actions may remain; but surely he has lost the ability which was the result of the union of the two powers.

To illustrate this idea, let us recur to the distinction made between the divine attributes of the Supreme. His natural attributes constitute his power to do natural actions, or actions corresponding to these perfections: his moral attributes constitute his ability to do moral actions, or to do all in a right and holy manner. Now, (if the reverence due to his glorious majesty will allow the supposition,) let us suppose the Deity deprived of his moral, while he retains his natural, attributes, what would be the result? Manifestly this: He would still possess the power of doing natural actions, but he would be destitute of power to do moral actions. He would be capable of astonishing the universe by displays of omnipotence, and of confounding his creatures by terrible exhibitions of grandeur; but he would be incapable of acting in that holy and just, good and merciful, benevolent and lovely manner, in which our God invariably acts, and by which he attaches to himself the heart of every intelligent creature that wears his image. To affirm that such a Being had ability to do moral actions, would be a gross violation of correct language.

The case of man is parallel. When originally created, he was endowed by his Creator with natural ability to do natural actions, and with moral ability to do moral or holy actions; but by his apostacy he was deprived of the latter, though not of the former and to assert, that man, in his lapsed state, possesses ability to act in a holy, merely because he retains the power of acting in a natural, manner, is indeed absurd, and setting aside the use of moral power altogether. While his heart remained pure and uncorrupted, he had both the power of speech, and the power of speaking in a holy way, by using his tongue to the glory of its Maker; but when his heart became polluted with sin, he lost the latter, though he retained the former, power: he could still do the natural action, but he could not do it in a holy manner; he could use his tongue in speaking, but he could not use it, as duty requires, to the glory of God.

With this illustration the language of our Confession of Faith perfectly accords. "Man by his fall hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation; so as a natural man, being altogether averse from that which is good, and dead in sin, is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself or to prepare himself thereunto." Chap. ix. Sect. 3. And, what is more important, the statement harmonizes with the language of Holy Scripture, as will appear from the texts cited in support of this article in our Confession : and as several of them have already been used in the course of this essay, we shall here quote only one: "The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be."*

In a recent publication, which maintains that sinners have ample power to love God, and full ability to do his will, the author explains his meaning thus: "But the ability which is ascribed to them ought to be distinctly explained. It is a natural ability in distinction from a moral. By moral I mean that which has relation to praise or blame :" and by natural he must mean that which bears no relation to praise or blame. Here, then, he exhibits the nature of this full ability. It is an ability which bears no relation to praise or blame; and yet this is full ability to do a work which, in the highest sense, bears relation to praise! What a correspondence between the nature of the work and the nature of the power!

But where shall we find this ability? In what part of human nature is it seated? Is it the understanding, or the will, or the heart, or all combined? It can be neither of these faculties, nor can it consist in the united force of all; because all these faculties bear relation to praise and blame, and we are accountable for the exercise of them. We are not blameable in having an understanding: but we are blameable in having a blinded understanding. We are not blameable in having a will; but we are blameable in having a will opposed to the will of God. We are not blameable in having a heart; but we are blameable in having a hard and stony heart. In what then, does this

* Rom. viii. 7.

ability consist? In our bodily organs? Has the sinner full ability to love and serve God, because he has hands and feet, eyes and ears? Why, even these organs bear some relation to praise or blame, and may be used either "as instruments of righteousness unto God," or "as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin." Indeed, we do not know in what this writer places his full ability; and from his definition or explanation, we should despair of discovering in what faculty, either of body or mind, it is seated.

The same writer concludes his argument thus: "There is no difficulty in the way, but what you are to blame for,-none therefore but of a moral nature,-therefore no natural inability, -of course you must have natural power." Here is a show of argument. Let us examine it, and see if the author's reasoning will abide the test furnished by this syllogism. If the sinner's inability be moral, that is, blameable, the inference is just that it cannot be natural, that is, unblameable. So far the reasoning is sound. But is the conclusion logically drawn? If it is, then the term natural, in the conclusion, has precisely the same signification which it has in the premises: in the premises it means unblameable, and, consequently, in the conclusion it must mean unblameable. Let us then, give this explanation to the term in the conclusion, and it will read thus: "Of course you must have natural, that is, unblameable power!"

Once more we ask, Is it logical to infer from the want of one power the possession of another; or does it follow, because the sinner's inability is blameable, he must have unblameable power? Can you prove from the fact that a man has no disposition to relieve the wants of the poor, that he must have plenty of money? May be not be alike destitute of both? May he not have a hard, covetous, unfeeling heart, while he is poor in his outward estate?

In every view that has been taken of this subject, the language on which we animadvert appears incorrect; and we are constrained to conclude, that our brethren who use it, either do not express their own meaning, or inculcate an error,

But we may be asked, Do you deny the inability of sinners to be moral? We reply, If by that term be meant what is inexcusable, sinful, we certainly do not; and, it is presumed, nothing has been advanced in this discussion to countenance any idea of the kind. In this point we unite with those whose doctrine we condemn; and warmly inculcate the important truth, that the sinner has no excuse for transgressing a holy law, and being opposed in heart to his glorious Creator and rightful Sovereign. The law still presses on him its righteous demands in all their extent, notwithstanding his inability, and refuses to abate an iota in favour of the corruptions of his na

ture.

[To be continued.]

A PRESBYTERIAN.

REVIEW.

The Sabbath School Teacher's Monitor : Being the Substance of Two Addresses delivered to the Teachers of Great GeorgeStreet Sunday School, Liverpool, England; By the Rev. THOMAS RAFFLES: And Letters addressed to the Southwark Sabbath School Association, of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: published at the Office of the Religious Remembrancer, by John W. Scott, No. 36 North Sixth-Street. June, 1817.

FAMILIES are the fountains of society, and from them issue streams, which either refresh or pollute the nations of the earth. Existing families are nations in embryo. The heads of those families are now acting their part on the stage of life; -a few more scenes will bring their labours to a close; and they shall lie down in the dust to rise no more, till the heavens are on fire, and the elements melt. When they are gone, "instead of the fathers, will rise up the children” to occupy their places to proclaim from the pulpit "the unsearchable

riches of Christ"-to administer medicine to the diseases of the body to plead the cause of the oppressed in courts of justice; and all in their different spheres, to constitute "the nations."

The instrumentality of qualifying them for the different stations they are to occupy, belongs naturally to those who have been the instruments of their being; and upon them, in the first place, rests the obligation of instilling into their minds correct moral and religious sentiments. But the history of all nations, shows how lamentably parental instruction has been neglected, and how that neglect has resulted in the interruption of social order-the overthrow of wise political institutions-and the prevention of the progress of morals and civilization.

This neglect, and those results, have awakened the attention of Christians, Philanthropists, and Patriots, to the importance of communicating instruction to the young and rising generation-and an army of these have arisen to the help of the Lord, and of their country, against the mighty and evil effects of ignorance,-under the humble-but honourable name of Sunday School Teachers.

These persons began their operations in England, and they have multiplied their numbers, and extended their ranks and their labours, until myriads of children in Europe and America, who, but for them, would have grown up in ignorance, are now enjoying regular moral and religious instruction. And those labours have already changed the face of the moral world. It was a region of darkness, but light has broken in upon the gloom. It was an uncultivated wilderness, covered with briers and thorns: it now exhibits the regularity and fertility of a garden in which trees are growing and bearing fruit to the glory of God. It presented on the Sabbath, a spectacle peculiarly painful to the eye of him that feared God, and reverenced His commandments.-Groupes of children traversing streets and fields, profaning that great and venerable name, the Lord thy God, and casting contempt upon the institutions of His house. Now those children are collected in schools,