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propitious to us; it is indeed a very distant prospect, but so clear that we know that we are not deceived." He then proceeds to describe the subsequent progress of sanctification. More proof might easily be adduced, if necessary; but it will be deferred until we see Calvin again called on to oppose, when dead, the progress of that system, in defence of which he spent his life, and to be an ally of those, who never cease, when occasion offers, to blacken his illustrious memory. Then he may be permitted to speak again.

As to Baxter, it is the opinion of some of his readers at least, that his theology was more like that of the New England divines, who advocate revivals, than that of any other transatlantic theologian; and with all due deference to the English Traveller, who would, we suppose, be considered a diligent reader of his works, we must be permitted to say, that no advocate of revivals can exceed him in urging upon sinners the necessity of an immediate and instantaneous change of heart. Consider the following specimens from his Christian Directory: London, 1673.

He first explains the guilt and misery of unconverted persons, and then says,

"You never

"If you die unconverted, you are past all hope." heard a sermon with assurance that you should hear another: you never drew one breath with assurance that you should draw another. A thousand accidents and diseases are ready to stop your breath and end your time, when God will have it so. And if you die this night, in an unregenerate state, there is no more time, or help, or hope. And is this a case then for a wise man to continue in, a day, that can do anything to his own recovery? Should you delay another day or hour before you fall down at the feet of Christ, and cry for mercy, and return to God, and resolve upon a better course?"

In his Call to the Unconverted he gives practical directions as it regards conversion :

"You must understand what it is to be converted: it is to have a new heart, or disposition, and a new conversion. Quest. 1. For what must you turn? Ans. For these ends following, which you may attain. 1. You shall immediately be made living members of Christ, and have an interest in him, and be renewed after the image of God."

As it regards immediate conversion, he again thus speaks, "Be not one day of one mind, and the next of another, but be at a point with all the world, and resolvedly give up yourselves, and all you have, to God." He then proceeds to urge the point exactly after the manner of the New England divines whom our author ridicules. He urges them to do it now, whilst "reading or hearing" his words, "before" they "sleep another night," "before" they "stir from the place" where they are.

In view of these things it is plain, that Lightfoot asserts that Christ opposed the Jewish idea of regeneration, and taught the doctrine as we teach it; and from this doctrine, instantaneous conversion is a fair inference. Also it is plain, that Calvin, Doddridge and Baxter, all teach the doctrine directly, and that the passage quoted by the author from Calvin to prove the contrary, is nothing to the purpose. Well did our author say, "according to my recollection of the Dissenters, of Baxter, of Doddridge, &c." We presume that

he read Lightfoot, Calvin, Baxter and Doddridge at the same time that he did the fathers of the English church, and the works of the Dissenters, and all of them with equal honesty and intelligence; and that his memory, as it regards them all, is alike accurate; and that all his statements concerning the sentiments of the Orthodox are just as correct, and worthy of credit, as those which have already been considered. And we are happy to have so illustrious an exhibition of Unitarian learning, and accuracy, and fairness, so highly recommended by the leaders of that party. And we are gratified to perceive that there is no discordance in their general practice, with the principles here so happily illustrated. For a more full exhibition of Unitarian practice, in accordance with these princi ples, see their quotations as it regards the damnation of infants, already considered in this work; and a Review of Dr. Channing's discourse delivered at New York; and a Reply to a Review of a sermon entitled The Faith once delivered to the Saints; and a notice of the Unitarian Advocate, published in our last number. We hope that all candid Unitarians will diligently "read and ponder' the principles of honesty and fairness adopted and practised upon by their most distinguished leaders and periodical publications. We have long been convinced that Unitarian views of the Christian graces differed in some important respects from ours, and we are glad to be furnished with practical illustrations of their views on a subject of such consequence.

We think then that our charge of misrepresentation is fully sus

tained.

4. He attempts to array the bad passions of the human heart. against the personal character of the Orthodox, and to make them appear deficient in certain excellencies, which some Unitarians are inclined to arrogate, as the peculiar glory of their own system. Unitarians profess to admire all that is noble, majestic, rational, refined, charitable and lovely. They eulogize independent thinking and free inquiry, and abhor all mental slavery, and ecclesiasti-cal domination. They profess to regard all the rules of refined society, and to value highly the social virtues. They abhor all that is cruel and uncharitable, unkind and unfeeling, either in words or in action. And they profess to live in a world of light of uncommon brilliancy. Now when two parties are opposed to each other, there are two ways in which an advocate of one may attack the

other. He may charge them directly with gross deficiencies, or he may arrogate certain excellencies to his own party in such a manner as to imply that the opposing party is deficient in these respects. Both of these modes of attack our author has used. As to the Orthodox clergy, they rule; and the people are superstitious and deluded. As to the system, it is a "narrow and gloomy theology, which turns the earth into one vast field of slaughter;" p. 46; and the preacher glories in it, so that the author" could almost discern a smile of triumph in his countenance as he drew the lines, and set up the fences, of this narrow and gloomy theology." He speaks of the "whole enormity of their treatment of sinners," p. 43, and speaks of their "cutting the heart strings of the people," "as mechanically and coldly as ever did surgical operator." He speaks of "the reasonable anger" which many persons feel at such treatment, pp. 45, 46, and seems to deny that pity and sympathy are any part of the character of such as preach such doctrines. He describes the atrocious conduct of an Orthodox clergyman addressing a female school, and speaks of tears, and sighs, and groans, enough to break the hearts of these young creatures." p. 56. The habit of visiting families, for prayer and exhortation, he thinks, "deserves to be branded;" and accordingly he brands it. He speaks of the "preternatural solemnity" of the visitors, and of the timidity of "the females," and of the most pointed questions "of these inquisitors," "put in the most awful manner, concerning their most secret, solemn, and delicate feelings." He speaks of tremendous warnings, and more tremendous prayers; and calls the whole "horrifying." pp. 56, 57.

He speaks, pp. 20, 21, of taking advantage of "a sudden death, or the death of a young person, to produce an excitement," and of converting it to this use " with the remorseless disregard of all the claims of relationship and private grief." He then enlarges on the atrocious cruelty manifested in visiting, and warning, and praying with a young and tender female, on a sick bed, and in warning others, in the most horrible way, when God closes her life. If he finds an Orthodox man in a stage, he is represented as speaking in a "solemn guttural voice" "as deep as if it had come from a cavern,” and in a “measured and sepulchral tone." pp. 64, 65. He speaks of "cruel and shocking liberties taken with private feeling, from which a man with any high tone of moral delicacy would revolt, if his moral discrimination were not whelmed in this flood of excitement;" and of "whisperings, or bold innuendoes, or rumors circulated on slight evidences, or easy inferences, that in secret stab the fairest character." And these things are spoken of as among the means adopted for carrying on revivals! pp. 125, 126. He peaks of revivals as unfavorable to intellectual improvement. "To conduct a revival," we are told, "requires no range of thought; to experience it, forbids the calm

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ness of inquiry." p. 128. And he ascribes to revivals an influence unfriendly to a pure and elevated morality. p. 122. We are also told that "the province of revivals is chiefly limited to less reflecting and refined minds, which are less liable to be injured by rude and harsh treatment." p. 8. As a contrast to all this, he exhibits the enlarged, generous, and noble system of the Unitarian party, and assumes in their behalf the character of a philosopher, gentleman, and Christian, of no common order. He implies that the friends of revivals are ignorant, and gives us a splendid specimen of his own superior learning. He also exhibits his own views of morality, as contrasted with the pernicious influence of revivals in this respect, and a prominent part of his views, is, "kind thoughts, forbearing words, and charitable judgments." He also gives his views of a religion "beyond the aim and imagination of most good men," and of course implies that the Orthodox are deficient where he most excels. Now how much easier it is to prejudice a certain class of the community against the personal character of the Orthodox, than to refute their system, or answer their arguments. How completely is their influence destroyed, as soon as the impression is made that they are irrational, ignorant, illiberal, gloomy, cruel, unfeeling, without refinement, indelicate, and barbarous. How easy it is to assume all the intellect, and refinement, and knowledge of the day. And surely the Orthodox have no reason to complain; for if they are such barbarians, why not expel them from society? But what if the Orthodox have feelings, and are sincere, and have a character to gain or lose? nothing that "whisperings, and bold innuendoes, or rumors circulated on slight evidence, or easy inference," are employed to "stab," not in secret, but publicly, and on the highest Unitarian authority, "the fairest reputation?" How far removed are such proceedings as these from "cruel and shocking liberties taken with private feeling, from which a man with any high tone of moral delicacy would revolt?" We request all candid and gentlemanly Unitarians to "read and ponder" these things, and to "read and ponder" the eulogies pronounced by their leaders on this book, and then decide. Do the Orthodox deserve such treatment as this? Have they no reputation, and no feelings?

5. He attacks, directly or indirectly, those institutions, which are of fundamental consequence in extending the influence of vital religion, and which greatly impede the progress of Unita

rianism.

He attacks the Orthodox clergy, and all parts of their system adapted to promote revivals. He censures public visitations, and private visits to converse and pray in families. He censures the employment of evangelists, and meetings of inquiry, and frequent meetings for prayer and conference. He even exposes to con

tempt the prayers offered in such meetings. For a specimen of this see pp. 111, 112. Concerning the clergy he says:

"Indeed, my friend, it cannot be concealed, and everything that I see, and all my reflections convince me of it more and more, that most of the evils of a religious nature, in this country, and our own, and in every other, are owing to the clergy! To them is chiefly owing the odium theologicum, that has existed in all ages-to them, the slavish dread of inquiry and innovation-to them, the variance, strife, and uncharitableness that prevail among the people-to them, the extravagance of these religious excitements." pp. 28, 29.

These remarks cannot apply to the clergy who oppose the extravagance of these religious excitements; of course, the Unitarian clergy are not included. Now this "is all that the most arrant sceptic" about the Bible could desire. The Christian ministry is an institution of the Bible. Has it, then, done more hurt than good? And if so, is God the author of the Bible? To allege the evils of a corrupt clergy in all ages is nothing to the purpose; the abuse of an institution by the devil, is no argument against its use. Do we not read, "there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of." But has there never been an order of true clergymen on earth? There is one order which, in all ages, has been the constant subject of attack, and that is the Orthodox. And they have encountered from infidels the same charges which our author heaps upon them. "Priestly power" is always the theme of the friends of error who fear the influence of the Orthodox clergy. We admit indeed that the Orthodox clergy have been the indirect cause of great excitements, and tumults, and bitterness, among the wicked; and so were Christ and his apostles; and so have holy men, in all ages; and for the same reason: because they testify of the world that their deeds are evil. But, are Christ and his faithful servants to be condemned, as the guilty cause of the wickedness of those who oppose the truth? But we are not surprised at our author's attack on the clergy, and on all that tends to promote a revival. The enemies of the Bible have in all ages taken the same course, and for the same reason. They, and the leaders of the Unitarians, alike hate revivals of evangelical religion, and those clergy who promote them.

We proceed now to our fourth inquiry.

IV. What has our author accomplished?

He has produced a work which will gratify various classes of the enemies of revivals, for the following reasons: the author assumes a garb of sanctity and religion, and makes great professions, while

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