- Jun 26, 2004
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Henry Denne,
"There is but one true Religion, but there are many false; the false Religions seeming to differ exceedingly amongst themselves, in very many things even in the object of worship, and in the matter, and manner; yet be they never so different, there is one common foundation, wherein they do all agree, and wherein they differ from the true. The true Religion declares unto us a God in chief reconciled, pacified, pleased - a justice already satisfied, a propitiation made, sins taken away; and we have not one jot, not one apex in all the new Covenant to be found of reconciliation to God.
The new Covenant manifesting unto us a God already reconciled to us, and the whole ministry of reconciliation propounding our reconciliation to God. Now this is the common character of all false religions of what sort whatsoever, Jews, Turks, Papists, Pharisaical Protestants, Heathen; yea all propound to some degree or other, an angry God, a deity not reconciled, and then prescribe certain means and services whereby to appease his wrath, and to quench his displeasure, and to obtain his love and favor. Man does not oftener seek after salvation, but he naturally stumbles upon this principle; 'What shall I do to be saved?' The world would be saved by doing. Luther speaking of this difference, does more than once compare the false religions unto Sampson's foxes, Judges 15:4; their heads looking divers ways, but they were fastened together by the tails. They differ indeed in some circumstances, but in the main substance they agree in one.
Do we not see some men contending with the Papists, with wonderful eagerness?
Do we not see others tugging, and halting, one one way, the other another, one for this ceremony, and another for that, as though there were a mortal difference between them; yea the difference so great, that it is sometimes the greatest reason for one side to refute this or that because the other uses it. Now he that shall search into the innermost secrets of these antagonists, shall find, them that so eagerly differ about circumstance, {who could have believed it?} to agree in substance. Like ships that sail in the sea a great way asunder, yet all tending to one haven. All tending to this end, to win or obtain the favor of an angry God. This that hath been spoken may prove a help to administer a spirit of discernment unto the simple, in these distracted times, wherein the Commonwealth is not more distracted than the Church. Now among so many diversities of opinions, how shall we know which is the old and the good way, that we may walk in it? One saith I am Christ, another nay, but I am Christ; for thy direction, search for that religion that abaseth man, that giveth the glory of grace to God; that propoundeth the free love of God in Jesus Christ, without mixture of anything in the creature, that is the true religion, all the rest are false; that is the true way, and strait line, all the rest are counterfeits, and crooked. Henry Denne {Grace, Mercy & Peace, Printed 1696}" Henry_Denne
"There is but one true Religion, but there are many false; the false Religions seeming to differ exceedingly amongst themselves, in very many things even in the object of worship, and in the matter, and manner; yet be they never so different, there is one common foundation, wherein they do all agree, and wherein they differ from the true. The true Religion declares unto us a God in chief reconciled, pacified, pleased - a justice already satisfied, a propitiation made, sins taken away; and we have not one jot, not one apex in all the new Covenant to be found of reconciliation to God.
The new Covenant manifesting unto us a God already reconciled to us, and the whole ministry of reconciliation propounding our reconciliation to God. Now this is the common character of all false religions of what sort whatsoever, Jews, Turks, Papists, Pharisaical Protestants, Heathen; yea all propound to some degree or other, an angry God, a deity not reconciled, and then prescribe certain means and services whereby to appease his wrath, and to quench his displeasure, and to obtain his love and favor. Man does not oftener seek after salvation, but he naturally stumbles upon this principle; 'What shall I do to be saved?' The world would be saved by doing. Luther speaking of this difference, does more than once compare the false religions unto Sampson's foxes, Judges 15:4; their heads looking divers ways, but they were fastened together by the tails. They differ indeed in some circumstances, but in the main substance they agree in one.
Do we not see some men contending with the Papists, with wonderful eagerness?
Do we not see others tugging, and halting, one one way, the other another, one for this ceremony, and another for that, as though there were a mortal difference between them; yea the difference so great, that it is sometimes the greatest reason for one side to refute this or that because the other uses it. Now he that shall search into the innermost secrets of these antagonists, shall find, them that so eagerly differ about circumstance, {who could have believed it?} to agree in substance. Like ships that sail in the sea a great way asunder, yet all tending to one haven. All tending to this end, to win or obtain the favor of an angry God. This that hath been spoken may prove a help to administer a spirit of discernment unto the simple, in these distracted times, wherein the Commonwealth is not more distracted than the Church. Now among so many diversities of opinions, how shall we know which is the old and the good way, that we may walk in it? One saith I am Christ, another nay, but I am Christ; for thy direction, search for that religion that abaseth man, that giveth the glory of grace to God; that propoundeth the free love of God in Jesus Christ, without mixture of anything in the creature, that is the true religion, all the rest are false; that is the true way, and strait line, all the rest are counterfeits, and crooked. Henry Denne {Grace, Mercy & Peace, Printed 1696}" Henry_Denne
