clusive a system as the Calvinistic, would never have written for publication things which can with such difficulty be made to square with its exclusiveness.

Let us now turn to the Epistle to the Hebrews, as the next on account of its length and doctrinal importance. Would any one who had clear views respecting “The truth," i.e., the modern Evangelical scheme, give as the first principles, or the foundations of the doctrine of Christ, the six which we find enumerated in this Epistle (chap. vi. 1-4), two of these being "The doctrine of Baptisms," and of "Laying on of hands"?

We have a list of leading principles in a book' written by a clergyman who professed to leave the Church because of its unscriptural character, and yet his list is very dif ferent from that given in this place by the authority of the Spirit of God-Baptism and the Laying on of hands being of course excluded.

Again, would any one who held the Calvinistic scheme contemplate for a moment the irrevocable fall of those "once enlightened," and who had "tasted of the heavenly gift," and had been "made partakers of the Holy Ghost"? Could he contemplate those who had been sanctified by the blood of the Covenant counting it an unholy thing, or those who had "come to the Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem," and the "blood of sprinkling," "refusing Him that speaketh"? (Heb. x. 29 ; xii. 22.)

Again, let us take the Epistle to the Ephesians. There is no part of God's word which has furnished so many phrases to our modern Evangelical writers as the first two chapters of this Epistle have; and yet there is no part which, taken as a whole, more unequivocally condenins them as coming short of the mind of the Spirit: Rev. B. W. Noel's "Church and State."

for there is no part of God's word in which the individualizing view of Christianity is so completely sunk in the Church view.

In the first two chapters, the election-the calling-the justification—the salvation—even the access to God, are not that of the individual, as such, but of the individual as a member of the Church. It is "we," "ye," not “ I,” "thou," from first to last.

And if the former chapters are thus irreconcilable with the mere individualizing view of God's salvation, what shall we say of the latter? The contrast between the Apostolic and the modern Evangelical mode of inculcating the practical duties of social and domestic life is almost ridiculous.

Think of husbands being commanded to love their wives, and wives to obey their husbands, not with a view of demonstrating their justification or election, but because "Christ loved the Church,” and because the "Church is the body of Christ." (Ephes. v. 22-30.)

Again, take the first Epistle to Timothy.

In this most important pastoral Epistle (dealing more fully than any other with the duties and obligations of the ministry), Justification by Faith, or Final Perseverance, are not mentioned; and yet we have in it such statements as the following:

"She shall be saved in childbearing (rather by the childbearing). if they continue in faith and charity, and holiness, with sobriety' (ii. 15).

"Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man, well reported of for good works: if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints' feet, if she have relievea the afflicted; if she have diligently followed every good work' (v. 10).

"Rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate,

laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life" (vi. 17).

Again, the truly enlightened man is supposed to be guided to a right apprehension of the true place of certain doctrines in the scheme of Evangelic truth. First, conviction of sin; then a saving apprehension of Christ; after these, Sanctification. These must be expressed in their right order. Any reversal of this order so as to put Sanctification first, at once stamps the person so committing himself as "unacquainted with the truth."

Now, it is a fact that the Apostle of the Gentiles scarcely ever observes this order. He continually puts Sanctification or its equivalents first, i.e., before Faith or Justification, and its equivalents. The following are instances:

"Ye are washed, ye are sanctified, ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor. vi. 11).

"We are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth" (2 Thess. ii. 13).

66

Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned" (1 Tim. i. 5).

"Let no man despise thy youth, but be thou an example of the believers in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity" (1 Tim. iv. 12).

"But thou, O man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness" (1 Tim. vi. 11).

"Flee also youthful lusts, but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart" (2 Tim. ii. 22).

66

Hearing of thy love and faith which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus" (Philemon 5).

"But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: that the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience" (Tit. ii. 2).

"This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord: I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them, and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more (Heb. x. 16, 17).

Now let us turn to the Epistle of St. James. We read in it the following:

"Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak" (i. 19).

"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world" (i. 27).

"Ye see, then, how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only" (ii. 24).

"My brethren, be not many teachers (didáσkaλoi), knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation" (iii. 1).

"Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord" (v. 14).

Supposing that a document containing these things, and purporting to be written by an Apostle, were to come to light now for the first time, would it not be summarily condemned as written by a totally unenlightened man, and especially as we find in it not one reference to the Atonement? And yet we believe that this Epistle is an integral part of that God-inspired Scripture which is profitable for doctrine.

Again, let us take the General Epistle of St. John. If the Apostle had the same view of what constitutes a truly enlightened man which many now have, would he have ever written such words as "He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light"? Or, again, would he have given as a sign of regeneration, "Every one that loveth is born of God"? or, above all, would he have limited the cleansing power of the blood

of Christ in such words as "If we walk in the light as Je is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin"?

Again, let us notice the answer given by St. John the Baptist to the people who asked him the question, What shall we do? St. Luke records that he answered, “He that hath two coats let him impart to him that hath none.' (Luke iii. 11.)

66

Again, let us take the words of the angel to Cornelius, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God." (Acts x. 4.)

Having now considered the words of the servants, let us turn to those of their Master. Among His sayings are the following:

"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matt. 5. 7).

"Love your enemies, bless them that curse you that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven" (Matt. v. 44, 45).

"Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."

"If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses " (Matt. vi. 14, 15).

"Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge ye shall be judged ” (Matt. vii. 1).

"Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world-for I was an hungered and ye gave Me meat" (Matt. xxv. 34, 35).

"When ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any, that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses " (Mark xi. 25).

"Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again, and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest" (Luke vi. 35).

“Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven" (Luke vi. 37).

"That on the good ground are they, which in an honest and