their agreement in the essential truths of Chris tianity. Moreover, by the force of temptation, or the peculiar circumstances in which men are placed, they may, for a time at least, incline to dangerous errors. Still when the essential doctrines of the Gospel are fairly exhibited, it is believed, not that good men will necessarily rank themselves under one denomination, and all become Presbyterians, or Congregationalists, or Episcopalians, or Baptists; but that they will harmonize in those essential truths.

Jesus Christ has himself furnished ground for this belief. To some of the unbelieving Jews he said, If any man will do his (i. e. the Father's) will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God.* In another place, he told them, with great plainness, that the cause of their unbelief was an alienation of heart from the spirit of divine truth; affirming moreover, that those who, in heart, are conformed to the divine character, will receive the truth. He that is of God, heareth God's words. He makes a direct application of the consequence to those who rejected his doctrines. Ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.f

If the foregoing remarks are just, (and it will be admitted that those which are quoted from the words of Christ are so) they will prove that Heresy, or dangerous error, has its origin in one source, and that is a heart which is not † John viii. 47.

* John vii. 17

reconciled to the Gospel terms of salvation.When the governing disposition of the heart is opposed to any truth, men will endeavor to evade its force and meaning; and sometimes the most slight pretences serve to uphold them in opposition. In the ordinary transactions of human life, experience evinces, that it requires greater force of evidence to gain the assent of men to that which is opposed to their preconceived views and prejudices, than would be necessary to carry conviction where there is no previous opposition. When doctrines are exhibited which strike at the root of their gov erning passion, whether it be pride or lust, the passion must itself be brought under subjection, before men will yield to the truth. If there be in man an evil heart of unbelief, which does not accord with the humiliating terms of the Christian dispensation, there is no wonder why those truths, which make the Gospel essentially different from every other system of religion,. should be rejected..

There is a system of doctrine, which has been generally called orthodox; not that any set of men have assumed this distinction; but it has been used, as a distinctive term, by the opposers as well as the friends of the system. The articles which pertain to the orthodox faith, are often, and with propriety, called the doctrines of Grace. These doctrines are exhibited, in order, in the thirty-nine articles of the Church of England, and in the Westminster Confession of Faith. These, we shall sec, were the doctrines of the Reformation.

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. They, who embrace this system, believe that our race, though originally created upright, have become universally depraved; and destitute of any degree of true holiness, previous to a renovation by Grace. They believe the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, as a truth clearly taught in the Scriptures; and absolutely necessary, in order that he may be a proper object of faith, and a competent person to make atonement. They believe, moreover, that God, of his merc pleasure, from eternity, chose some of the human race to holiness, and eternal life

that whom he thus chose from eternity, he calls effectually, in time, by his Spirit, renews. in them a holy temper, and by the same Spirit, applies the atonement to them, and seals them to the day of final redemption. Believers are consequently justified, and made accepted through the atonement...

The general statement of the orthodox scheme which has here been given, may be summed up in these few words: That mankind have destroyed themselves; but their salvation is wholly of God: and therefore they are saved in a way which excludes every occasion of Loasting. Let the reader keep this general. truth in view, and consider it as the sum of that scheme which is called orthodox. Let him. examine it in all its relations; for if this Le admitted, it may be proved, that the doctrines which are here stated, result from it as its unavoidable consequences.. If our salvation be wholly the work of God, it must appear ex. ceedingly evident, that the plan also, by which

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believers are saved, was of his own contrivance -He not only knew whom he would save, but chose them to holiness and everlasting life, and appointed the means by which they should come to that knowledge of the truth which will issue in salvation. If our salvation be of God, he must determine, at some time, whom he would save; and as in his mind there is no variableness nor shadow of turning, he must have determined who should be the heirs of salvation from eternity. To assert the contrary, we must say that God acts without design, which is inconsistent with the character of an intelligent being: much more is it inconsistent with the character of HIM who is the Source of intelligence.

Again, if mankind have ruined themselves, it is evident that they need a divine influence, to raise them up from this state of ruin, to that holiness without which they cannot have com munion with God in his kingdom of glory; and, if their salvation be of God, the conclusion is unavoidable, that he calls those, whom he chose, by an effectual influence, out of darkness into his marvellous light, and renews in them that divine image which they have lost.

But if the human race have ruined themselves by transgression, justice requires satisfaction. in their condemnation. How can they be saved? Will repentance be accepted as an atonement for past offences? Repentance is no atonement; and if God should remit the

sentence without a satisfaction, he would not be manifested as the righteous Governor of the world. Hence results the necessity, that ONE, who is competent to make complete atonement, should interpose, take our nature upon him, magnify the law and make it honorable, that God may consistently pardon the returning sinner, and reinstate him in the privileges and blessings which he has forfeited:

This is expressly exhibited as the end of the Savior's mission. It is said of believers, that they are justified freely of Grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare (or manifest) his righteousness, for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; to declare his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. Therefore, those who were chosen, in Christ, before the foundation of the world, are effectually called, in time; the redemption is applied to them; and they are justified and made accepted in the Beloved. It is equally evident, if salvation be of God, that whom he chose to salvation, called, and justified, he will keep by his power; and not one of them will fail of eternal life.

Thus it appears, that those leading doctrines which pertain to the orthodox system, are the natural consequences of the general propo

* Rom. iii. 24, 25, 26.