the same faith. And when that doctrine was attacked, no tie of kindred, or of blood, no tie of allegiance, no tie of patriotism, could bind a member of that society. They felt only for their society: This attacked doctrine was their Palladium, their ark, their all in life, in death, through eternity. It was the cause of God, and of man, and of the universe. These are the views of a politician. But he was a politician whose eye ranged over the whole of human society, through all its various organizations, and its mysterious and interwoven ramifications; and while it ranged over the whole, it penetrated to the centre of each, and perceived, and estimated, the individual momentum, and particular direction of the individual forces, whose united power produces what is called the state of society. It was the opinion of Edmund Burke, but what is most to our purpose is, that it is the truth.

Satan had vanquished the heroes of old, on the field of wordly ambition. I have no doubt, that at that time, he vanquished them by drawing up their own sons against them; youths full of genius, fire, and metal; fond of speaking, and fond of premature influence. To behold the church passing from persecution to protection, from protection to influence, and from influence to power, wealth, honour, titles, dignities, supremacy; must certainly have conveyed to vulgar minds, an idea of a prosperous and flourishing condition. And I don't doubt but when the old father exclaimed in the counsel, "This day I see poison brought into the church," there was a fine, eloquent, ardent youth, who arose, and demonstrated that there was no danger at all in the new reformation. "What! moderator, (would he say) can there be any danger in the new reformation? You have been long complaining of pover

saints shall inherit the earth, and now that it is offered us, shall we refuse it. I greatly venerate, moderator, my very venerable and worthy father, who has just spoken. But, really sir, I much doubt if he be as capable of judging of the state of things, in the present times, as he was fifty years ago. The state of society is vastly altered, all things are improved, and I think it will be prudent, and were I answering to my equal, I should think it no more than justice, for those who are just stepping out of the church, and out of the world, prudently and timeously, and with a good grace, to surrender a little of the direction of both into younger and more vigorous hands."

Well sir, the reformation took place. The fiend triumphed, and left it to the church, with her own hand, to complete a system of tyranny, that left mankind no liberty in the use of any one faculty of soul or body.

But in the true reformation, of which we are speaking, the fiend saw the regeneration of the world. He saw a tremendous sight-the blood of Jesus proclaimed aloud by a thousand tongueshis spirit shed on tens of thousands: the Holy Scriptures their daily study, translated into their own languages; and their own languages the vehicle of their praises and their prayers: and their high, their lofty claim, the liberty of ordering the whole of their conduct according to the prescriptions of that word alone. Could Satan view such a scene without dismay! He

saw that in a very short time, they would sweep ignorance, superstition, and tyranny in all its forms, out of Europe, and out of the world; he saw that they multiplied faster than all his tyrants, of both breeds, could kill them. He therefore fell upon a new plan. He must make themselves the instruments of their own ruin. How? not by chopping off toes and fingers, not by slitting noses and cropping ears, but by corrupting their blood at the fountain of the heart. By corrupting their GRAND DOCTRINE, justification by the righteousness of Christ. The doctrine itself could not be denied all at once. The whole body of the reformed believed it, and had a thousand texts of Scripture to support it; and would have given up their whole religion, their Bibles, and all their hopes, the moment they gave up this doctrine. And that was a sacrifice he knew they could not, and would not make. And if they kept that doctrine, he might annoy, but he could not triumph over them. They would reach the portals of glory at last. Corrupted it must be. But how? By making them philosophers, by starting questions which they cannot answer, and whenever they give an ignorant answer, accept it, get it into their creed, into their pulpits, into all their ideas respecting divine things: and then, getting a philosopher of fine brain, and logical talents, and making him take their own foolish philosophy, and argue it against them, and show them that by the laws of that intellect which God has given. them, if they reason from their own principles, they must in the end, give up some part of God's truth.

The event was well calculated. In all this we are only supposing the devil to have been a good logician. And every logician knows, that one of the finest trips within the wrestling ring of sophistry, consists in ask.

ing a question, and if the respondent answers wrong, don't touch him yet-ask him to prove its connection with the truth which he is defending, and you impugning; he does it ardently, and as he imagines irrefutably. The sophism is now, by the chemical attraction of the imagination, identified with the truth. But if you are a true sophist, don't touch him yet:-ask him again what good consequences will flow from the whole. He proves one good consequence and another, and these generate other consequences. Now clench him. Revive the answer to your first question, demonstrate from other principles, that it is absolutely wrong, he will struggle, but he must submit at last; and you cut up all his fine consequences, and the truth which he united to them, shares their fate. You have triumphed; and so triumphs the fiend, when he cheats the gospel minister in a little bit of false philosophy, and persuades him to mingle it with the churches food; the pure gospel of Christ.

It may be said that the particular idea which has given rise to this whole discussion, and has been treated as so dangerous a sophism, and false philosophy, is to be found in the writings of the most distinguished chiefs of the Calvanistic churches, and is heard in the sermons of most Calvanistic preachers. It must be admitted that this is matter of fact. And though I am not quite sure that it is altogether innoxious therefor it has generated questions, whether the essence of saving faith consists in believing that Jesus Christ died intentionally to save ME-it has created troubles in many honest, anxious hearts, respecting their RIGHT to believe the gospel-and some things else perhaps : yet it has been, in a great degree, neutralised by the stubborn faith, the glorious characteristic of the Cal

vanistic family. For although consequences after consequence, in a train of argument, should be carrying a Calvanist towards the gulph of error, the moment he gets his foot on a text of Scripture which he understands, he recovers his feet. How he got there, perhaps he knows not, perhaps he cares not, but he is sure he is right.

Perhaps I may be cautioned, that there are among those who hold this idea, men who are unquestioned philosophers, on every ground within the range of liberal science, and no where so much philosophers as on the grouud of Christianity. I rejoice in asserting that it is so and did I not know that they are a magnanimous race, who love truth, and love the man, who utters it, I should blush for my own insignificance, while I thus speak.

After all, preaching the philosophy of Christianity, is not preaching the gospel. Perhaps there is too much preaching of this philosophy of Christianity. I do not presume to judge the men who are capable. They are capable of judging for themselves; but I give my opinion. That it is imprudent and dangerous to preach the philosophy of Christianity, unless on the ground, and at the time, that the devil's philosophy is publicly, and from the pulpit, troubling the church. In that case you have no choice, you must gaff chicken against chicken, the true philosophy, against the false, and look on-never fear, there is no doubt of the main.

I said I trembled for the day when Calvinists should turn philosophers, and let the churches look to it and tremble too. It is this philosophy of Christianity which we too often hear, and always complain that we do not understand it. And this very philosophy of Christianity is most frequently taken up by our young