Resolved, That the next annual meet- ||bate a more full and thorough discus ng be held at this place on the last ON RELIGIOUS DISPUTATION. An Extract. sion than the same persons would be capable of doing without the mutual assistance of mutual opposition. And, upon this principle, we have always reason to hope that the cause of truth will eventually gain more than it loses, by all the disputes on religious subjects. THE PLAIN PREACHER. Mr. A. never cultivated elegance of There is reason to believe, that religious disputes may be of great service to the cause of truth. Our Saviour, who declined all other contro-composition. His taste was not acversies, frequently disputed upon reli- quired by perusing the writings of the gious subjects. The apostle Paul en- polite moderns, but by reading the old countered the Athenian philosophers, Puritan divines. He had too much and refuted their subtile objections a good sense, and too good a heart to gainst Christianity, by the force of fair affect that refinement of speech, and reasoning. And it appears, from the that polished manner, which, though history of the Church, that the pen of it might render him a popular preachcontroversy has been successfully em-er, would not make him a profitable ployed, from age to age, in defending minister. He seemed to have formed and propagating the pure doctrines of himself after the model of Luther, the gospel. There is as much proprie- who said, he is the best preacher, who ty in disputing for the sake of truth, as speaks in plain, solemn language; and in going to war for the sake of liberty, in a manner best calculated to draw going to law for the sake of justice, or the attention of the young, and best . taking physic for the sake of health. adapted to the capacities of the comWe may, indeed, justly regret those mon people. He used what the celevils which give rise to wars, law suits, ebrated Whitefield styled, market-lanmedicines, and religious disputes; but guage. His aim was not to excite cuwe have no reason to disapprove the riosity, but to reach the heart. There practice of using these necessary means appeared in him, when he addressed of public and private good. So long his hearers, such meekness, such feras maladies remain, we ought to make vency of spirit, such a concern for their use of the proper remedies. So long precious souls; which was expressed as men differ in their religious senti- in such a natural flow of words, conments, there will be occasion for reli-veying ideas great, and most interesgious disputes. Though it is devoutly ting, alarming to the sinner, but to the to be wished that all who enjoy the humble Christian, like cold water to gospel might be heartily united in the the thirsty soul, that believers were belief of its great and important truths, richly fed, and left the house of God yet so long as any of these are either in the exercise of joy unspeakable and denied or perverted, it becomes those full of glory. It pleased God to honwho are set for the defence of the gos- our him with signal, and very extenpel to contend earnestly for the faith sive success in the conversion of mawhich was once delivered to the saints. ny sinners, and the building up the The truth will bear examination, and, Redeemer's friends in their most holy therefore, it will shine the brighter,|| faith. A person who once heard him even by ill-designed and ill-conducted preach, coming out of the place of disputes. Every religious controversy worship, observed, in simplicity of naturally excites those who are em- heart, this man drives it into the very ployed in it to give the subject of de-soul of us. On Religious Disputation....Preacher. Ihat the next annual meetat this place on the last of February next, at 11 SWELL LAMB, Chairman, CHOS DISPUTATION. to believe, that 355 ||bate a more full and thorough discus sion than the same persons would be capable of doing without the mutual upon this principle, we have always assistance of mutual opposition. And, reason to hope that the cause of truth will eventually gain more than it losen, by all the disputes on religous kub Hjects. y be of great ser zruth. Our Sa TEL PLEJE VELIGNIA · other contro- composition Bu book, we w Genoted upon required ag Mr. A. er culinait expus apostle Paul ex-polite way objections a good se ze force of fair anears, from the le to at: for sin cesor he >t ne thirst affect tua inath bad at the pen of it mign of liberty, in a n • health. adapt » ** gret those pro aw suits, leur 1 .octrine. xplain the doc ssary to explain tions of the word n what sense it is The word justice ent significations, or kinds of justice differother as they have relaerent things. These are ve justice, distributive jusI public or general justice. Commutative justice. This has tion only to commercial or pecuntransactions. It is confined solely natters of property. Justice is done, DESTINATION AND ELECTION. I I BISHOP DAVENANT ON PREACHING PRE- || Yet take it not amiss-O be not griev'd, long from pilgrimage to be reliev'd, Many persons who have professed long to die to sin, and live to thee. Not that I chiefly wish from pains to flee, to believe that the doctrine of Predes- I long to live at home, and no more here tination is a scripture doctrine, have A wand'rer be, a banish'd foreigner. notwithstanding been opposed to its I would not thee offend, (thou know'st being preached. On this subject, Nor one short day before thy time depart. heart) Bishop Davenant, a distinguished Pre-But I am weary and dejected too, late of the Church of England, expres- O let me to eternal sabbath go. ses himself thus: With thy full leave and approbation, I "This doctrine of Predestination Entreat to lay my staff and sandals by; and Reprobation is no more to be con- A pardon'd part of thy dear family. long to see thee, Son of Man, and be cealed or relinquished because some As oft at sea, where wind and tide were fa do waywardly abuse it, than the doc-I've seen the less'ning mountains disappear, trine of the Trinity is, because the Exceeding sick, yet glad to move so fast, Jews and Mahometans deride and reIn hopes ere long on th' other side to rest; ject it. This doctrine ought to be So now my pains I thank, which haste to make me blest. preached, 1. Because Christ and his If I am by when one in faith expires, apostles taught it publicly, notwith- Or hears his happy exit, it inspires standing the wickedness of carnal My eager soul his footsteps to pursue, men and it is far safer, from their scarce reflect," He now is with the Lamb, And fain that night I'd make my exit too. example to learn what is profitable to But down my cheeks the salty riv❜lets stream be taught, and what not, than from hu- long to kiss that hand which once me bless man reasonings. 2. Because Election Those feet that travell'd to procure my rest is a singular benefit of God, and the Those lips that me confess'd, and that dea foundation of all other gifts which tend Which bow'd when on it all my sins wer head, [laid; to salvation; and it is the part of un- Not that I love for nought but love to me, thankful men to desire to conceal such Infinite charms unite and shine in thee. an especial favor, because ungodly When thou shalt call me up with thee to live O Lamb! I languish till that day arrive, men are troubled to hear it. Lastly. Now twice seven years have I thy servant Because this very doctrine doth ex- been, ceedingly encourage the faithful and godly to proceed in their course of faith and godliness; of whom more regard ought to be had than of profane wretches, who are wont to pervert all things to their own destruction." I I O, let me end my labor and my sin. But a few moments, and thou shalt be well. The rattles low, and pulses die away, THE UTICA CHRISTIAN MAGAZINE. VOL. II. JUNE, 1815. No. 12. 2 For the Utica Christian Magazine. 3 ON THE ATONEMENT. in Jesus. through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of Rom. iii. 26. That he might be just, and sins that are past, through the forbearthe justifier of him which believethance of God; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness; that he might Jesus Christ and him crucified, was be just, and the justifier of him which he great theme upon which the in- believed in Jesus." To declare the spired writers loved to dwell. He was righteousness of God, then, appears to he burden of the prophet's vision, the be the great design of the atonement: psalmist's song, and the apostle's to show that he is just, while he forpreaching. It was he that was signi- gives the returning and repenting sinfied by all the types and shadows of ner. The atonement was not pecesthe old dispensation. The various sary to render God merciful, for he sacrifices, the paschal lamb, the man was always merciful: It was not nena from heaven, the brazen serpent, cessary to satisfy any malignant thirst the scape goat, the cities of refuge, of vengeance, for he never felt any: were all intended to point us to the But it was necessary to render the parSaviour that was to come. The great don of the sinner consistent with the object of his coming into the world rectitude of the divine government, was to make atonement for sin, and that God “ might be just, and the justhus to prepare the way for the par-tifier of him which believeth in Jesus." don and salvation of all who should The doctrine, then, contained in the believe, and for the ultimate display of text, is the following: the divine prefections in the great work of redemption. In his epistle to the Romans, the apostle preaches the gosal pel to them in its natural order. In the first and second chapters, and part of the third, he argues at large to prove II. To confirm the doctrine. the universal and total moral depravi- And I. In order to explain the doc ty of mankind, both Jews and Gen-trine, it will be necessary to explain tiles, from which he draws this conclu- the different significations of the word sion, verse 20, "Therefore, by the justice, and show in what sense it is #deeds of the law there shall no flesh be used in the text. The word justice justified in his sight." He then pro-has three different significations, or ceeds, in the remainder of this, and in there are three kinds of justice differsome of the following chapters, to pointing from each other as they have relaout the true way of justification, by tion to different things. These are faith in the Redeemer, through the commutative justice, distributive jusgreat atonement which he has made. tice, and public or general justice. Verse 24, and onward, "Being justifi- 1. Commutative justice. This has ed freely by his grace, through the re-relation only to commercial or pecundemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom iary transactions. It is confined solely God hath set forth to be a propitiation to matters of property. Justice is done, VOL. 2. X X The design of the atonement is to manifest the justice of God, as the morgovernor of the universe. It is proposed, I. To explain, and |