an equal "toleration" of all religious faith and practice, or, as it is now more boldly denominated—the "separation of Church and State." We differ from the above sects, moreover, in holding that a CHURCH is a single company and fellowship of faithful and holy people, binding themselves to worship and obey God according to the scriptures; that CHURCH GOVERNMENT is the rule of our Saviour-king governing his people by no other constraint than that which love and grace impose; and that its OUTWARD FORM of administration, including all matters of church discipline and order, ought in no other way, and can in no better way, be made to appear, than by the equal suffrages of such a people, covenanted as they are to obey the scriptures, constrained by the Saviour's love and grace, and responsible each man for his practice and belief. These principles we derive directly from the example of the New Testament churches. We trace them-churchmen themselves being witness-through the early days of the christian era, and we mark them in the spirit of Wycliffe's writings. In the pages of history, Independency without the name, begins to make its first appearance before Queen Mary's days. Persecution cleanses truth. Exiles for conscience sake were Independents by compulsion then, and found the practice goed. In the days of Queen Elizabeth, Robert Browne, a man of high connections and of commanding talent, made himself famous by a zealous advocacy of Independent principles. He was disowned by the party with which he connected himself, because of unhappy temper and unworthy conduct. But their enemies failed not to fix upon them the stigma of his name. "Brownist" was the term of reproach by which they were for a long time known. In the year 1593, there were in England, by Sir Walter Raleigh's testimony, twenty thousand "Brownists,” to say nothing of their wives and families, who were ready to suffer banishment for conscience sake: and in one month after he had thus spoken in parliament, Barrowe and Greenwood-noble men -suffered martyrdom (mark it in your almanac, May 6, 1593) for these sacred principles of truth. Others suffered a similar death. Many died in loathsome dungeons. Many in concealment stored up the truth for better days. A few, whose fortunes enabled them, escaped with some difficulty to Holland. Among these was JOHN ROBINSON—one of the most interesting characters whose names appear on the pages of history—a man of much learning, of singular prudence, of true piety and of a noble mind. It was part of his congregation which first colonized New England; the trace of his spirit is marked on her religion and her liberties. And be it ever remembered that the New England states to this day stand apart from the rest of that ill-assorted union. That part of the country is called in derision (who would not be thus derided ?) “the land of steady habits." Its inhabitants are free from the abomination of slavery. They are distinguished for purity of morals, for solid religious literature, and for an expansive piety. They are sprung from a better stock. 66 When kingcraft and priestcraft bowed their heads together at the great Revolution, Independency came forth from her banishment and thraldom. She arose with elastic vigour to breathe the morning air of liberty. Her bold and free spirit was congenial with those days. In parliament "the Independent party, albeit their numbers be very few," are described by their sturdy Presbyterian foe* as prime men, active and diligent;" and in the Assembly of Divines he concedes them to be men of learning, wit, and eloquence, "and above all, boldness and stiffness to make it out." "Before the masculine powers displayed by these men, both in council and in field," says our own historian, "the pride of the ambitious, churchman, the finesse of the silken courtier, and the courage of the chivalrous cavalier-all were * See Baillie's Letters, lately published. |