John Evans, Evans's Sketch of the Various Denominations
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EVANS'S SKETCH OF THE VARIOUS DENOMINATIONS OF THE CHRISTIAN WORLD JOHN EVANS PREFACE. The first appearance of Dr. Evans's " Sketch of the different Denominations of Christians " was cor- dially welcomed by the public. The. want of such a manual had long been felt ; and had the Tolume possessed inferior merit, the utility of its plan* would have made up for considerable deficiencies^ It is hardly necessary to observe, that few produc- tions in the same class have enjoyed, for a series of years, a larger, or even an equal, share of popularity. This has been owing, perhaps, in some degree to the Author 8 style, which never becomes heavy and wearisome. Far from veiling his facts under a cloud of gaudy metaphor, he took care to express himself not only so as to be understood, but so as to make it impossible not to be understood. VI PREFACE. In every page he evinced an earnest solicitude to communicate all the information that he had been able to gather. He knev^ too well the nature of Christian charity, and had too high a value for the right of private judgment, to treat any human being with ridicule or contempt, on account of his opinions, honestly entertained. It is, moreover, the high, the proud distinction of the book, that it is not written in the spirit or for the purposes of party ; and hence it has naturally won the confidence and good- will of its readers, in every religious community and in every rank of life. The excellent Author, Dr. Evans, was endowed with great activity of mind ; and around his own family- hearth, and within the circle of private friendship, he was an object of more than ordinary affection. The most strictly original of his many publications is " An Attempt to account for the Infidelity of Gibbon." It entitles him to peculiar praise. PREFACE. Vll The Editor can urge no claim to that indefinite and spurious liberality which puts all opinions in religion and all systems of ecclesiastical polity upon a level ; but, '^amidst the rich confusion," he has at least endeavoured to be impartial ; and he hopes that he has never forgotten the respect which is due to the humble and serious inquirer. The man who is aware that the study of the Scriptures may yield a different result, according to the measure of light which is cast upon them, will not wonder at the divided state of the Christian world ; and if he has laboured to bring his own mind and character more immediately under the influence of " the truth as it is in Jesus," he will look with kindly feelings upon all his Christian brethren, whatever be their forms, and modes, and symbols of belief, making every indulgent allowance for their prejudices and their involuntary errors. This is the toleration, the comprehensive 83rmpathy which the Gospel sanctions: this is, indeed, its own spirit, so enlarged and so disinterested, so affect- ing and so elevating a_" a spirit of universal love a_" a spirit which would not exclude or debar from the Ylll PREFACE. holiest chamber of the heart one sincere worshipper of our Father who is in heaven. Though I hate the gift of prophecy, and ITNDERSTAND ALL MYSTERIES, AND ALL KNOWLEDGE ; AND THOUGH I HAVE ALL FAITH, SO THAT I COULD REMOVE MOUNTAINS, AND HAVE NOT CHARITY, I AM NOTHING. a_" 1 Cor. xiii. 2. Carnarton, April I9th, 1841. BIOGRAPHICAL ILLUSTRATION or THE FRONTISPIECE. John Wickliffe, the English Reformer, the Morning Star of the Reformation, was bom in the North of England, about the year 1324, in Yorkshire, near the river Tees, in the parish from which he took his name. He received his education at Oxford. He was the first person in this country who openly condemned the errors and corruptions of Popery. He died peaceably in his bed at Lutterworth, in 1384, leaying behind him many followers. The chief of his works is en- titled Trialogus, being a discussion by three speakers a_" Truth, a Lie, and Wisdom ! He wrote several things both in Latin and English, but this is almost the only work which was printed. Martin Littheb, the German Reformer, was bom in 1483, at Isleben, a town in Saxony. He was of the order of the Augustine Monks. After having written many books, and exerted himself with a wonderful intrepidity in behalf of the X BIOGRAPHICAL ILLUSTRATION glorious Reformation, he died in the year 1546, lamented by his followers, and revered by the Protestant world. John Knox, the Scotch R^ormer, was born in 1505, and died in 1571. He was educated at St. Andrew's, and passed much of his time in France and Germany. At Geneva he exercised his ministry for two years. He soon returned to his native country, and forwarded the great work of the Reformation. He was through life distinguished by his intrepidity. John Calvin, the Genevan Reformer, was bom at Noyon, in Picardy, in 1509. Visiting Paris, he made himself known to those who had privately embraced the Reformation. A persecution arose against the Reformers, and he went to Basil, where he published his famous work, ^' Institutes of the Christian Religion." He became minister and professor of divinity at Geneva. He died in the year 1564, having con- tinued to discharge the duties of his station with uncompro- mising fidelity to the last. Jaaies Arminius, founder of the sect of the Arminians, was bom at Oude- Water, in Holland, in 1560, and educated at the university at Leyden, where he was afterwards Professor of Divinity. He was ordained minister at Amsterdam, in 1588, and his sermons were admired for their practical OF THE FRONTISPIECE. XI tendency as well as for their literary excellence. Being ap- pointed to defend the doctrine of Predestination, he carefully examined the subject, and in the end found himself under the necessity of abandoning his former views, and of embracing the opposite opinion. He died in 1609, before he had reached the fiftieth year of his age. He was distinguished by the placidity of his temper and the gentleness of his manners. Richard Baxter, one of the most eminent of the Puritans, was bom at Rowton, in Shropshire, in 1615, and became minister of Kidderminster. When Charles the Second was restored, the bishopric of Hereford was offered to him, but he declined accepting of it. Upon the passing of the fatal Bar. tholomew act, he was silenced, with a large number of clergy, for refusing to conform to the Church of England. He suffered vexatious persecutions on account of his religious opinions, with a firmness which did honour to his piety. He was even tried before that cruel unrelenting judge Jefferies, who sentenced him to a long and tedious imprison, ment. His publications were numerous ; his Practical Works alone fill four volumes in folio. George Whitfield, founder of the Calvinistic Methodists, was bom at Gloucester, in 1714, and became Servitor of Pem- broke College, 0:; ford. The churches being shut against him, he preached to immense multitudes in the open fields. He Xii BIOGRAPHICAL ILLUSTRATION, &C. several times visited the continent of America, where he ended his days in the year 17 70, not far from Boston, in New England. He published many sermons and letters, but it was his preaching that made the deepest and most extraor- dinary impression. John Weslet, founder of the Arminian Methodists, was bom at Epworth, in 1 703, and in 1726 was chosen Fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford, where the first Methodist society was ^instituted. He died at a very advanced age, in 1791, regretted by his extensive connexions. a_" ^His works are said to amount to thirty-two octavo volumes, but many of these are compilations on important and interesting subjects. CONTENTS. The name of Christian has become too general to ezpreea our faith, there being a Geography of Religion as well as of lands, and every dime is not only distinguished by its laws and limits, but oironmsoribed by its doctrines and rules of faith. a_" Sir Thomas Brownb. No sound should be heard in the Church but the healing roice of Christian charity. a_" Bukkx. INTRODUCTORY ACCOUNT OP ATHEISTS ..... DEISTS ...... THE0PHILANTHR0PIST8 LOVERS OF TRUTH ..... vK^vo a_¢a_¢a_¢a_¢a_¢a_¢ MAHOMETANS CHRISTIANS, INCLUDING A SUMMARY OF THE BTI DENCE8 OF CHRISTIANITY PAOB 2 5 10 12 13 23 28 CHRISTIAN SECTS, &c. TRINITARIANS . 51 ATHANASIANS . .53 9ABELLIANS . 59 XIV CONTENTS. ARIANS . .62 UNITARIANS . 68 CALVINISTS . .76 8UBLAPS ARIANS AND SUPRALAP8 ARIANS . 80 ARMINIAN8 . .82 BAXTERIANS . 86 ANTIN0MIAN8 . .89 ROMAN CATHOLICS . 92 GREEK, OR RUSSIAN CHURCH . .99 PROTESTANTS . 104 THE REFORMATION IN GERMANY . 104 LUTHERANS . 110 HUGONOTS ...... 112 EPISCOPALIANS, OR CHURCH OF ENGLAND . .115 PROTESTANT DISSENTERS . .128 KIRK OF SCOTLAND . 137 SECEDERS, BURGHERS, AND ANTIBURGHKRS . 143 THE REFORMATION IN SCOTLAND . 145 ENGLISH PRESBYTERIANS .... 147 IRISH PRESBYTERIANS ' . 148 INDEPENDENTS ..... 168 BROWNISTS . 158 BAPTISTS, GENERAL AND PARTICULAR . 160 BAPTISMAL REGENERATION . 165 CONTENTS. XV PAOB DISTINCT BAPTIST DENOMINATION . 165 THE THREE DENOMINATIONS . 169 DR. WTLLIAMS'S LIBRARr .170 SION COLLEGE . 174 DISSENTING ACADEMIES . .175 QUAKERS . 177 METHODISTS ...... 188 WESLETAN METHODISTS . 188 CALVINISTIC METHODISTS .... 208 LADT Huntington's connexion . 214 welsh calvinistic methodists . .217 universalists . 235 destruction ists ..... 242 sabbatarians . 244 moravians ...... 245 sandemanians, or glassttbs . 249 hutchinsonians ..... 252 SHAKERS . ...... 254 DUNKERS, OR TUNKERS .... 256 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, AN AMERICAN SECT . 258 MYSTICS .....: 261 swedenb0rgian8 . 263 Baldanites ...... 267 frbethinking christians . 271 XVl CONTENTS. TAOM JOANNA 80UTHC0TT . 279 MUOOLETONIANS, FIFTH -MONARCHY MSN, AND THE FOLLOWEBS OF RICHARD BROTHERS . 286 IRTINOITES . 287 SAUDS, AN INDIAN SECT .... 293 JBRKERS AND BARKERS . 296 M1LLENARIAN8 ...... 299 PLYMOUTH BRETHREN . 305 OXFORD DIVINITY, OR PU8BY1TES .