to cause the people to be assembled, by legal authority, and an oath exacted from them, to maintain the forms of worship and standard of doctrine HE SHOULD PRESCRIBE; and that every one who refused, should be utterly disgraced, and, perhaps, liable to be banished? Would you like it? Would you think it fine times? -Thus did Calvin in Geneva.

If, by the doctrines of the Reformation is meant, that Christ died only for the elect, that all men deserved endless punishment for Adam's sin, independent of their own conduct, and that all men, aside from their inclination, are unable to obey God, the expression is evidently and hugely false. These were not the doctrines of the reformers, or, at least, but a very small portion of them, when compared with the whole. The phrase, at best, is a vague unmeaning one, and derives its chief value from its effect on prejudice and ignorance; and that is the reason why it is adopted as a diplomatic term of trigonism. The people borrow it from the priest, and many as profound an ignoramus as walks the street, will be heard to say, when he retires from the sermon, "Ah! this is the language of the fathers; so they preached in the days of the Reformation."

It ought to be the joy and glory of an American divine to preach the doctrines of a much later reformation than that in Germany;-doctrines which prevail in a nation whose religious tenets are not shackled by "bands of iron and brass,” forged by civil magistrates, at the instigation of some haughty pontiff;-doctrines which prevail, when it is no longer thought a miracle for a man to rise above the more than Babel confusion of school logic, or the wonderful flights of peripatetic philosophy.

Reader, is it wonderful, is it incredible, that the first nation on earth which has been able to perceive the rights of mankind, both civil and religious-the first nation since the grand apostasy that has exonerated the church from the alluring and destructive influence of civil power-the first nation that has restored the soul of man to freedom, and invited him to free inquiry in the grandest of all concerns-I say, is it incredible, that such a nation should make some progress in the discovery of truth? Or, must we go back to the days of intolerance, of ignorance, of persecution? Must we go back to the first crude vision of

early twilight, where no shadow is distinct, because there is no sunshine, and there fix the standard of truth, which no subsequent light is to improve-before which all evidence is to be veiled, and all inquiry to cease, for ever?

The progress of light and knowledge in our own country is scoffed at and abused by these men; it is treated in a manner which ought to excite the pity and indignation of every friend to his country, and must be regarded by Christ himself as the blackest ingratitude.

This incessant driving back to the days of the reformers, to the discerning eye, fully develops their object. It is to leave the people nothing to do; to extinguish, at one stroke, all inquiry after truth, which, according to them, is scarcely to bet found in any thing but the barbarous Latin folios of the sixteenth century, which few of the people, and, in fact, not many of their teachers, can read. I ask, whether it would not be more honourable, more dignified, more like ministers of Christ, for them to urge that they preach the doctrines of the gospel, the doctrines of Christ and his Apostles? But, Ah! they know better: that would not be so safe; would not answer their purpose so well; would be more liable to detection; would not be so true; although it is not a fact very easily made out, that they preach the doctrines of any one of the reformYet it is an assertion which few of their hearers can contradict-an assertion which fills the ignorant with great veneration.

ers.

2. Their preaching is not calculated to excite inquiry. They say, they preach the doctrines of the Reformation; but what do they preach? A triangle! They dwell for ever on a few leading points, almost without variety of discussion. A congregation may hear them eternally; and never be wiser. If men are not selfish by nature, when proselyted or converted by their preaching, they come out daring advocates for selfishness. Their three grand doctrines paralyze reason, quiet the conscience, extinguish all endeavour after an amendment of life, or to obtain God's favour, and make out a religion independent of the heart or intellect. There is nothing in sin or holiness but imputation; the sinner is condemned and punished for im

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puted guilt, made holy, justified, and saved, by imputed righteousness. His eternal destiny to misery was sealed prior to his own actions; and the religion to which he is restored, and in which he is eternally to stand, has no regard to his own moral actions. His religion is faith, and faith is independent of reason, prior to love, distinct from good works, and is a divine principle.

Their preaching to the unregenerate world is lamer than Mephibosheth, who was lame on both his feet; blinder than Bartimeus, who was born blind,* and weaker than Samson shorn of his seven locks. They cannot convince a soul of sin, because Adam had done his work for him almost six thousand years ago. They cannot preach the gospel to every one, because Christ did not die for every one, and there is no propitiation for every one. They cannot make a soul perceive his gilt for not embracing salvation, even if provision were made 2: n, because they tell him he is, in every sense, unable to d'ami

aren they sometimes get on the subject of love or charity, they often become so eloquent, and work their hearers up into such a flame, that they could almost tear down the houses of those that do not admire the doctrine as much as they do; at any rate, would drive them out of the city if they could. With regard to loving our neighbour as ourself, however, they are very guarded; and a great divine has lately given a remarkably fine turn to that precept. He says, instead of loving God with all our heart, and our neighbour as ourselves, that the law of God required that a "man should love God with unceasing solicitude, and his new bour as extensively and forcibly as the peculiar design of the Jewish economy, and the peculiar character of the Jewish people, would permit." How ingeniously turned !

Reader, where these doctrines prevail there is no inquiry after truth; for as the tenets naturally extinguish all inquiry and investigation, the more shrewd and discerning well know, that candid and fair investigation would, infallibly, result in dissent. Hence,

None are so blind as those that will not see, † Romeyn's Sermons, vol. I. p. 105.

3. Various arts are used to prevent inquiries and investigations of a doctrinal nature. I speak of what has been done, and is now doing, in this city.

What books do they recommend, or, in plain English, allow their people to read? Very few-few indeed! When they go into a house, perhaps, they are not alarmed if they see Hervey's Meditations lying on a lady's table. And, with all my heart, let them read it. Its beautiful descriptions and elegant style, though, perhaps, sometimes a little turgid, and laboriously ornamented, render it an interesting book; and, in general, it is very innocent, while a vein of piety runs through it. Marshall and Owen will do exceedingly; are Antinomian enough for the triangular landlord. What would they say if they should see Edwards, or Hopkins, or Bellamy, or Emmons, on the table? Or, perhaps, some of Andrew Fuller's works, or the Triangle? And the good lady, if she were reading them in earnest, blush, if not tremble. Not many years ago, several of gentlemen pretended to be highly exasperated, because a seller in this city published Bellamy's True Religion Delicated. Some were really in great wrath, and talked very big about it, and seemed as if almost determined to prosecute the publisher.

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A few of their people have heard there is such a book as Marshall on Sanctification, and, perhaps, one in a hundred have seen it; but, alas, the support of their plan has no dependence on books, on reasoning, on inquiry, on discussion! Like the fern, it grows on heaths and commons, where there is no soilin solitudes, where the implements of tillat are never used; or, perhaps, like a well-known plant whi ground, and if exposed to the light of the sun, its fruit will blast. But I hasten to observe,

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4. Care is taken to keep a host of prejudices continually awake against all modes and forms of inquiry. If a man comes, by chance, into their pulpits, and preaches a sermon leading to inquiry, and there are certain trains of reasoning eminently calculated for that end, they frown upon it, and put it down, even though they may chance to approve the arguments advanced. They have a certain slang about metaphysics which all their people well understand. "This is well enough," say

they, "for that matter, but this carnal reasoning, this metaphysical hair-splitting, does not savour of the gospel; I would rather hear something about Christ." Nothing was ever more artful, and nothing was ever more hypocritical. The holy and glorious Redeemer himself is made the stepping-stone of ambition, and he that came a light into the world, to enlighten every man, is made to overshadow and obscure his own doctrines.

As they allow the preaching of others to open no source of instruction, and lead to no examination—as in their own sermons they trace round and round the triangle, till every stated hearer knows, at the reading of the text, what side or what angle is coming, so neither in their conversation do they lead to a single avenue of light. In private conversation, they affect great holiness and authority. They often make some ignorant gaper believe, that they can pierce the veil and see things unutterable. They talk about knocking boldly at heaven's gate-about demanding of God this and that favour; and of "keeping Christ to his word." But, withal, they take care to be very mysterious and mystical, and while, to the purbiind catechumen, their faces often shine like that of Moses from the mount, the poor fellow is so dazzled, bewildered, and perhaps enraptured, that he has little thought of asking questions, or clearing up difficulties, and perhaps no purpose can enter his mind, in those awful moments, but that of seizing hold of the skirt of this great saint, and not letting go till he gets beyond the gulf.

As for doctrinal discussions and inquiries among the people, they are not encouraged-they are put quite out of fashion. When they happen to meet, it is rather recommended to them to talk about experimental religion; to wit, feelings which neither they nor their masters ever had. Far be it from me to say they never felt experimental religion; I hope otherwise; but the feelings of a man's heart pay no regard to the prejudices of his understanding, or the absurd theories of his brain. Bread and beef are bread and beef, and look and taste alike in all countries, though they may be called by very different names. The genuine feelings of religion in a mind where gross selfishness is professed, and the grandest trait of the gospel, even universal