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CONCLUSION.

If all that has been stated in this Essay in refutation of the new principle examined, did no way concern the interests of vital piety, evangelical truth, sound or healing doctrine, our time, we concede, must have been poorly applied. If the vehemence of my zeal in any point exceeds due bounds, it is in disgust against that spirit of controversy, which would sacrifice the peace and unity of the church of God, to what is of no more importance to the salvation of sinners, than the breadth of a Jewish philactery. But by the view of the subject which we have attempted to defend, we conceive the following interesting advantages are gained.

1. The purity and simplicity of the Gospel of Christ is hereby preserved.

This simplicity consists essentially in two things. First, in preserving unmixed and unsophisticated, those ideas and views of divine things, which are revealed in the holy scriptures. If these undergo any shade of addition or alteration, so far the gospel is corrupted. In preaching the gospel, its truths ought to be held up to view, and caused to flow forth, pure as the waters of life from the throne of God and the lamb. In this case they become a tree of life, whose leaves are for the healing of the nations. But alas! though the visage of eternal truth, when first she descended from on bigh, was

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clothed in perfect radiant light, yet how is it deformed by the disgusting embraces of fanaticism, sectarianism, or the dogmas of a proud, self-suflicient philosophy. Nor is it one of the least distortions of her fair form, to speak of God as the direct efficient cause, working in ungodly men all their abominable lusts,-teaching that neither the devil, nor any motives or second causes, can possess a power under the providence of God to do this. 2. But not only does the simplicity of the gospel consist, in preserving unmixed its infinitely precious and holy truths, but in the language and style in which we speak of these things. We are indeed not to cherish any superstitious attachment to mere words and phrases, as though there was a wisdom and sanctity in them, entirely independent of those ideas, of which they are the symbols; yet that there is a choice of words and expressions even in the transaction of secular affairs, no considerate man will deny. May not principles and plain facts, be discoursed of in language obscure, uninteresting, and unconciliating? Nay, is not the nature of language such, as that by a little variation, men may breathe into it their own unhallowed feelings and passions? So dark is the mind of fallen man, and opposed is his nature to what is perfectly holy, pure, and divine, that the doctrines of Christ cannot well pass through his lips in a new dress, without contracting defilement, as the most limpid stream will assume a tincture of those strata, over which it flows.-But from all these defects, the language of the inspired volume is in the highest degree exempted.-For holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. And he taught them all as he did Solomon, to seek out acceptable words, words of truth and soberness,-words in the best manner adapted to promote the great end of a divine revelation.-A material departure from the language of inspiration in speaking of divine things, tends to introduce incorrect views of those things.

And if any one has any thoughts on religion, which will not bear a scripture dress, they are to be suspected as fallacious.-Now in preserving the simplicity of the gospel, its style and manner of expression is to be preserved as far as can be.-St. Paul inveighs against all mere words of man's wisdom, and declares he spake and taught in the words which the spirit of God dictated. "And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech, or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth: comparing spiritual things with spiritual." Now to speak of God as the spirit which worketh all wickedness in men,-to represent him as standing by them and moving them to rebel, to blaspheme, to oppress, persecute, and murder, to declare that the Devil has no power in any way to stir up, or put wickedness into the hearts of sinners,-that even the most powerful second causes, or temptations, or allurements to pride and wickedness, can avail nothing. For man can no more work wickedness than holiness, except he be inwardly and directly moved by the power of God. If this is not a departure from the style of scripture, I know not what could be.And to hold up these sentiments to view, a great part of what is said of the power of the Devil and other tempters and temptations, is a very inconvenient style.

2. We avoid one great occasion of stirring up the hearts of men to speak reproachfully of the ways of God and the ministry of his word. The native enmity of the human heart against God and divine truth is sufficiently great. We need take no unnecessary methods to awaken it into impious and blas

phemous activity.-But this appears to be the case with some, who I would not say, seem to have a greater zeal to make God the author of all wickedness, than all piety and holiness.-If a man will publicly teach,-that when the scriptures speak of God's hardening the heart of sinners, and blinding their minds, &c.-that this is not a special, judicial act, punishing them for former sins; that it does not commonly relate to some peculiarly guilty and obstinate persons, or cities, or nations; but that these expressions are to be equally applied to God's dealing with all sinners, of all ages and descriptions, that he does not harden and blind them by giving them up to the power of their own lusts, the dominion of Satan, &c. but stands by them, and working directly on their hearts, moves them to every crime they commit.-A man that teaches in this manner, must expect that censure and opposition should follow him wherever he goes. He may deem it persecution, but among his persecutors and such as would have been so, had they lived in his day, he must reckon the mass of good men in christendom now on the stage, and the pious and godly of all past ages. A great deal of the opposition and outrage against some preachers in New England, has been excited by exhibiting for the pure gospel, a series of unprofitable human speculations. I have no idea that the great and soul saving doctrines of repentance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ, will ever be enforced by pressing on sinners this new idea of divine efficiency.-This, and various other refinements, are more calculated to excite in men a suspicion of their accountability, extinguish a sense of remorse for sin, and to induce a state of incurable moral torpor and insensibility, than to arouse them to a sense of guilt and danger, and cause them to flee from the wrath to come.. Least of all can I conceive, that this view of divine agency is a good qualification in one, who goes to proclaim the word of life to the benighted heathen.

What judicious and sober christian, would be willing to contribute his money to support a missionary, to go and testify to the pagan world that the God of christians has, for wise reasons, not only permitted the fall of man and all his consequent wickedness, which is true; but more than this, that he works in men, by a direct influence on the heart, all the abominations which have, heretofore, been attributed to the Devil? Who can imagine, that pagans are to be converted by such ministrations as these?

The Rev. James Trail, in an address to the Carlisle Auxiliary Missionary Society, speaking of the awfully degraded moral state of the Hindoos, observed, “It is a common practice with them, to rid themselves of all present remorse and future responsibility, by directly referring their profligate practices to the suggestions of the Deity himself.-Repeatedly have I observed the operation of their deadly principles. "What could I do?-How could I help it?-God put it into my mind,”—I have again and again heard urged, by these benighted people, as an excuse for their delinquences." What could a missionary of these modern notions of divine efficiency do with such a people? Would they be able to follow him through the whole system of wire drawn metaphysics, to prove, that though God be the immediate author of all our most abominable lusts, yet this does not at all militate against responsibility, or the criminality of such exercises? I fear such a missionary would be a miserable witness for God.

3. Another important point gained is, we avoid running the Scriptures into a plain and irreconcilable contradiction.

One passage introduces the Spirit of Inspiration as saying, "I form the light and create darkness: I make peace and create evil: I the Lord do all these things." Isai. xlv, 7. Another passage affirms, "All that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is

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