Christian is not. Mr. Barker may differ from me with rega to the views I have stated in describing the faith of a Chri tian; but according to his oft-repeated and published stat ments, in tracts now lying before me, he admits that pe sons holding these sentiments are Christians. Those state ments he will not now deny. There is nothing, therefore, i any of the doctrines advanced by me, which, on Mr. Barker' own showing, un-Christianizes the man who holds them.Since, then, the question is," What is a Christian ?-and what are his principles ?" it becomes absolutely necessary to the existence of debate, that I should state what a Christian is not. I shall do this briefly-taking the Holy Scriptures for my guide. In his 1st epistle, 5th chapter and 10th verse, John declares, "He that believeth not God hath made him a liar because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son." Now it will be admitted at once that he who maketh God 66 a liar," is no Christian. Let us, then, apply this. First-one record which God has given of his Son, is, that he came in the flesh. He who believeth not that record of God, hath made him a liar. St. John says, in the 4th chapter of the same epistle, and the 1st verse,-"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world."Therefore he that denies that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is a deceiver, and not a Christian, according to the interpretation of the apostle John.

Another record which God gave of his Son, is, that he was born of a virgin. See the 1st and 2nd chapters of Luke, and the 1st chapter of Matthew. Mr. Barker disbelieves that doctrine; and therefore he, according to St. John's statement, makes God a liar; and he who makes God a liar is no Christian.

A third record of God concerning his Son is, that he was personally foretold that he was born in fulfilment of prophecies which related to him personally-that he was the Christ from his birth. Mr. Barker denies this record which God has given of his Son; and St. John says," He that believeth not God hath made him a liar." See Isaiah, chapter 7, verse 14: and the first two chapters of St. Matthew and St. Luke. My proofs of Mr. Barker's denial of this doctrine are in his own writings, which I shall subsequently bring forward.

The fourth record of God concerning his Son is, that he was without sin. Mr. Barker disbelieves this doctrine, and holds that the Lord of life and glory, merely "became a truly pious young man.' My proof that God bare this record of his Son is found in the 7th chapter of Paul's epistle to the Hebrews, 26th verse:-"For such an High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made

higher than the heavens." My proof of Mr. Barker's denial is found in his own writings. See "The Christian," No. 19. The conclusion is inevitable.

The fifth record of God concerning his Son is, that "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John i. 1. In chap, xvii. 5, this apostle says that Christ was with the Father before the world was, and therefore asserts his pre-existence: "And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.' Mr. Barker disbelieves this record, and maintains that the Saviour of the world had no existence prior to the birth of his human nature. The apostle John says, "He that believeth not God hath made him a liar." Mr. Barker, I repeat, disbelieves this statement. What is the inference?

The sixth record which God bare concerning his Son is, that he is God. Take the three first verses of St. John's gospel. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made." Mr. Barker disbe-lieves this doctrine, and asserts that Christ was only a man, or, to use his own words, "a simple man." Now, he that believeth not God hath made him a liar: and Mr. Barker disbelieveth that statement of God's word.

The seventh record which God gave concerning his Son is, that his death was a propitiation, or an atonement (and I am free to use the word atonement, and shall stand by it if required)-an atonement for our sins. "Jesus Christ, whom God hath sent forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus." Rom. iii. 25, 26, This doctrine Mr. Barker also disbelieves.

All these points relate to Mr. Barker's great principle, that 'a Christian is one who believes Jesus to be the Christ, and submits himself to his teachings." This is the principle which I have to grapple with, and which I mean to grapple with; and I mean to employ the knife, and shall dissect it to its very core. I shall expose its fallacy and debate it foct by foot throughout this discussion. I confine myself, at present, to the doctrines which relate to the person, nature, and work of Jesus Christ, and I do this, because Mr. Barker's definition of Christtian faith has respect only to one object, viz., to Jesus Christ... At present, therefore, I confine myself to these subjects. Mr. Barker will excuse me if I request him to do the same; and when we have gone through our observations with regard to the person and work of Christ, we can proceed to other topics..

In reference to the Holy Spirit and Holy Trinity, we can proceed to them on subsequent evenings of the discussion. The topic now before us affects the nature and person of Christ, to which Mr. Barker's definition of a Christian has reference. I do not expect him to go through all in one evening: but I call upon him to enter upon the first charge relative to the miraculous conception. He states that the man is a Christian who believes Christ to be the Messiah. I say no man is a Christian while he denies that fact which appears in the first pages of the New Testament-which is the very first fact taught by the evangelist Matthew-and which is taught also in the first chapter of St. Luke. I have nearly exhausted my time. Perhaps I have a few minutes.

DR. LEES :-Exactly eight minutes.

MR. COOKE:-Then I shall just take the opportunity of reading over the "article" in Mr. Barker's pamphlet, to which I have especially referred, which I hold to be unchristianwhich I am prepared to prove is unchristian—and which, if God gives me health, (unless I have mistaken the truth of God,) I will prove to be so. What I am now about to read is entitled as I have said, "The Article;" and I find it in the 19th number of "The Christian."

"I believe that Jesus was born and made as we are; that he was made in all respects like unto his brethren. I believe that he was the son of Joseph and Mary, born in honourable wedlock. I do not believe in the story of the miraculous conception; I believe it is a fiction. I do not believe that Matthew wrote the account of the miraculous conception; I believe the story was added to his gospel after his times. I believe that the gospel of Matthew began originally at what is now the third chapter; that it began like Mark's gospel with the account of John the Baptist. I believe that Jesus was as liable to sin as other children. I do not believe that Jesus, when born, or while a child, differed from other children at all. I do not believe that he was the Christ when he was born; nor do I believe that it was fixed that he should be the Christ till after he had proved himself, by his devoted piety, a suitable person for the work of the Messiahship. I believe that Jesus, at first, was just on a level with the rest of mankind, and liable both to the common imperfections and failings of his brethren. I believe that he became a truly pious young man, and that on account of his piety, God chose him for the great and glorious work of forming a new church, of founding a new and spiritual kingdom. I believe that God first tried him, and proved his fidelity and constancy, and that when he found him true and firm in his purposes, anointed him with the Holy Spirit, gave him powers and instructions to fit him for his work, and then sent him forth as the in

structor, the regenerator, the governor, the Saviour of mankind. I do not believe that Jesus was foretold as an individual, or that Jesus was born in fulfilment of any prophecy. To me it seems that what was foretold was a prophet like unto Moses, a Teacher, a King, a Saviour, and that the prophecies respecting the Messiah would be fulfilled by the appointment of any suitable good man to the work of teaching, reforming, and saving mankind.

"I do not think that God would have been thwarted in his purposes, if Jesus had proved unfaithful. I believe that if, when Jesus was tried, he had failed, God would have laid him aside, and chosen some other person. No one can say that God had not tried others before he tried Jesus, and found them wanting. No one can say that he did, but no one can say that he did not. I do not believe that there was any danger of Christ failing, after God had sent him forth as the Messiah. I believe that God had tried him sufficiently before he appointed him to the Messiahship, to know that he was sufficiently firm, that he was sufficiently fixed and established in righteousness to be safely entrusted with the important office of the Messiahship.

"I do not believe that God from the beginning foreknows any man's character. I believe that when a child is first born into the world, God no more knows whether it will be good or bad, faithful or unfaithful, righteous or wicked, than the parents of the child themselves. I do not believe that the character, the faithfulness or unfaithfulness of a child can be foreknown. I believe that God can only learn what men will be, or whether they will continue righteous or wicked, by trying or proving them. Of course, I do not believe that God foreknew what the character of Jesus would be before Jesus was tried. I do not believe that Jesus was the supreme God. I do not believe that he was God the Son. I believe that Jesus was at first a simple, a perfect, a proper man. I believe he was just such a person, just such a man, as his brethren. I do not believe that Jesus existed before his conception and birth of Mary, any more than that other men existed before their conception or birth. I do not believe that any passage of Scripture proves that he existed before he was conceived or born. I believe that God dwelt in Christ, but I believe that the God that dwelt in him was God the Father, the only God there is. I believe that Christ had unparalleled wisdom and power, but I believe that he received them from God his Father. I believe that Christ received all he had from God, I believe that he received his very life and being from God. I believe that God was his Creator or Father, as truly as he is our Creator or Father. I do not, however, believe that Jesus was the son of God in no higher sense than we are."

Here Mr. Cooke was interrupted by a remark of "Time is up ;" and he immediately resumed his seat.

MR. GRANT-I beg leave, on behalf of Mr. Cooke, to thank the audience for the attention with which they have heard him; and especially for the very slight manifestation of feeling which has been evinced. I hope the same conduct will be observed towards Mr. Barker, and throughout the discussion.

DR. LEES :-I feel very much pleasure that hitherto we have proceeded in that excellent spirit which ought to distinguish every discussion of an important subject. I have now the pleasure of calling upon Mr. Barker to defend his positions and I trust, in common with Mr. Grant, that he will receive from you that attention which has been rendered to Mr. Cooke. And I may also say, that it is desirable, and the wish of Mr. Barker, and of his Committee, that no expression of applause or of disapprobation should be connected with his remarks. If such conduct be faithfully observed by you, it will not only be an acquiescence in the wishes of the Chairmen and others, but passion will be kept down, and judgment be the better exercised. (Hear, hear.)

MR. BARKER then proceeded.-Respected Chairmen and Friends,-I stand before you as the advocate of a pure and unadulterated Christianity. My only object is to promote the glory of God in heaven, and the welfare of mankind on earth. You are all aware that I have frequently been denounced as a heretic, an infidel, and a blasphemer. Many of the views which I hold and advocate have been represented as utterly anti-Christian, unscriptural, tending to subvert and destroy men's souls. I am wishful to state my views on a number of great points; and to lay before you my reasons for holding and for advocating them. And I am wishful that when you have heard this statement of my views, and pondered on what I have to advance in their favour, you should judge for yourselves, in the fear of God, and in the love of truth, and with a strict regard to the sacred oracles, to the teachings of Jesus Christ as contained in the Scriptures, whether those denunciations have been deserved; whether I am a heretic, an infidel, and a blasphemer; or whether I defend the truth as taught by Jesus Christ.

I have nothing to ask from this audience, but a patient and