correct moral habits, and it is to be feared that not a few of them are in the church, who have long been in doubt about experimental religion, the new birth, as it is taught in the Scriptures, and other connected subjects, and about all extraordinary and vigorous efforts to promote the cause of God at home and abroad. Nothing strengthens their doubts so much as the things of which I have been remarking.

8. These things are the fruitful occasion of sneers, and ridicule, and blasphemy, among the grossly unprincipled and wicked. Condemnable as they be for their conduct, the occasion ought not to be given. But without enlarging further on these evils, let us inquire whether there are no remedies. It appears to me there are.

If the evils of hasty and extravagant accounts of the results of protracted meetings are many and great, such accounts ought to be withholden, most assuredly, from the public papers. The enumeration of supposed converts in times of seriousness, may be safely delayed until they make a public profession. Then it may be innocently and usefully said, that so many, or about so many souls were added to the church; and it will be happy if years afterwards it can be recorded in history; "And they continued steadfastly in the Apostle's doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread and in prayers." But as to the remedies:

1. The Christian public need to be told, that it is possible for excitements to be excessive in religion, as well as in politics, and in the affairs of the world. This should be told them, without giving countenance to mere speculative orthodoxy, and cold formality. There is a happy medium between wild fanaticism and death-like stupidity, marked by sobriety, gravity, simplicity, and godly sincerity, which ought to be pursued. Were the people generally well apprized of this, few would dare to originate and circulate such reports as have been disapproved in this paper. There would be an antidote for them in public sentiment.

2. Thorough, scriptural views of experimental religion, should be given. In the pure revivals at the commencement of the present century, great attention was paid to doctrine. In the seven protracted meetings, little, comparatively, was said on this subject. Some truths were inculcated; but those who heard the discourses over and over again, (for they were often repeated,) probably will admit that not much was said about Christ crucified, the dependence of sinners upon grace for salvation, and kindred subjects, nor about those exercises and duties, to which the beatitudes are assigned; exercises and duties which adorn private character, sweeten domestic life, and promote happiness in society, as well as entitle to the rewards of heaven. Such was the tenor of the instructions that the impression was extensively made, that it is an easy thing to be religious, and that regeneration is nothing more than a change of purpose. On these two points, a few observations may be useful.

As to the idea that it is an easy thing to be religious, it is contrary to the word of God, and to the experience of all his people. The exhortation to "strive to enter in at the straight gate," "to work out our salvation with fear and trembling," with numerous other similar exhortations, obviously imply that there are great difficulties in the way of attaining eternal life. "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, and the leopard his spots? Then may ye do good who are accustomed to do evil." If the difficulties beCh. Adv.-VOL. XII, 4 B

fore those classes of men directly referred to in these passages of Scripture, be greater than those before many others, they are still great in all instances. Who ever found it as easy to act against their natural reigning propensities, as to yield to them, being "drawn away by their own lusts and enticed?" to resist the course of this world, as to follow it? to be spiritual as to be earthly? to be disinterested as to be selfish? What Christian is ignorant of" the flesh lusting against the Spirit?"

As for the pretence that a change of purpose is a change of heart, Scripture facts, without going into any metaphysical reasoning, show the contrary. The people of Israel formed the purpose of being religious at Sinai, when they said, "all that the Lord hath spoken will we do;" but they did not fulfil it. They proposed to be religious at Carmel, when they shouted as fire came down from heaven and consumed the sacrifice of Elijah, "The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God;" but they hardly retained their seriousness until they returned to their dwellings. The disciples of John formed the purpose of being religious more deliberately. They were "baptized with the baptism of repentance, confessing their sins." Had John counted all these as converts, he might have proclaimed immense numbers. Instead of this, he told them to "bring forth fruits meet for repentance;" not to "think within themselves, we have Abraham to our father;" and to discharge faithfully the various duties incumbent upon them. He left it to be determined by their lives whether they were converts or not. And it is melancholy to reflect, that the mass of them proved to be hypocrites. "He was a burning and a shining light, and they were willing for a season to rejoice in his light," and there their religion generally ended. But, were a change of purpose a change of heart, all these persons at Sinai, Carmel, and Jordan, would have practised holiness to the end of their days, and secured salvation. Between this change and admission to the kingdom of heaven, there is an established and indissoluble connexion.

Whatever may be said about ability to do our duty, and about obligation, in point of fact, none do their duty and meet their obligation, without the Holy Ghost. The greatest of all teachers said to the unconverted, "no man can come to me, except the Father, who hath sent me, draw him." May we not warrantably utter the same truth, though some claiming to be disciples should say; "This is an hard saying, who can hear it?" and should go back and walk no more with Jesus? He said also to his true disciples, "Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing."

Were the truth clearly and harmoniously exhibited and understood, few would dare to count and proclaim men hastily converted, and they would not be willing to be thus converted and proclaimed. Without the application of given principles, we can arrive at no certain conclusion in the arts and sciences. Truth also is the standard by which characters are to be tried. "He that is of God, heareth God's word.” 3. The peculiar work of the Holy Ghost in the salvation of sinners, needs to be explained and realized in the religious community. Recently, men and measures have been exalted, and that blessed personage, who is the efficient author of all the holiness of this fallen world, has been dishonoured. Individuals and churches, favoured with the best instructions, have thought that sinners could hardly be born again,

and revivals of religion promoted, unless preachers of a new and peculiar cast were introduced among them. The great fact has been comparatively little regarded, that no instrumentalities nor means, whether common or special, can be effectual, without the agency of the Almighty. Instead of thinking so much of men, we all need to think more of Christ, and of that Spirit which he has purchased for the sanctification of his people. "Who then is Paul? and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?" "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts."

The time has come, I apprehend, my brethren, in which an unusual responsibility rests upon us to keep the church, so far as our influence extends, pure in doctrine and pure in practice. The times in many respects are difficult; and we need, as the apostles did, to be wise and harmless. We need the presence and Spirit which the Saviour promised them when he ascended up on high. We are called upon to " contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints," but to contend with a right temper. While we cheerfully receive all ministers who come to us in a Christian manner, bringing with them the doctrines of the gospel, we have a warrant from inspiration for avoiding and rejecting those, who, by their sentiments, or measures, or manners, cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine we have learned" from the Bible. The angels and members of some of the Asiatic churches were reproved for suffering erroneous teachers to seduce numbers away from the truth and simplicity of the gospel. No principle of duty nor expediency can justify settled pastors in giving up the control of religious services in their congregations to strangers, nor to admit of questionable experiments. According to the constitution of the New Testament, the great duties of the ministry are to be performed by pastors, and the people are to look to them as their guides and teachers. If they cannot perform in given circumstances all the labour that is needed, it is far safer securing the temporary aid of known, tried and approved brethren in the immediate neighbourhood, than to send abroad after strangers. From their increased information, their instructions would probably be much more appropriate and happy. Ministers at a distance have work enough to do in their own churches and vicinity. It appertains to spiritual husbandmen to keep their own vineyards. They would be more likely than nearer brethren, to advocate the introduction of proceedings, which could not be kept up after their departure without alienation and strife, and there would be more delicacy in resisting their wishes. As for a class of ministers who hold themselves in a state of readiness to attend protracted meetings, and do not expect to settle, they are an anomaly in the institutions of the church. "My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that ye shall receive the greater condemnation." There is no class of persons who deserve more kindness and encouragement from ministers, and from the churches of the Redeemer, than modest, humble, devout, docile youth, who are looking forward, through a course of thorough preparation, for the sacred office. But different treatment is due to those forward, rash, superficially educated young men, who run before they are sent, and go where they are not desired. "A bishop must not be a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.”

My brethren, we are to "watch for souls as those that must give account." Next to the glory of God, and the general interests of reli

gion, we should be most solicitous for the prosperity of the churches with which we are connected. "Arise, O Lord, into thy rest; thou and the ark of thy strength. Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness, and let thy saints shout for joy.'

Review.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, IN MAY AND JUNE, 1834.

(Concluded from page 511.)

We are saved the trouble of replying to a number of the objections made to the Act and Testimony, by the solid answers these objections have received, from other writers. In addition, however, to what has appeared in our last No. we shall make a few remarks on some objections in the "Biblical Repertory and Theological Review," of October last.

"In the first place, (says the reviewer in the Repertory) this document has been perverted from its true and legitimate purpose, as a Testimony, into an invidious Test Act." The document, it is affirmed, has been perverted-We ask, by whom? If not by its authors and friends, they are not responsible-The Scriptures themselves are often perverted. In our judgment, this reviewer himself is the perverter of the Act and Testimony. He has given it a character, and imputed to it a design, that its framers never thought of. He charges the Act and Testimony with being an invidious Test Act: and we must say, that whether he deliberately intended it or not (for when the heart is full it often overflows, in a manner that its possessor is not aware of) the reviewer's whole argument, on this point, appears to us to be exactly of that character which logicians technically call argumentum ad populum. "Names are things," said the sagacious Mirabeau, when he recommended certain appellations, with a view to produce a great popular effect. A Test Act has long been a short sentence which, whenever uttered in the hearing of the descendants of the old Puritans and Presbyterians, has never failed to excite feelings of aversion and abhorrence. Only get these descendants to believe that the Act and Testimony now abroad in our church, is of the nature of a Test Act, and its condemnation is sealed at once. But it seems that it is not only a Test Act, but "a new League and Covenant." Yes, lest this appellation should not be sufficiently noticed by a single use, we have it twice in a page. Now the attempt to introduce a new league and covenant, in this country, can be associated with nothing but bigotry and weakness, as the characteristics of its authors. Such is the kindness and consistency of the reviewer, when speaking of a document, which he says, "it is impossible to read, without being deeply impressed with respect for the authors."

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But we affirm, and think we can prove to the satisfaction of all who are not blinded by prejudice, that the document in question has no resemblance to a Test Act, in the usual acceptation of that phrase, nor to a league and covenant," either new or old. It is simply a publication, intended by those who issued it, to ascertain how many ministers and elders in the Presbyterian church entertained the same views as themselves; without at all denouncing those who should not sign it, or subjecting them to any other consequence of a refusal, than the know

ledge, by the public, that they differed from their brethren, as to the propriety and necessity of this measure. The sixth article, under the title of "Recommendations to the Churches," stands thus-" We recommend that all ministers, elders, church sessions, presbyteries and synods, who approve of this Act and Testimony, give their public adherence thereto, in such manner as they shall prefer, and communicate their names, and when a church court, a copy of their adhering act." Agreeably to the clause which we have italicised, a large number, both of ecclesiastical bodies and individuals, have freely made their communications, according to the opinions and views that they severally entertained. A much larger number, we are glad to say, than we expected would do this, at so early a period, have communicated their adherence to the Act and Testimony, in an unqualified manner. A very considerable number, also, have communicated a qualified adherence -some adopting more, and some less, of the document in question. Many, likewise, who have made no formal communication, have declared, in the discussions that have taken place in the judicatories of the church, or by articles in the public prints, that they approve of certain parts of the Act and Testimony, while they cannot adopt or approve of it, as a whole.

Now, among all, or nearly all, who have taken these different methods of expressing their sentiments, the original signers of the Act and Testimony see brethren, whom they believe to be sound in the faith-many uniting with them fully, in thinking that the measures proposed in this paper, for securing soundness in the faith, and a restoration of constitutional order and discipline, in the Presbyterian church, are, in substance, the proper measures-measures which may indeed be modified, and which they hope will be modified, so far as they may need it, in the Convention expected to meet in May next, for this purpose, and for agreeing on what is proper and necessary to be further done, in prosecution of the one great object-the restoration of the Presbyterian church to its primitive principles and constitutional action. Öthers of these brethren, go only to a certain length, and there choose to rest for the present. Do we denounce them? Show us a word in the Act and Testimony that looks like it. Do we exclude them from our charity or our fellowship? By no means. Whoever asserts it slanders us. Nay, we believe, that there is, beside all to whom we have yet referred, a host of peace men, moderate men, or by whatever other designation they would like best to be known, who are sound in the faith, and who would be right glad, if the Presbyterian church were now what it once was. But they do not think that the Act and Testimony proposes the best method of arriving at the object, which both they and we sincerely desire to reach. Do we denounce these brethren as heretics? Do we say that they ought to be suspected? No such thing. We say the very contrary. We say that in doctrine and wishes they are with us. We reckon much on this; we ground on this fact much of our hopes that our church will be reformed, without an injurious schism. But in one thing we do differ, and differ widely. These peace men, and moderate men-we do not use the appellations invidiously, but because we know of none better or more agreeable to themselves-think that our church may be restored to soundness and order, by other measures than those adopted and recommended by the signers of the document which they dislike. They think that the object in view may be obtained by writing in favour of orthodoxy, by using private influence in its favour, and by resorting to