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If then the christian requirements are reasonable, practicable, and necessary, am I not justified in saying, that the intentionally negligent, the habitually disobedient, have no satisfactory excuse for their own neglect and disobedience, no excuse satisfactory to their own conscience or their God. And if I am living in this disobedience, I am daily acting contrary to my highest interest; contrary to the best feelings of my own nature; contrary to the soundest dictates of my reason; contrary to the clearest convictions of my conscience; contrary to my temporal and future happiness; contrary to the revealed wishes of my Saviour and my God. B. W.

A LETTER ON SOME ORTHODOX ASSERTIONS.

MY YOUNG FRIEND,-You inform we that you have lately taken up your residence in an orthodox community; and that your calvinistic acquaintance boldly assert, that none are entitled to the christian name, but those who embrace the true faith of the gospel; that none possess the christian character, but those who seek salvation in the right way; that none exhibit the fruits of christian zeal, but those who attend frequent religious meetings; and that no ministers have revivals of religion, but those who preach what they call the doctrines of grace. Taking the scriptures and facts for our guide, let us separately examine these declarations.

You are told, that those who do not embrace the true faith of the gospel, are not entitled to the christian name. Very well. But what is this true faith? The scriptures

must decide. Let us then refer to the very words of our Saviour and his Apostles. When Jesus asked the opinion of Peter concerning himself, the reply was" Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." Our Saviour commended this answer; he asserted that this truth must have been revealed to him from heaven; and he declared that he would establish his church upon this foundation, this simple confession of his messiahship. The apostle practised upon this declaration. Philip admitted the Ethiopian to the church upon this confession, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God." Paul required no other belief to insure salvation. "This is the word of faith which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." And John asserts that "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God." We thus arrive at the only true faith of the Gospel. You see that it consists in believing this one, plain proposition-JESUS IS THE CHRIST. Now is not this proposition believed by all who claim the christian name? Is this only fundamental article of the gospel rejected by any believer in Christianity? No. Consequently all believers in the divine origin of the christian religion are entitled to the christian name. And if you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the anointed, the messiah, the Sa. viour of the world, you embrace the only true faith of the Gospel; and consequently, you are entitled so far as faith goes, to admission to the christian church, to christian salvation, and to the christian name.

You are also told, that none possess the christian

character, but those who seek salvation in the right way. Very true. But which is this right way? The scriptures must again decide. They repeatedly inform us that salvation is promised to those, and those only, who obey the christian commands. Our Saviour said to the person who inquired what he must do to inherit eternal life"Keep the commandments." He also declared to his followers-"Ye are my disciples, if ye do whatsoever I command you." In the Epistle to the Hebrews, the same idea is more clearly and fully expressed. "He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him." And to none others, as we learn from this solemn warning. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." You therefore perceive that obedience to the christian commands is the only right way of salvation. Now are not sincere christians of all parties seeking salvation in this way? Do you not find many in every denomination who are striving to obey their chosen Lord? Yes. You must confess that christian goodness is not confined to any sect; and consequently, is not dependent on any peculiarity of faith, but results from those principles which are common to all Christians. Every obedient disciple, therefore, of whatever name, possesses the christian character. And if you are honestly endeavoring to obey the precepts of Jesus, you are seeking salvation in the right way; and so far as you have established christian habits, so far you possess the christian character.

You are likewise told that those who do not encourage frequent religious meetings, are destitute of christian

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zeal. Let us once more look for the decisions of scripture. And I ask, if religious meetings on week days are enjoined by any one command of scripture? Are they, any where in the Bible, declared to be necessary evidences of religious zeal ?-Now I conceive the case to be just this, in regard to religious meetings. We are to be zealously engaged in the performance of all commanded duties. We must decide for ourselves on the best measures for acquiring christian dispositions and habits. If our leisure furnishes us with opportunities for attending religious meetings, and we think them beneficial to our growth in grace, let us not be condemned for this honest exercise of our judgment. So on the other hand, if any of us disapprove of such meetings, and think them on the whole productive of more evil than good, and neglect to attend upon any but such as are of divine appointment, let us not be censured for this rightful exercise of our understanding. For my own part, I think we can improve our characters with the most certainty and the greatest success, by spending our weekly leisure in retirement, meditation, secret devotion, the study of the scriptures, self-examination, visiting the sick and afflicted, and doing good to all around us. I would however have you think upon this subject; and act according to your deliberate convictions. And you never will forget that frequent attendance at religious meetings is no proof of christian zeal; and if you never attend another, so long as you faithfully improve the instructions of the Sabbath, you need not fear the displeasure of your Saviour or your God.

Finally, you are told, that those ministers, who do

not preach the doctrines of grace, are not favored with revivals of religion. If the peculiarities of Calvinism are called the doctrines of grace, this assertion is false. For some ministers in almost every denomination, believing that these religious excitements, called revivals of religion, are favorable, either to the progress of piety or the increase of a party, adopt the necessary measures for producing them. And among no sect are there such constant and extensive revivals, as among that class of believers, who take the name of Christians. In about twentyfive years they have established over one thousand new churches in the United States. One of their elders, during the past year, baptized over four hundred converts. Now you will recollect that this large, and increasing, and pious denomination are wholly and decidedly unitarian in their religious sentiments. These facts prove two things; first, that these excitements are not confined to any one party; and second, that they do not depend for their existence in the least on the preaching of Calvinism. They occur among people of widely dif ferent religious views. There are some ministers in almost every sect who do not approve of them; and consequently, they use all prudent measures for preserving their societies from their influence when raging in the same neighborhood, town, or city. But they do not take this stand, because they are opposed to the revival of pure and practical religion. Far from it. Such a revival is the object of their constant prayers and persevering labors. They oppose these excitements, because they think them unnatural, and because they are generally attended with so many evils, so much neglect of important duties, so

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