and that there can be no proper foundation for religious addresses to Jesus, nor of gratitude for favours now received, nor yet of confidence in his future interposition in our behalf." How all this can be made to consist with the divinity of Christ, the wit and metonymical adroitness of others must determine. They deny also the personality and agency of the Holy Spirit. The distinct, personal existence of the Holy Spirit, (says Mr. Belsham,) is abandoned by every person who has paid much attention to the phraseology of the Scriptures." Dr. Ware, on the part of Cambridge University, in his answer to Professor Wood, denies the eternity of future punishment. In short, the principle upon which they explain Scripture is the same as that upon which Deists construct their system. They take the Bible just as far as it corresponds with their notions of propriety, and no farther The Deists do not object to the same. This principle of exegesis by which they explain the Scriptures, has led almost all the Unitarians of Germany into open infidelity, and it is working the same effect in this country. In fact, Mr. Belsham, speaking of the Deistical philanthropists of France, says, "their professed principles comprehend the essence of the Christian religion." And this congeniality is abundantly manifested in the fact, that in every place where the Unitarian standard is raised, almost every Deist in the vicinity rallies around it, glad to find a system prepared for them in which they can be Christians on their own terms. No argument can be more conclusive against any system pretending to be drawn from the Bible, than that it is thus found to harmonize with the views, the feelings, the conduct, and the hopes, of such people as generally are found ready to swell the ranks of Unitarianism. Where the pure Gospel is preached, it will be the power of God unto salvation, to Deists and ungodly men among others; but then they must leave their infidelity and ungodliness, and renounce their lusts. Until they do this, they will hate the light that comes to enlighten them. That they still continue in their infidelity and their sins, and yet approve the gospel that is preached to them, is proof demonstrative, that it is another gospel than that of a crucified Saviour. And in that case, the Apostle tells us that, "if any man preach any other gospel, let him be accursed," "go ye not after them, for many will come (says our Lord,) saying lo, here is Christ, or there, insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Go ye not after them. Bid them not God speed, for he that biddeth them God speed, is partaker of their evil deeds."b CHAPTER VI. ON ORIGINAL SIN. "ORIGINAL sin," says the 9th Article of the Church, "is the fault and corruption of the nature of every man, that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam, whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil, so that the flesh lusteth always contrary to the Spirit; and therefore, in every person born into this world, it deserveth God's wrath and damnation. And this infection of nature doth remain, yea, in them that are regenerated; whereby the lust of the flesh, called in Greek, góvnua dagxòs, which some do expound the Wisdom, some Sensuality, some the Affection, b Matthew xxiv. 23; 2 John vii. 10, 11; Gal. i. 8, 9. some the Desire of the Flesh, is not subject to the Law of God. And although there is no condemnation for them that believe and are baptized; yet the Apostle doth confess, that concupiscence and lust hath of itself the nature of sin." The Catechism of King Edward, which was one of the works of the Reformers, gives the following statement of this doctrine: " And forthwith the image of God was defaced in them, and the most beautiful proportion of righteousness, holiness, truth, and knowledge of God, was in a manner confounded and entirely blotted out. There remained the earthly image joined with unrighteousness, guile, fleshly mind, and deep ignorance of godly and heavenly things. Hereof grew the weakness of the flesh, hereof came this corruption and disorder of lusts and affections, hereof came that pestilence, and hereof came that seed and nourishment of sins whereby man is infected; and it is called sin original. Moreover, thereby nature was so corrupted and overthrown, that unless the goodness and mercy of God had helped us by the mediation of grace, even as in body we were thrust down into all wretchedness of death; so must it needs have been that all men of all sorts, should be thrown into everlasting punishment and fire unquenchable." And thus also the Homilies. Treating on the misery of man, they say, "Scripture shutteth up all under sin, that the promise by the faith of Jesus Christ should be given to them that believe." St. Paul in many places painteth us out in our colours, calling us "the children of the wrath of God, when we be born:" saying also that we cannot think a good thought of ourselves, much less can we say well, or do well of ourselves. "For of ourselves we be crab trees, that can bring forth no apples. We be of ourselves of such earth, as can bring forth weeds, nettles, brambles, briars, darnel, and cockel. Our fruits be declared in the fifth chapter of Galatians. We have neither faith, charity, hope, patience, chastity, nor any thing else that good is, but of God; and therefore these virtues be called there the fruits of the Holy Ghost, and not the fruits of man. Let us therefore acknowledge ourselves before God (as we be indeed) miserable and wretched sinners. And let us earnestly repent and humble ourselves and cry heartily to God for mercy. Let us all confess with mouth and heart that we be full of imperfections: let us know our own works of what imperfections they be, and then we shall not stand foolishly and arrogantly in our own conceits, nor challenge any part of justification by our merits or works." To these quotations it will be necessary to add only the sentiments of the learned Dr. Isaac Barrow, who is universally reckoned one of the brightest ornaments of the Church of England. In his sermon on the Holy Ghost, his words are "We naturally are void of those good dispositions in understanding, will, and affection, which are needful to render us acceptable to God, fit to serve and please him, capable of any favour from him, of any true happiness in ourselves; our minds naturally are blind, ignorant, stupid, giddy, and prone to error, espe cially in things supernatural, spiritual, and abstracted from ordinary sense. Our wills are froward and stubborn, light and unstable, inclining to evil, and adverse from what is truly good; our affections are very irregular, disorderly, and unsettled. To remove which bad disposition, (inconsistent with God's friendship and favour, driving us into sin and misery,) and to beget those contrary to them, the knowledge and belief of divine truth, a love of goodness, and delight therein, a well-composed, orderly, and steady frame of spirits, God in mercy doth grant to us the virtue of his Holy Spirit; who first opening our heart, so as to let in and apprehend the light of divine truth, then by representation of proper arguments persuading our reason to embrace it, begetteth divine knowledge, wisdom, and faith in our minds, which is the work of illumination and instruction, the first part of his office respecting our salvation.' To this view of the corruption of human nature, some objections have been made. 1. It is said, that many amiable, virtuous, and noble qualities are found to exist in man, and that therefore he cannot be so depraved as is here represented. It is not denied that the human character, even without the aid or the knowledge of Christianity, has exhibited some sublime traits of virtue and excellence. Man does, it is true, exhibit some vestiges of that original grandeur in which he was at first created. On contemplating his condition, we are like the traveller who lights upon the ruins of a city once renowned for its splendour and power. He may discover in it some traces of its former magnificence, the sculptured marble, the stately arch, the lofty column-yet it is a receptacle for the serpent, the habitation of beasts of prey. It is magnificence; but it is magnificence in ruins. And truly we may say the same of human nature. "How poor, how rich, how abject, how august, Generosity, gratitude, fidelity, and the exercise of many high and heroic virtues between man and man; the spontaneous applause of virtue and morality; the decided condemnation of immorality and vice; may be mingled with a Genesis vi. 5; Eccles. ix. 3; Job xiv. 1, 4; Romans iii. 10, xi. 32; Psalm li.; Eccles. vii. 10; Isaiah i. 6. |