enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.'

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Therefore, whosoever heareth these my precepts, and doeth them, I will compare to a prudent man, who built his house upon the rock; for although the rain descended, and the rivers overflowed, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, it fell not, because it was founded upon the rock."

From all these passages compared and collectively considered, it is clear, that the proper evidence of a Christian character, is a humble, patient, meek, merciful, long-suffering, forgiving, obedient temper of mind.

Not

a syllable is said in the whole sermon about believing in any one of those articles of contention, which partizans in religion have denominated the essential articles of faith; and which have occasioned so much schism, clamour, and reviling, among the different professors of religion.

It is natural to infer from these passages, that such faith in the Lord Jesus, as constitutes a Christian, is not a mere assent of the mind to the truth of any mysterious doctrine; but such a reliance on him, as disposes us to obey his precepts, and to imitate his examples.

It is moreover evident, that it is another and a greater thing to be a Christian indeed, than many people imagine. It is not enough to say, Lord, Lord; but we must do the things that he has commanded. It is not enough to give our assent to this or that

creed or confession of faith; but we must be of a temper to follow the Lord. It is not enough to speak good words; but we must be ready to every good work. It is not enough to show love to those who love us, or who are of our party in religion or in politicks; but we must exercise kind affections to all, even to our enemies, and do good to all as we have opportunity.

Christ died not for a party, but for all. He suffered for us, not to procure us a license to sin with impunity; but to redeem us from all iniquity, and to purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. It is not enough to believe that he died for us; but we must let the same mind be in us, which was also in him; and be ready, like him, to lay down our lives for the brethren, when in the course of Providence we may be called to make such a sacrifice. should be ready to die as martyrs, by the wrongs of others, rather than to do wrong, or to render evil for evil.

We

No faith, but that which "worketh by love, and purifieth the heart," and the practice, is of any value as a qualification for heaven. We may adopt any of the disputed articles of faith, whether true or false,-nay, we may contend for them with the zeal of Jehu, and still remain as destitute of the Christian temper as that being who believes there is one God, and trembles. So long as men shall regard Christianity as essentially consisting in a belief of any of the mysterious doctrines, about

which Christians have been divided; so long bitterness, wrath and clamour, contention, war and popular murder, will be esteemed as very consistent with the character of a Christian. But let it be properly understood and felt, that Christianity consists in a temper and practice conformable to the self-denying precepts and example of the Prince of Peace; then a new standard of excellence will be established; by which it will appear, that many things which are now highly esteemed among men," are emphatically an abomination in the sight of God." It may then be seen, that the wars between different sects of Christians, in which they have endeavoured to invalidate each other's integrity and reputation, have not been such glorious and praise-worthy exploits, as many have imagined; and

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that it is not very consistent with "the meekness and gentleness of Christ," for his professed disciples to meet each other in a field of battle, with the mutual purpose of butchery and murder.

Had our Saviour said, Happy is he who believeth this or that disputed doctrine; or, had he said, He who adopteth this or that contested article of faith, shall be likened to a man who built his house upon a rock; then his ministers might have acted consistently in making such an article the criterion of a Christian character. But, be it remembered, Christ has said, "Whosoever heareth these my precepts and doeth them, I will compare to a prudent man who built his house upon a rock;" and let none of his ministers be deterred from such preaching, through fear of being compared to Socrates or Plato.

In our number, for October, some account was given of an unhappy controversy in NewYork, between two classes of Christians, each of which claims the honours of orthodoxy. The motives for noticing this controversy in the Christian Disciple, have already been given. It will be remembered, that Investigator, the author of the Triangle, is an advocate for NewEngland orthodoxy, in opposition to the Calvanism of Dr. Mason and others, in the city of New-York. It is to be regretted, that this author indulged so much

asperity in his remarks. Had he written with more of the "meekness and gentleness of Christ," we should have had more pleasure in copying from his pamphlet. But all we do, in this affair, is for a warning to others; and, in this view, even the severity of Investigator may be useful; it may occasion others to be more guarded in remarking on the supposed errours of their fellow Christians. The pamphlet is divided into numbers; from several of which, some paragraphs will be given.

No. I.

Their scheme commences by teaching, that the whole human race are guilty of the sin of Adam, independently of, their own conduct, and for that sin are truly deserving of eternal punishment.

The doctrine of original sin, as just stated, is thus received by its advocates. It has descended from the lumber and trash of the dark times of ignorance and superstition, mysticism and bigotry. The great reformers did nobly, but they did not do every thing. They merit the approbation of men, and met with divine acceptance for what they did; and are certainly to be excused for what they omitted, in their great work. I speak as though the reformers held the doctrine of original sin according to the tenor of the preceding statement. Some of them did, others did not; and the truth is, that a candid examination of the sentiments of the fathers,-of the most learned and judicious divines in Europe before the reformation, and since, will show, beyond all dispute, that the above statement of the doctrine of original sin has never been the general or prevailing opinion of the Christian Church. Yet you shall hear it inculcated from Sabbath to Sabbath in many of our Churches, and swallowed down as a sweet morsel by many a gaping mouth, that a man ought to feel himself actually guilty of a sin committed six thousand years before he was born; nay, that prior to all con

sideration of his own moral conduct he ought to feel himself deserving of eternal damnation for the first sin of Adam. I hesitate not to say, that no scheme of religion ever propagated amongst men, contains a more monstrous, a more horrible tenet. The atrocity of this doctrine is beyond comparison. The visions of the Koran, the fictions of the Sadder, the fables of the Zendavesta, all give place to this:-Rabinical legends, Brahminical vagaries, all vanish before it.

The idea that all the numerous millions of Adam's posterity deserve the ineffable and endless torments of hell, for a single act of his, before any of them existed, is repugnant to that reason which God has given us, is subversive of all possible conceptions of justice. No such doctrine is taught in the scriptures, or can impose itself on any rational mind, which is not tramelled by education, dazzled by interest, warped by prejudice, and bewildered by theory.

This is one corner of the Triangle above mentioned.

No. II.

They teach, and strenuously insist, that all men labour under a true and physical incapacity to do any thing which God requires. To this total and universal inability, they deny all figurative or metaphysical import, and contend that men are as truly, and in the same sense, unable to obey the law of God, as they are to overturn the Andes, or drain

the ocean. What do we hear next? They turn immediately round, and exhort their hearers with great pathos, to do every thing which God requires, and denounce their disobedience as meriting eternal damnation.

Had I not already said, that their notion of original sin contained the most monstrous errour ever advanced in any scheme of religion, I should be tempted to say the same of this. But, says the advocate for these truly tremendous and detestable tenets, "This is Calvinism; and dare you dispute Calvin?" To which I reply, If Calvin believed in these doctrines, which we deny, he must have derived his light therein, for aught I know, from the flames of SERVETUS; indeed, they more resemble the light of infernal than celestial fire.

No. III.

We come to the third and last great point of their system of theology, which makes out the triangle, from which they do not depart. They tell you there is a remedy for a part of mankind; Christ has died for an elect number. They, and they only, enjoy an offer of salvation; and for them alone is provision made. On the contrary they plumply deny that Christ has tasted death for every man; they will by no means allow, that He is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world; they abhor the idea of going into all the world and preaching the gospel to every creature. They would tell you, that if they could distinguish who the elect

I will not undertake to say, that all the vices of the city are chargeable to the account of their errours; far from it; but I will undertake to say, that their doctrines are calculated, and tend to drive men to skepticism, deism, atheism, libertinism; nay, to madness. The rash and unwary man, that enters their assembly, is amazed to hear his assent challenged to propositions, from which his understanding revolts with horrour; assertions are arrogantly, as it were, crammed down his throat, which insult his reason. He is told he can do nothing, yet threatened with endless perdition for his neglect. He is condemned for a sin he never committed; commanded to do what he is told he cannot do; and exhorted to believe in a Saviour who never died for him. -But these teachers will tell him, for his consolation, "No

wonder you don't understand these truths, for they are evangelical truths, and you are a natural man; therefore, you cannot understand them." Wretched subterfuge! As wise and profound as if a man should say to me, that "two and two are fifteen, and it is only because you want mathematical skill, that you can't perceive it." Alas! what huge masses of flummery, falsehood, false doctrine; what immense cargoes of wood, hay and stubble, the lumber of speculation and fanaticism, are vended as evangelical truth, which the natural man cannot understand!

No. V.

But the most terrible argument, and which they keep always at hand, ready to dispense to weak and credulous people, is worthy of particular attention. When any one attacks their scheme, they immediately exclaim, "That man is not a Calvinist." As though Calvin and Christ stood on equal footing. This argument is intended to strike their adversaries dumb, and carry the world before it.

Could the decline of the Chris-, tian church be traced to its real causes; could the seeds of those fatal errours, the germ of those deep apostacies be discovered, which have spread ruin and darkness through Christendom, they would appear to lie in this, viz. a substitution of the authority of men for the word of God. Their language is, "That, indeed, is the word of God; but I am its expositor, and you must follow my Vol. IV. No. 12.

expositions." Hence have originated creeds, formularies, liturgies, confessions of faith, standards, bulls. But this is not their end. These creeds and standards are but ink and paper. They must have an expositor. One is at hand. These expositors "are the men, and wisdom shall die with them."

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No. VI.

When you rouse a nest of prejudices, especially those which are fortified by interest and popularity, you may be assured they will sting like wasps and hornets; nay, they would often 'sting their victim dead," had they power. This has been the true source of religious persecution. Love of truth never raised a persecution that frightful demon "is made of sterner stuff." It springs from ambition-a desire to govern the opinions of others and a religious ambition is by far the worst, the most rancorous, the most hateful and unreasonable specimen of its kind, that ever infested the world: it is a direct invasion of the rights of conscience-an atrocious and infamous invasion of the rights of God and man.

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For example, I have my own opinions concerning original sin, depravity, and atonement. Why should a man be angry with me, because I think for myself on these subjects? The love of truth renders men meek, amiable and candid; generous, affectionate, and condescending. Besides, who is to be the judge of truth? I have the same right to