man, could compile any synopsis which would exactly embody the mind of the Spirit of God? Looking upon it in this light, then, they believed, nay, they were assured, that their brethren in Christ Jesus would not impose upon them as a duty, what must of necessity grieve their consciences, and perhaps endanger their final salvation; especially as they adhered to the doctrines and discipline of the Presbyterian Church.

The appeal was too much for the Synod. Some of its most guileless and holy members took the part of the appellants.— They indeed revered, and ever should revere, and hold by the "Confession of Faith," as the palladium of their church's safety and glory. They thought, indeed, that there was illogical reasoning in their brethren's arguments; but since they held the same faith, and pledged themselves to support the same church government, and since their consciences were so laudably tender -for it was certainly a laudable tenderness to be afraid of adding to or deducting from the word of God-and since they were willing to pledge themselves to admit none but such as should be Presbyterians in doctrine and discipline into the church, they would move, "that it should be voluntary with the respective Presbyteries of the Synod, to require their candidates to subscribe or not to the Confession of Faith. This, after some debate, was carried, at least in substance; and from that time until lately, the Synod was divided into subscribing and non-subscribing Presbyteries.

But what was the result of this? Oh! it is a tearful tale, but it is a true one, that Arianism and Socinianism, and, indeed, the admission of every error into the church, was the consequence. Yes, and some of the very men too who pleaded so warmly for the exemption, because their consciences forsooth were so tender, were at that moment Arians and Arminians in their heart. Immediately after it was known that such a Presbytery was a nonsubscribing one, the heterodox of all kinds and grades flocked to it, and as they believed the Bible, and were willing to subscribe to all its doctrines, they were admitted without controversy, however gross or erroneous were their sentiments. But great as was the defection, there were many men in the Synod, and several Presbyteries, that did not "bow the knee to Baal," and, for the sake of those, God was pleased to continue to be merciful to them. It is supposed that the "Presbytery of Antrim," a body avowedly Arian, had a hand behind the scenes, in bringing about the above event. Hence, the non-subscribers began to be looked upon by them as brethren; the licentiates of those Presbyteries began to be eligible to the congregations of the Arian Presbytery; and, finally, they became so bold as to avow heresy in almost all

its forms. Their boldness, however, was fatal to them; for when "the enemy began to come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord lifted up a standard against him." After things had remained in this situation for some years, Dr. Bruce, of Belfast, famous for his talents and erudition, but infamous for his heretical opinions, published a volume of Sermons, in the introduction of which he exultingly announced, that "Arianism was making slow but certain progress in the Synod of Ulster."

This scandalous charge immediately fired the zeal of the orthodox party; they came out the very next Synod in their might, or rather in the might of their God and of his Christ, and they not only carried a motion, giving the lie direct to Dr. Bruce's assertion, but repealed their former law, which gave permission to Presbyteries to omit at discretion a subscription to the "Confession of Faith."

I believed, at the time this privilege was granted, that its tendency would be fatal, and subversive of the peace and purity of the church; but some did not think so, and were willing to try it, who have since seen their error, and have deeply repented of their concession. This, then, is "an evil under the sun," which I have seen in my own days; and I have simply related it as I have seen it. I do not pretend to say that it is calculated to teach us any thing more important, than if I had informed you that the consequence of a child's putting his hand into the fire was--that he got it burned; for me the event, in either case, was equally to be expected; and yet I thought it proper to record it among my Recollections, as at least a memorable era in the Irish Synod.

Presbyterianism in Scotland and in the north of Ireland, is substantially the same, though differing in many respects widely, from Presbyterianism in this country. I wish to be understood, particularly in what I shall say in future upon this subject, as having reference to the "Associate Synod of Ireland." This body comprised something more than one hundred congregations, at the period to which these Recollections allude; to which they have added since, by missionary exertions perhaps ten or twelve others, eight of which have already settled and installed Pastors. In this Synod there is nothing preached but the doctrines of the Confession of Faith. Its most critical and insidious enemy might travel from congregation to congregation through all its bounds, and I would defy him to say, that there was one man unfaithful to the standards of his church. The doctrine which he would hear from one pulpit, he would hear echoed and re-echoed in all its fulness and purity from all. It differs then from this country in this-that you will not hear Hopkinsianism here, Arminianism

there, and Calvinism in a third place; but in all and each, the pure and simple doctrines of the New Testament. This is the difference as to the preachers. As to the people, there is still a greater difference. Brought up from infancy to know and respect religion, its doctrines are familiar to them, and these doctrines, as might be expected, they love just in proportion to their knowledge of them. Hence, no sermonizing is so popular as that which enlightens while it feeds, and feeds while it enlightens the soul. They literally love to hear the strictest doctrine of the church, however humiliating to human pride, in its plainest garb. So much is this a fact, that I do conscientiously believe that no sermon would be so popular with them, as an able and lucid exposition of the peculiar and discriminating doctrines of grace.Their motives in going to church seem, in some measure, essentially different from many who belong to the Presbyterian congregations of America. Their primary motive is, to render thanks to God for the mercies of the past; to lament their iniquities, and to implore their Heavenly Father, for Christ's sake, to pardon what his pure eyes have seen amiss; and to grant them spiritual strength to guide and direct them in future. As subordinate to this, they go to receive spiritual information. They expect their minister to be a man "mighty in the scriptures," able to unfold their doctrines, and to deduce those practical lessons from them, which are so cheering and consolatory to the drooping spirit; and hence they go as learners to receive information. Nothing is less expected than a sermon to arouse the feelings, without enlightening the understanding: in fact, they are Christianized, if I may so speak, not by the instrumentality of sound, but sense. It is not merely the passions, but the whole man that is influenced; and hence, he continues to be what he professes, after his feelings have subsided. It is true, they may not be enabled to say, that on such a spot, and in such an hour, they became "Sons of God;" though they believe they are such, and they pray and strive to continue such. It is the "witness of the Spirit," and not of time and place, upon which they depend, as a proof that they "have passed from death unto life." It is the state of the soul, and not of feelings, which may be only corporeal, upon which they build their dearest expectations. Hence, it is an occurrence, so rare as hardly to afford an exception to the general rule, to hear of heresy getting among them, or of one of them turning from the doctrines of the church. So remarkably is this the case, that no sect has ever been able to get a footing among them that held a different doctrine. You might as well try to make the multiflora bloom and blossom upon the unshel

tered top of the Andes, as to propagate Arminianism, or Arianism, or even Hopkinsianism, among the Irish Seceders. On this subject I speak advisedly, deliberately, and knowingly.

I trust I shall not be understood as meaning, even by implication, that the ministers in this country are generally dispensers of that airy and inflammatory aliment, which stimulates the soul without purifying and strengthening it; or that the congregations are chiefly composed of such as have merely, as it were breathed the intoxicating gas of such preaching, and are therefore Christians only while this continues to make them loud and noisy, rather than still and humble. This is not the fact: there are many able, pious and pure dispensers of the very milk of the Word; and many, very many, who have drunk this milk of the gospel, in the American churches.

LETTERS ON THE ATONEMENT.--No. V.

DEAR BROTHER

The doctrines of the two schools in relation to the atonement. have now been compared in three particulars. It has been shown, I trust, that in regard to its extent, in regard to a free and unfettered preaching of the gospel, and in regard to the riches of Divine grace displayed in our salvation, the views of the new school have no superiority over those of the old; and that the latter present the riches of Divine grace in by far the strongest light.

Let us now proceed to institute a contrast between these conflicting views, in several other particulars; in which, I think, it will clearly appear that ours have a most decided advantage.

1. Let us compare the nature of the atonement as explained and advocated by the two schools respectively, and see whose views and representations accord best with scriptural truth. The nature of the atonement is not a subject on which human philosophy should speculate. It is matter of pure revelation; and nothing farther can be known of it than God has been pleased to reveal. The Bible is our teacher; and those views which accord with the instructions of inspired writers must be true, while those which disagree or depart from them must be false.

The advocates of the indefinite scheme, differ in their views of the nature of the atonement. Some say, it consists in making a display of the evil of sin, and an exhibition of Divine justice. Others represent it as consisting in a satisfaction to public justice for sin in general; but they deny that a proper, real satisfaction for the sins of believers was made to Divine justice, so that they can, on legal principles, be set free from the curse of the law. VOL. III.

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They admit that Christ's sufferings are a substitute for our punishment; but they deny that He was the substitute of his people, and that, charged with their sins, he endured the penalty of the law, and thus made a real satisfaction for them, and paid a real price for their redemption. They all speak of the atonement as merely opening the door, and removing the obstacle in the way of the exercise of mercy. Let me cite a few quotations from a recent publication- "The atonement consists, not in cancelling the demands of the law for one or all men, but in opening the door of hope, in rendering the pardon of sinners consistent with the character, law and universe of God."* Again: "This atonement MERELY opened the door of mercy; it prepared the way for the offer and the exercise of pardon."t Again: "The atonement does not of itself save a single soul. It BARELY opens the door for the accomplishment of this object by free and sovereign grace."

Now, these views are, in my opinion, repugnant to plain and decided testimonies of holy scripture, and tend to destroy the very nature of the atonement.

The sacred writers speak of the death and righteousness of Christ, in more exalted terms than our brethren bestow on them. They teach us to attribute to his divine sacrifice, much more than the bare honour of opening a door of hope and mercy to sinners. They tell us that the Saviour, by his sufferings, became the "author of eternal redemption to all that obey him." Heb. v. 9. They tell us that on the ground of his sacrifice and intercession, Christ" is able to save to the uttermost them that come unto God by him." Heb. vii. 24-27. They assure us that his BLOOD cleanseth from all sin; and that it purges the "conscience from dead works to serve the living God." And it has been shown, in a former letter, that forgiveness, reconciliation, justification, sanctification, adoption, and eternal life, are all attributed to the sacrifice and righteousness of our divine Redeemer, as their meritorious and procuring cause; and consequently that, while grace reigns in our salvation, it reigns through righteousness unto eternal life. We therefore deem it dishonouring to the invaluable atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ, which the holy scripture represents as being the spring of every blessing of salvation, to speak of it as MERELY opening a door of hope and mercy. The Bible speaks of his sacrifice in sublimer strains of praise-"Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his OWN BLOOD, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; unto him be glory and dominion for ever and ever-Amen."

*Beman.

+ Ibid.

Ibid.