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And when the light of the reformation dawned on the Christian world, what was the doctrine which Luther and Melancthon, Zuingle, Bucer, and Calvin considered the main point to be established, and rescued from the perversion of the Romish doctors? It was no other than gratuitous justification, by faith, through the righteousness of Christ imputed. Can it be shown that any one of the reformers, who was retained in the fellowship of these distinguished men, ever dissented from this cardinal doctrine? In all the creeds and catechisms, published by the different churches, is there one, which does not give a prominent place to this doctrine? And yet, so contrary is it to the proud reasons of men, that however plainly this doctrine may be established at any given time, it is never long before degeneracy begins; and with the same formulas of doctrine, in the books and in the church, another gospel imperceptibly, comes in. This great fundamental truth is at first overlooked; a doctrine inconsistent with it gradually gains ground; and at length, it is openly impugned; and not only impugned, but virulently calumniated, as a doctrine Antinomian, and opening the flood-gates to all manner of licentiousness. And it is no new thing, even in Protestant churches, for men to be persecuted and expelled from the communion of the church, and sometimes exiled from their country, for maintaining and preaching those very doctrines contained in the creed of the church to which they belong. No impartial man ever doubted of the Calvinistic character of the articles of the church of England. And yet what an array of learning, and what an abuse of reasoning and ingenuity have been displayed to give them another aspect. When we call the XXXIX articles Calvinistic, we do not mean to assert that they were derived from the writings of Calvin; there may be historical evidence, that the writings of Luther and Melancthon, of Bucer and Martyr, had more influence in giving complexion to these articles, than the writings of Calvin; but all these, on the subject of justification, as well as the other doctrines of grace, held the same opinions as John Calvin. They all drew from the same fountain of Paul's inspired Epistles; they were all familiar with the writings of Augustine against Pelagius and his coadjutors. Calvin came later on the theatre of the reformation than several of these, and brought in no new doctrines, However his name may be abhorred by pelagianizing theologians of the Church of England now, no writings were

more in vogue and more highly esteemed, than his INSTITUTES, in the purest and best days of that church.

When we say, therefore, that the articles of the Church of England, and of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, are Calvinistic, we mean, that they contain the doctrine, from whomsoever it might be received, which now is technically called Calvinistic. Indeed, we do not see why it is necessary to suppose that the doctrine of the ARTICLES was derived from any foreign source. Had not Cranmer, and his associates, in the reformation in England, access to the same Bible from which Luther and Zuingle derived all their evangelical opinions? And were not the English reformers, as well as those on the continent, men of learning and talents, and capable of deducing from the Scriptures, the truths which are there so plainly taught, that he who runs may read? It is a remarkable fact, that all the precursors of the reformation, Bradwardine, Wickliff, Huss, Jerome of Prague, together with the Waldenses and Albigenses, entertained substantially the same. opinions as those universally embraced by the reformers; and it was on these DOCTRINES OF GRACE that they all laid the greatest stress; and their greatest complaints against the Church of Rome were, on account of her perversion or denial of these precious doctrines, on the knowledge of which salvation depends. And now, if a thousand sincere inquirers were to sit down separately, and without any bias from any quarter, to study the Bible with humble prayer, however they might differ in minor points, they would all imbibe the doctrines of grace, and would be led to ascribe their salvation, not in any measure to their own works or merits, but to the mercy of God in Christ: and their whole reliance for eternal life would be on his finished righteousness. This encourages us to hope and believe, that in proportion as the church falls under the influence of the Holy Spirit, Christians will be disposed to adopt and to adhere to the doctrines of grace. They are not the doctrines of any one age; nor of any particular set of men: they were not discovered by Augustine, by Luther, by Calvin, by Owen, by Beveridge or any other reformers or divines; but by all these were found in the Bible, and confirmed by their own experience. We are not afraid, therefore, that the true doctrine of justification I will ever be lost from the earth. However darkness may for a season overspread the church, light will sooner or later break forth, and this truth will stand out conspicuously, in

the view of the enlightened readers of the Holy Scriptures. The gates of hell can never prevail against the church; for it is founded, not on Peter, a poor frail mortal, who needed to be held up himself every moment, but on CHRIST the ROCK OF AGES and on the truth, that he is THE SON OF GOD. This truth cannot utterly fail, because the Holy Spirit is promised to abide with the church forever. And we are assured, that in the latter days his influences will be poured out more copiously and universally than at any former periods. Then shall the truth of God, accompanied by this celestial light, shine forth clear as the sun; so that "all shall know the Lord from the least to the greatest," and then contentions and divisions shall cease, for Zion's watchmen shall see "eye to eye." May this glorious day speedily dawn upon our miserable world, and upon a divided and distracted church!

ART. VII.-The substance of a Discourse, delivered upon the occasion of the Semi-Centenary Celebration, on the second Sabbath in December, 1839, before the Presbyterian Church in Cheraw, S. C. By J. C. Coit. Prepared for the press and published by the Author, as a Testimony against the established Religion in the United States. Columbia: 1840. pp. 72.

WE have read this Discourse, consisting of seventy-two closely printed pages, twice through, with as much attention as we could command, and yet we are far from being confident that we understand it. The author begins with remarking on the influence of the institutions of the State upon religion. In this country, where public opinion is effectually the law of the land, the church, he thinks, has become subject to its power, so that "in the fashion, form, and substance of religion, the people are as absolute as the Ottoman Porte, though they declare and enforce their canons by opinion only." Thus the majority of the people, "without the forms of legislation, have established a national religion." This establishment admits of great diversity: it includes every thing which will tolerate and live in peace with all other things. Nothing but "infamy, bonds, and imprisonment,"

he thinks, can await Christianity, under such an establishment, since the gospel reveals a religion "which not only condemns man's dishonour, sin, and shame, but annihilates, with a more withering curse, his glory, pride, and righteousness; a religion that stands pre-eminent, apart, and alone; rejecting all offered alliances, and denouncing every other system, not only as erroneous, but infernal." The great majority of the people, he adds, "will declare war against such a religion; all the orders of the establishment, with their overwhelming influence, will oppose her, and endeavour to awe her into silence, or to frown her into insignificance and dishonour." "If Christianity will renounce her exclusive principle, and exercise a liberal charity for all forms of idolatry; if she will recognize, or even let alone, (cease to prophecy against) Taylorism, Arminianism, and the various other forms of infidelity in the national pale; if, in short, she will submit to the authority of the state in matters of faith, she will be received with the 'sister churches' into the embraces of popular favour." But if she dissent, she will be denounced and persecuted.

"If there be," says the author, "an uncompromising, exclusive principle in Christianity, it is of the greatest importance that all should hear it; this principle we hold to be faith in the doctrine of Christ, according to our standards; this is our testimony as Presbyterians; this is our confession. Our system is a peculiar one; and as it differs fundamentally from all others, so we hold it to be the only true system. This, our exclusive principle, is denied by the unanimous voice of the establishment; by the temper and convictions of the great body of the people, and by the spirit of the age. We are told that there are men of benevolent hearts and pious sentiments, of great goodness, truth, justice, and mercy, every where among people of every sect, name and denomination, and therefore that no particular faith is necessary to true piety and salvation. This fatal opinion is every where opposed by Scripture."

Having thus defined the position of the church, he proceeds to examine her ways for the last fifty years, and finds her guilty of apostacy both as to faith and practice. The former charge is sustained by a brief account of the rise and progress of the New Divinity. As to the latter, appeal is made, if we understand the writer, to the prevalence of benevolent institutions in proof that the practice of the church has been no better than her faith. "With the coronation of

Love commenced the era of benevolent institutions among us. You know, my hearers, that the king and his subjects in the American Israel have not been restrained to a spiritual jurisdiction, but have been every where projecting reforms, where any thing is amiss in persons, families, neighbourhoods, cities, states and people all over the world. It has been a liberal, and enlightened, a magnanimous, a disinterested, a comprehensive, a universal love. This is the king that has reigned in our Israel, and we have rejoiced in his high places and groves; offered upon the altars which he has made; burnt incense and sacrificed to his idols; observed his times and walked in his statutes and ordinances." A long parallel is then run between this apostacy of our church, and that of the ten tribes under Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and that of the papacy. "Have not our churches," he asks, "been degraded into mere financial agencies to raise their quota of taxes for the royal treasury, that king Love may carry on his magnificent campaigns of benevolence and humanity? Has our church in fact obeyed the word of the Lord; walked in his ways; done that which was right in his eyes; kept his ordinances; sanctified his sabbath; honoured his church and ministers; defended his truth; lifted up his sacrifice, and gloried in the mediation of the royal and eternal priesthood of the man Christ Jesus? Or have we, like Jeroboam and the Pope, so humanized Christianity, that all obligations to duty and worship are such as may be done by substitution of human appointment; by a representation we are competent to ordain and establish? Has not gold become, under the dynasty of king Love, value in the abstract? Is it not accounted an equivalent for any religious service; and will not the king compound for money in lieu of personal services?"

As to the unfaithfulness of the church in matters of doctrine, he says, "If the new school theology is true, then our Confession is a bundle of lies; yet our church has tolerated these infidel and detestible doctrines more or less for thirty years; they have been preached to the hearts and minds of our people; avowed and defended in printed sermons, books and commentaries, by presbyterian ministers, and all the people have said, amen! Is here no room for repentance, humiliation and reform?" . . . . "Have we not indiscriminately intermingled in religious correspondence with Arminians, Methodists, Pelagians and others of licentious doctrines; and has not a spirit of love and polite

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