give them sufficient grace to improve the means of salvation; and knowing beforehand who would believe and persevere to the end, and who would not, he chose the former to eternal life, and left the latter in a state of condemnation. There is, however, a diversity of opinion among the holders of this general system; and some of them coincide with Socinians, in maintaining, that the decrees of God respecting men are not eternal, but are made in time; that men are elected to eternal life, after they have believed, and that if they have believed, and that, if they fall into a state of unbelief and impenitence, the sentence or decree is reversed.

In opposition to these systems, our Confession teaches that God made choice of, and predestinated a certain and definite number of individuals to everlasting life; that he predestinated them unto life before the foundation of the world was laid; that in so doing, he acted according to his sovereign will, and was not influenced by the foresight of their faith or good works, or perseverance in either of them; and that this purpose is immutable, it being impossible that any of the elect should perish."

"This section [see vii] describes what is usually called the decree of rep robation. This term is not used in the Confession, and when it occurs in Scripture, bears a different sense from the theological; but for the sake of convenience, it is used to express that act of God's will by which, when he viewed all mankind as involved in guilt and misery, he rejected some, while he chose others. Some who allow of personal and eternal election, deny any such thing as reprobation. But the one unavoidably follows from the other; for the choice of some must necessarily imply the rejection of others. "Election and rejection are correlative terms, and men impose upon themselves, and imagine that they conceive what it is impossible to conceive, when they admit election and deny reprobation."

In order to understand fully the doctrines of Election and Reprobation here set forth, the following considerations should be kept distinctly in mind:

1. According to the teachings of the Confession of Faith, all mankind are put under sentence of condemnation to death spiritual, temporal, and eternal, in the first instance for the act of another committed long before their existence commenced, an act which the decree of God had unchangeably ordained, that is, rendered impossible even for that being not to perform, and in the next for a nature in the production of which they had and could have had no more agency than in the creation of the world, and for which, on the principles of intrinsic justice they can no more be held responsible.

2. In connection with this nature the continuance or change of which depends exclusively upon the decree and agency of God, the existence of holiness and the non-existence of sin are to all men absolute impossibilities.

3. Having by his own decree, and that exclusively, rendered it impossible for all men not to come into this state, the Most High"for the manifestation of his own glory," and from eternity elects from this mass of death and corruption, a certain definite number of individuals to be saved from this state, and rendered heirs of life eternal, while "for the glory of his sovereign power over his creatures," He passes by and ordains the rest to "dishonor and wrath for their sin, to the praise of his glorious justice."

4. The number thus elected and reprobated is from all eternity rendered by the divine decree, and that exclusively, so definite and fixed that by no possibility can it be "either increased or diminished."

5. The reprobate thus decreed and destined, are to be doomed to everlasting death," not only for a sin committed when they had no existence, for a nature in the production of which they had no agency, and for actual transgression, which that nature, (which they could not but have) rendered it impossible for them not to perpetrate, but as we shall hereafter see, their doom is to receive infinite aggravation for the rejection of a salvation never in fact provided for them, and which the irreversible decree of God and their own constitution rendered it impossible for them not to reject when prof fered to them. Such we repeat are the doctrines of Election and Reprobation set forth in the Confession of Faith. We may safely challenge its advocates to show that ignorance or prejudice in us has induced us to give a solitary false shade to the horrid picture. We would simply add, that in our solemn judgment, nothing but the strange blindness and ignorance which darken the minds of even good men saves the imputation of such a system to that being whose name is love and who has taken a solemn oath before the universe that "He is not willing that any should perish," from involving a sin against the Holy Ghost.

Did our limits permit we should have much more to say on the doctrines under consideration. We pass however, to a consideration of the doctrine which comes next in order, that of Atonement or Redemption. By all evangelical christians, this doctrine is regarded as a cardinal article of their faith. The only important point of disagreement between them in respect to it pertains to the extent of the provisions of grace for the salvation of mankind. On this point the teachings of the Confession of Faith are perfectly explicit. Election, as we have before said, is according to its teachings pri

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As the

or to Redemption, as the end is prior to the means. work of Atonement sustains merely the relation of a means to the purpose of election, all its provisions pertain exclusively to the elect. For the reprobate no provisions of pardon or salvation exist. The following passages will render it demonstrably evident to every candid mind, that we have not misinterpreted its teachings on this subject. The first selection is from chapter viii, entitled "Christ the Mediator."

"SECTION V.-The Lord Jesus, by his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself, which he through the eternal Spirit once offered up to God, hath fully satisfied the justice of his Father; and purchased not only reconciliation, but an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, for all those whom the Father hath given unto him.

VI. Although the work of redemption was not actually wrought till after his incarnation, yet the virtue, efficacy, and benefits thereof, were communicated unto the elect, in all ages successively from the beginning of the world, in and by those promises, types, and sacrifices, wherein he was revealed, and signified to be the seed of the woman which should bruise the serpent's head, and the lamb slain from the beginning of the world, being the same yesterday, to-day, and forever.

VII. Christ, in the work of mediation, acteth according to both natures; by each nature doing that which is proper to itself: yet by reason of the unity of the person, that which is proper to one nature, is sometimes in Scripture, attributed to the person denominated by the other nature.

VIII. To all those for whom Christ hath purchased redemption, he doth cer tainly and effectually apply and communicate the same; making intercession for them; and revealing unto them in and by the word, the mysteries of salvation effectually persuading them by his Spirit to believe and obey; and governing their hearts by his word and Spirit; overcoming all their enemies by his almighty power and wisdom, in such manner and ways as are most consonant to his wonderful and unsearchable dispensation."

Here the reader will notice particularly, that while it is asserted on the one hand that redemption is purchased by Christ" for all those whom the Father hath given unto him,' it is declared on the other, that " To all for whom Christ hath purchased redemption, he doth certainly and effectually apply and communicate the same." This confines the provisions of grace exclusively to the elect. If atonement is general, then, according to the fundamental teachings of the Confession, salvation must be universal; for it is therein asserted, that to all for whom atonement is made, it is effectually applied, in the sense that they are persuaded by the Spirit to "believe and obey." If this does not assert the doctrine of particular in opposition to general atonement, we may safely

affirm, that it is not in the power of language to express that idea. In conformity with the same dogma it is asserted, Lar ger Catechism, question 59: that "Redemption is certainly and effectually applied to all those for whom Christ hath purchased it." While the doctrine of particular atonement, or redemption is thus directly and undeniably asserted, there cannot be found in any part of the instrument a solitary sentence or principle that stands opposed to this dogma.

Hence with great pertinency, the Exposition thus comments upon Section VIII, quoted above.

"This section relates to the extent of Christ's death with respect to its objects, and in opposition to the Arminian tenet, that Christ died for all men, for those who shall finally perish, as well as for those who shall be eventually saved; it affirms that the purchase and application of redemption are exactly of the same extent. In the fifth section we were taught that Christ purchased redemption only for "those whom the Father hath given unto him ;" and here it is asserted, that "to all those for whom Christ hath purchased redemption, he doth certainly and ef fectually apply and communicate the same." It was formerly remarked, that, at the period when the confession was framed, the phrase to purchase redemption was nearly synonymous with the phrase to make alonement for sin. What language, then, could affirm more explicitly than that here employed, that the atonement of Christ is specific and limited, that it is neither universal nor indefinite, but restricted to the elect, who shall be saved from wrath through him?”

[Our publisher has just returned the portion of our manuscript containing the remaining observations which we had made upon this part of our subject, and enters a protest against further procedure, at present, inasmuch as we have already landed on the last page of the present number. To this injunction, we are constrained to give heed till another occasion.]

"Brevity is very good When we are, or are not understood."

THE

OBERLIN QUARTERLY REVIEW.

VOLUME III........No. II.

NOVEMBER, 1847.

ARTICLE LVI.

The Confession of Faith of the Presbyterian Church.

By Pres. A. MAHAN.

[CONTINUED.]

OUR last article, as our readers will recollect, closed with an elucidation of the doctrine of Redemption or Atonement, as set forth in the Confession of Faith. No attentive and candid reader, we are quite certain, can escape the conviction, that the doctrine therein set forth, in respect to this subject, is that of particular, in opposition to that of general Atonement. Before leaving this part of our subject however, it is requisite to notice the resort of Presbyterians of the New School to escape the charge of heresy on the ground of having departed, in a particular so fundamental, from the instrument adopted as" containing the system of doctrines revealed in the Holy Scriptures." As a means to this end, they are accustomed to distinguish between Atonement and Redemption. The former term, they say, expresses the provisions of grace for the pardon of sin, and the salvation of sinners. In respect to the question whether atonement is general or particular, the Confession is silent. It affirms neither the one doctrine nor the other. Redemption, on the other hand not only includes the idea of atonement, but also its effectual application, in the repentance, sanctification, pardon and salvation of the sinner. Atonement, they say, is general. Redemption, from the nature of the case is, and must be partic