Reason, the Only Oracle of Man; Or, A Compendius System of Natural ReligionAllen, Ethan
Religion
Reason, the Only Oracle of Man; Or, A Compendius System of Natural Religion
Allen, Ethan
Rationalism
It has been owing to different comments on the Scriptures, that
Christians have been divided into sectaries. Every commentator, who
could influence a party to embrace his comment, put himself, at the head
of a division of Christians; as Luther, Calvin, and Arminius, laid the
foundation of the sectaries who bear their names; and the Socinians were
called after the Scismatical Socinius; the same may be said of each of
the sectaries. Thus it is that different commentaries or acceptations of
the original meaning of the Scriptures, have divided the Christian world
into divisions and subdivisions of which it consists at present. Nor
was there ever a division or subdivision among Jews, Christians or
Mahometans, respecting their notions or opinions of religion, but what
was occasioned by commentating on the Scriptures, or else by latter
pretended inspired revelations from God in addition thereto. The law
of Moses was the first pretended immediate revelation from God, which
respects the Bible, and after that in succession the several revelations
of the prophets, and last of all (in the Christian system) the
revelations of Jesus Christ and apostles, who challenged a right of
abolishing the priesthood of Moses; Christ claiming to be the antitype
of which the institution of sacrifices and ceremonial part of the law of
Moses was emblematical; but this infringement of the prerogative of the
Levitical priests gave such offence, not only to them, but to the Jews
as a nation, that they rejected Christianity, and have not subscribed to
the divine authority of it to this day, holding to the law of Moses and
the prophets. However Christianity made a great progress in the world,
and has been very much divided into sectaries, by the causes previously
assigned.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account