say, that men ardently attached to these speculative notions, have never been found to be remarkably benevolent in their conduct. They are accused of sourness, bigotry, narrowness. I appeal to the eye of the public. Let every man judge for himself. There are certainly exceptions to this remark: but even numerous and splendid exceptions cannot impair a general rule.

Let the word selfishness be expunged from our language, because certain religious sectarians avow it to be right, yet do not relish the term on account of a popular odium attached to it :expunge also the word disinterested, partly because an unmeaning term, though Addison, Johnson, Watts, Tillotson, and Baxter, knew its meaning well, and thought it important and appropriate, when applied to certain actions; and partly because, if it mean any thing, its meaning is far too pure and lofty to be applied to fallen man :-expunge also the term virtue, because they say there is no such thing in either saints or sinners, and you will avoid much cause of offence to the advocates of these doctrines. But when you find a man avowedly selfish, never disinterested, and never virtuous, what sort of a man will he be? I answer, in religion he will be an Essene;-full of contemplation-high frames-heated zeal-lofty conceits-great confidence and much holier than others :-but he is as soon cold as hot. In the world, and in business, he is steady to his text;-selfish—never disinterested and not remarkably virtuous. Yes, he vibrates rapidly from the ardours of Vesuvius, to the chill of Greenlandburning or freezing whatever he touches. This is what I call an Antinomian.

The question is, how a religion of this complexion will affect the character, morals, and future welfare of this great city. A question of moment ;-a question in which religious teachers have some concern, since they are answerable for its effects. Foster has shown in his Essay, on that subject, why men of taste and learning are often found to despise religion. He says, it is because it is frequently obtruded upon their attention in a garb unsuitable to its character: and, I say, oftener because its lovely features are distorted-its glorious doctrines perverted-though, oftener still, because they are unfriendly to the carnal mind. If the officers sent to apprehend our Saviour, when they heard him,

cried out, "Never man spake like this man!"—the man of taste and learning, who hears these doctrines, will cry out in a similar manner, but with a different import.

Alas! I forsee the effects of the scheme; and I remark, in the last place,

6. If its most pious and devout followers derive from it an aspect unlovely and repulsive ;—if it obscure the beauties of religion, it will surely present no barrier to vice:—if it deform the poblest system of truth ever presented to the human mind, it will no less facilitate the advancement of dangerous errors, with progressive influence, and with the power of an extended lever. When Paul reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment, Felix trembled. There is a power in gospel truth to carry conviction to the heart, which shall influence men's conductwhich shall impose at least a partial restraint, though the work be not profound, and the reformation total and lasting. But it is the singular infelicity of these doctrines, not to impose, but to remove restraint; to promote pride, and not humility:-it is not the trumpet of alarm, but the deadly soporific potion, that lulls to security, inaction, and repose. Nothing but a consciousness of wilful neglect can awaken the mind to a sense of guilt:nothing but transgressions, far nearer home than Adam, points the soul to the dark avenue of perdition.

The extent and prevalence of the influences of these doctrines, in this city, is a proof that God intends to scourge it. They will not produce reformation. They will not stimulate people to good works; and as they sweep off all pretensions to moral virtue at one blow-all due consciousness of guilt, at another-all efforts to obtain salvation, at a third-they shut the book of God, and substitute for its dictates the expositions of a set of men who unblushingly profess to be selfish and interested in all they do.

I have hitherto taken no notice of the ulterior consequences of these tenets, or the influence they will exert on the eternal interests of mankind. I have considered religious institutions as a civil or political good. In this light I am concerned to percieve this unwholesome strain of public instruction gradually under, mining the main pillars of moral, consequently, of social virtue. INVESTIGATOR,

No. V.

I SAID the catechumens, admirers, and special flock of these teachers, had not the means of becoming thoroughly indoctrinated in the various subjects of revelation. They seldom go out of the triangle, unless it be by some of those fortunate self contradictions, in which they unconsciously stumble into the field of truth. They then sometimes speak well for a few minutes.

"Purpureus pannus qui splendeat unus et alter."

But these scattered, splendid patches, are not shades which heighten the beauties of a picture, but accidental lights which discover the terrors of a dungeon. There is another privation far more to be lamented than this. The throngs of people who statedly attend their instructions, are carefully prevented from imbibing any different system. Even in this land of liberty and free discussion, it is incredible with what success these practices are attempted. The people, for the most part, are persuaded, every man, to put on his own bandage about his eyes and ears. Those who would not readily do that, are effectually cut off from all access to light by other means. The bustle, business, and hurry of a great city, prevents thousands from taking time for much inquiry. As to books, they are good or bad, at once, according to the ipse dixit of Dr. Buckram, for who is so good a judge as he?— As to preaching, every preacher is eventually excluded from their pulpits, unless he is known to be a faithful disciple of their scheme; i. e. triangular-and their people are most assiduously dissuaded from going to other churches, even occasionally. If any one, who has by chance ascended one of their desks, happens to strike on a string which does not vibrate in unison with theirs, they are offended-they clamour, censure, inveigh; he is accused of gross indelicacy, and high presumption. But, as for them, they never quit their triangle, preach where they will, or when they may; nor do they fail to call to their aid whatever they can command of argument, satire, or ridicule.

I hope I shall not be thought censorious, but, however that

may be, I shall not refrain from the truth, which is unchangeable and immortal. These gentlemen, in manoeuvring, occasionally display two sets of colours. There needs no greater proof of this than the book before alluded to, on “general communion.” Had the author's pen been plucked from the wings of the graces, and dipped in the colours of the rainbow:-had the leaves of his book been composed of the flowers, and perfumed with the dews of Paradise, it could not have been a more charitable, loving, bland production. But is the man always so? Was he so when he expelled Mr. D from his seminary?

Who does he expect to allure to his arms by this gentle warbling on the soft tones of love and union? Surely, none of the mighty multitude of Christians composing three-fourths of that profession in the United States; for he bas cut them all asunder by one expulsion. Had they but one neck, he would serve them as Nero wished to serve the Romans, i. e. in an ecclesiastical sense. He has put them all into the "snare of the Devil," and declared them not to be endured, No, not for an hour. His book reminds me of the fabled songs of the Syrens:-but I suspect few will approach the rocks, for many know the voice.

These gentlemen, at certain times, and when in certain companies, have been heard to say, that "These differences of opinion, about doctrines, are more in words than ideas-that they are of small moment-ought not to interrupt the harmony of Christians--that, after all, we all think essentially alike," &c.-But, at other times, they speak a far different language: they cry out, "delusion!-heresy !-blasphemy!" And this is what I call two sets of colours, to be used as occasion may serve.

But their 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. The Mahometans seem to prefer Mahomet to Christ because he was nearer their own times: this may not be the case with those humble devotees to Calvin; but they regard

his authority as supreme and paramount. I am sorry to add, that, in this respect, there seem to be several little microscopic Calvins about this city, growing fast in strength and stature.

Could the decline of the Christian church be traced to its real causes; could the seeds of those fatal errors, 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 is, indeed, the word of God, but I am its expositor, and you must follow my expositions." Hence have originated creeds, formularies, liturgies, confessions of faith, standards, bulls. But this is not the 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." It is the invariable policy of ambitious men to keep one on the pinnacle of power and grandeur. They then have nothing to do but shove and clamber. But these men are far from doing as Calvin did. Calvin rose by his own energy and merit. These men are endeavouring to ascend the slippery steep on the merits and favour of Calvin.

It is, I believe, but four or five years since a number of wise heads were laid together to beat down and crush the errors of a set of men denominated Hopkinsians, who, by the by, follow Hopkins about as much as I wish to follow Calvin. What method did they take?—They employed a catspaw to write a book entitled THE CONTRAST. In the solemn trumpery of 500 pages there are a great many instances called up, in which these Hopkinsians are said to differ from Calvin; as though this was sufficient to condemn them. But in order to effect this dreadful work, this writer, or his masters rather, were obliged to get both Hopkins and Calvin on the rack, to garble, dissect, distort, and misrepresent many passages, in the most huge and flagrant manner. But no matter; many people were made to believe that Hopkins differed from Calvin ; and that was sufficient. If Calvin believed that a rat's tail was five inches long, and Hopkins asserted it was seven, it was abundant; "the Contrast" was clearly and ably made out; and Hopkins was in an error, though the rat's tail had never been measured.