upon the popular creed itself, and upon its assumptions, with a view to show that the great interests of the soul, its purity, its happiness, its salvation, do not and cannot depend upon its peculiarities, or upon any controversies about it. With the same view, I desire the reader now to look from these differences of opinion themselves, to their origin. How comes it to pass, that men think so differently? Is the cause one that implies criminality? Why,- let us ask, is it possible, that beings with imperfect minds should all think alike? Is it possible, that men differently educated should think alike? Is it possible that men brought up in different communities, should think alike? If it is not possible, morally not possible, then it cannot be a crime to differ. But look at the case more in detail. Look at a man brought up in a Roman Catholic country, who has scarcely ever heard of Protestantism. Look at a man of Protestant education, who has never heard of Popery, except to hear it condemned and spurned. Can you believe that one of these men will be condemned to future punishment, for not being a Protestant in his creed, or the other, for not being a Catholic? But look again at the different denominations of Protestants, and more particularly at the minds that are trained up amidst them. One is educated an Episcopalian, another a Baptist; one a Calvinist, another an Arminian; one a Trinitarian, another a Unitarian. Each one is brought under all the influences that mould the young and susceptible mind; influences social, friendly, parental, strong, controlling, authoritative, and, for a considerable period of life, scarcely less than irresistible. Who can believe that the peculiarities of these creeds are the turning points on which character, virtue, piety, and heaven depend? What must be the idea of God which such a belief must inspire; of that God who has laid the foundation for just such diversities of opinion in human nature, in human imperfection? Why, even the heathen, acting up to their light, shall be accepted. Shall Christian sects be less favorably treated? Is Christianity such a questionable good, nay, such a dangerous gift, that every form of it but one, is more destructive to our moral welfare and hopes, than heathenism; and that multitudes of Christians might justly prefer to live and die under the dispensation of Idolatry? For, assuredly, if, as various Christian sects contend, there is but one form of Christianity that can save, and if it is difficult to tell which it is, it were better to take refuge, at once, under heathenism, under the broad seal of God's impartial mercy. But take a parallel case. Suppose that political opinions were to occupy the same place in the final account which it is alleged that religious opinions do. Suppose that there were but one true system, but one correct creed in political economy; and that those only who received this, could be happy hereafter. Does not every one see that the rule would be preposterous and monstrous? Where are all people, under their multiplied governments, forms, institutions, systems of society and education, to find this one model? Suppose the model, the only right system, to be a deep system of truth. How are the multitude of men, amidst ignorance and toil and prejudice and perversion, to detect and embrace this system? I can only say, that if Christianity assumed such a principle, I could no more regard it as an instrument of mercy, than I could the iron bed of the robber of Attica, who, not content with seizing and binding his victims, stretched or hacked every one till he was brought to the exact measure. Christianity, instead of being a beautiful system, breathing mercy, would seem to me like that engine of barbarous and cruel torture. But let me approach, now, as it will be thought high time indeed, to the ultimate point which I proposed to reach in this communication. Notwithstanding what has been offered to show that there must be differences of opinion, and that these unavoidable differences do not and cannot involve the question of salvation or perdition, the feeling may still arise that says, "Oh! that there were but one way y! I say, then, finally, that there is but one way to be saved. Am I asked what this is, I answer, it is for every man to be earnest in his own particular way, whatever it be; to be earnest, whether in one way or another way of sectarian preference is not material. What is material, and all that is material on our part is, to be sincerely, thoroughly, and entirely in earnest. "Strive to enter in at the strait gate." "Labor for the meat that endureth unto everlasting life." "Give all diligence to make your calling sure." These are the Scriptural directions, and they know nothing of sects or creeds or speculations. They are plain, they are practical, they are level to the simplest apprehension, and they will infallibly save all who follow them. - The painful indecision of some minds is created, I have said, by the variety of sects and the urgency of their several claims. The hesitating and wavering in faith meet with one and another, now a convert to this way, and now a votary of that, who talks so earnestly, so feelingly of religion, and of his peculiar religious steadfastness and assurance and joy, that they are ready to say, from the natural impulse of sympathy, "This man or that man is right; surely he must,with such feelings as his, he must be right!" And so he is right; but what is it that makes him right? Why, the truth is, that each one of these fervent Christians is deeply interested in religion, not because each one's system is the best, for that by the supposition is impossible, not because every one of a dozen systems is most calculated to awaken feeling, for that is equally impossible; but each one is interested, because he has given attention to religion, because he has heartily taken hold of it, in that form which he has embraced. His ardent feelings, indeed are so strongly and vividly associated with that particular form of doctrine, or of worship, that he refers them, by a very natural and common mistake, to the peculiarities of his faith, or of his church. He thinks he could never have been a Christian, unless it had been in that particular way. The secret of power, then, in every religious system, lies in earnestness. Earnest attention, earnest endeavour, earnest prayer, this, with the promised grace of Heaven, is all that is wanting to give efficacy, reality, and energy to religion. Does any one say that he would know the power of your religion. But is he indeed willing to know it? If he is not, let him not think that any system, any appointed course, any certain process would help him. No faith nor worship can save the negligent soul. But if the professed seeker is willing, yes, and heartily anxious to know all that religion can teach him, all of its might and grandeur, and beauty and sweetness, then let him make full trial of it. Let him give his heart to it without reserve. Let every morning witness his prayer, and the night-watches his meditation. Let life have no dearer object to him, than to grow in the love of God. As the hart panteth for the wa VOL. XIV. - N. S. VOL. IX. NO. II. 28 ter-brooks, so let his soul pant for God, for the living God. No system of faith can prevent this aspiration, this attention, this earnestness: no mere system can create it. It is a mistake, if it is not something worse, to be thinking so much of this way, and that way. No, reader, in your soul,direct your thoughts there, in your soul is the glorious power, and there God will breathe the holy influence upon every earnest endeavour. There work out the glorious work. There work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, knowing that it is God that worketh within, both to will and to do, of good pleasure. So, in fine, Messrs. Editors, will every man among us be fully persuaded in his own mind. There ought to be no satisfactory persuasion, no assured confidence, without an earnest devotion of the soul to religion. But with this there will be a persuasion, which nothing can disturb, a decision, which nothing can bring into question. Oh! better will it be than all confidence in creeds or in forms. It will be a confidence in God, a trust in his providence, an assurance of his promises. It will be the confidence of human love, in divine and infinite love, a clinging of human weakness to infinite strength, a repose of all human agitations on the arm of infinite faithfulness, a supply of all human wants in the ocean of infinite mercy. It will be decision and charity. It will be decision, for the perfection of love casts out fear, the fulness of joy removes doubt; a heart full of these blessed emotions would have no room in it, for painful misgivings. It will be charity, for a heart filled with love does not naturally or easily lean to distrust; it does not ever yield to bitterness; it is not apt to constitute itself a severe judge of others; it does not feel itself more comfortable, because it thinks itself alone right; it thinks not of others, but to love them, and to wish them well; "it thinketh no evil: ""it beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things." Craving your pardon, Messrs. Editors, for the length of this communication, I am your friend and fellow-servant in the cause of our common faith. O. D. [For the Christian Examiner.] ART. VII. Review of a Modern Substitute for a Supposed Sinful Nature, as exhibited and recommended in Professor Stuart's "Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans." THE prevalence of wickedness among mankind has been in all ages an occasion of grief to the pious and benevolent; and the occasion of much inquiry respecting its cause. Among Christians it has been a common opinion for many generations, that God, to manifest his displeasure on account of Adam's apostasy, doomed all his posterity to be born with a nature wholly sinful. Hence, to this sinful nature, with which they were cursed by God, all wicked actions have been ascribed. In later times, in New England, respectable writers, who were denominated Orthodox, discovered, or thought they discovered, that John was correct in saying, "Sin is the transgression of the law." On such ground it was very natural to infer, that the term sinful should not be applied to the nature which God gave us, and should only be used to express the nature of such volitions or actions as are contrary to the commandments of the Lord. It was, however, still believed by these very men to be a fact, that all the posterity of Adam become sinners by their first moral volitions, and also become totally sinful, having no other volitions of a moral nature but those of transgression. The minds of these thinking men were of course excited to inquire, what cause could be assigned for a fact so extraordinary and so universal as this, that the first moral volition of every child should be sinful, when it had been admitted that no child is born with a sinful nature? Hopkins and many of his disciples accounted for the fact, on the ground of a "divine constitution," which connected the first sin of Adam with the first moral act of each of his descendants. More recently the phrase, "by a divine constitution," has, if I mistake not, been pretty much laid aside, and other forms of speech have been adopted, which, I presume, are supposed not so directly to affirm or imply a positive divine agency for the production of an effect so dreadful. Dr. Within a few years Dr. Taylor of New Haven, with his |