of Christ's visible kingdom, wishing all good to other parts, in so far as they follow Christ, but as though it were the whole of it, and as though all true religion were circumscribed within its hallowed pale. This is the essence of a sectarian spirit, and the bane of christianity.

I am a dissenter, and a baptist. If I confine my remarks to the faults of these denominations, it is not because I consider them as greater sinners in this way than all others, but because I wish more especially to correct the evils of my own connexions.

If we wish to promote the dissenting interest, it must not be by expending our principal zeal in endeavouring to make men dissenters, but in making dissenters and others christians. The principles of dissent, however just and important, are not to be compared with the glorious gospel of the blessed God; and if inculcated at the expense of it, it is no better than tithing mint and cummin to the omitting of the weightier matters of the law. Such endeavours will be blasted, and made to defeat their own end. Those dissenters among whom the doctrines of the puritans and nonconformists have fallen into disrepute, are generally distinguished by this species of zeal; and it is principally from such quarters that complaints are heard of "the decline of the dissenting interest." Where they are believed and taught, and their progress, whether among dissenters or others, viewed with satisfaction, we hear of no such complaints. It is a curious fact, that while a certain description of dissenters are inquiring into the causes of the decline of the dissenting interest, a certain description of the established clergy are inquiring into the causes of its increase!

If we wish to see the baptist denomination prosper, we must not expend our zeal so much in endeavour

ing to make men baptists, as in labouring to make baptists and others christians. If we lay out ourselves in the common cause of christianity, the Lord will bless and increase us. By rejoicing in the prosperity of every other denomination, in so far as they accord with the mind of Christ, we shall promote the best interests of our own. But if we be more concerned to make proselytes to a party than converts to Christ, we shall defeat our own end; and however just our sentiments may be with respect to the subjects and mode of baptism, we shall be found symbolizing with the pharisees, who were employed in tithing mint and cummin, to the neglect of judgment, mercy, and the love of God.

*

ON THE PROPER AND IMPROPER USE OF

TERMS.

NOTWITHS

OTWITHSTANDING the number of words found in every language, they are far from being equal to the number of ideas in the human mind. Hence it is that one and the same term has a variety of meanings; and hence arises the distinction between the proper, and improper, or figurative use of terms. The word x abib, e. g. the first in the hebrew lexicon, signifies, (1.) verdure or greenness. Job viii. 12. (2.) an ear of corn on its first appearance, being then of a green colour. Lev. ii. 14. (3.) a month in the jewish year, falling somewhere about March or April, when corn in that country began to ear.-Here we see the progress of language, and the causes of different ideas being affixed to the same term. When a name is wanted to express an idea, men do not think of ma

king a new one; but call it by something already known, to which it bears a resemblance: and as this resemblance is frequently confined to one leading property, and sometimes to one that is not so, hence it comes to pass that the more objects a term is applied to, the further it commonly advances from the original idea. In mentioning the month Abib, e. g. a jew would think nothing of greenness or verdure, which is its true and primary meaning; but merely of the time of his forefathers coming out of Egypt, and of the institution of the passover. Yet in arguments from the meaning of scripture terms, it becomes of importance to ascertain the true, primitive, or proper sense, and to measure all secondary and figurative applications by it as a standard. It appears to me that many important errors have been introduced and defended, for want of attending to this rule, which is dictated by comInstead of defining a term according to its primary or proper meaning, and resting nothing upon its secondary or figurative applications, any further than they accord with it, the reverse has been the practice. The proper meaning has been made to give way to the figurative, rather than the figurative to the proper.

mon sense.

EXAMPLES.

1. The Universalist, finding the terms used to express the duration of future punishment frequently applied to things which have an end, endeavours from thence to set aside the evidence of its eternity. That is, he grounds his argument on the secondary and figurative application of terms, to the setting aside of that which is primary or proper. Thus av, though its proper meaning is always being, is made to mean no more than age or ages; and awvos, though it literally

1

signifies everlasting or endless, yet is said to mean no more than age-lasting. Thus, instead of measuring the secondary sense of words by the primary, the primary is measured and excluded by the secondary ; which goes to exclude all just reasoning, and to introduce everlasting wrangling. It were just as reasonable to contend that the English word turnpike signifies a road made by act of parliament, though it is so called merely in a way of contraction, and because such roads have toll-gates, and such gates a turnpike for the accommodation of foot passengers.

2. The adversaries of the doctrine of the atonement have taken the same method. "By a sacrifice, (says Dr. Taylor,) is meant a symbolical address to God, intended to express before him the devotions, affections, &c. by significant emblematical actions; and consequently, whatever is expressive of a pious and virtuous disposition may be rightly included in the idea of a sacrifice; as prayers, thanksgivings, expenses, labours, &c. &c." It is easy to see that the primary notion of a sacrifice is here explained away, or lost in the crowd of secondary meanings; by which any thing may be proved, or disproved, as the writer pleases.

3. Let it be dispassionately and impartially considered, whether the principal objections brought against the ordinance of baptism being administered exclusively by immersion, do not originate in the same cause. The word Baww, it is said, will not always agree with the idea of immersion. It is applied to the effusion of the holy Spirit, and to some other things wherein immersión is inadmissible. Be it so still it amounts to no more than this, That the term baptizo, like almost every other term, has its secondary and figurative senses. Its proper and primary meaning is allowed by the most learned pædobaptists in all ages to be

that which the antipædobaptists contend for; and this is the only meaning which ought to be called in to settle a dispute. By the contrary method, it were easy to prove that the English word immersion does not mean dipping or plunging: for if a person be very wet by rain, it is common to say he is immersed, merely because he is as wet as if he had been immersed.

To generalize the meaning of a term, in order to include its secondary or figurative senses, is the way to lose its true and proper ser.se; and if applied universally, might go to undermine all the great doctrines of christianity.

END OF PART THE SECOND.