agitated, at last centre and converge. If any one will consult the systems of our principal theological writers, he will find, that the doctrine respecting man lies at the very basis, occupies by far the largest place, and is exhibited with more clearness, than any other part of the system. And this is in accordance with a fact very noticeable in doctrinal history, viz. that wherever the more practical cast of mind has prevailed, theological enquiry has been principally directed towards those regions of truth lying within the sphere of Christian experience; and that, on the contrary, the more speculative turn of mind has inclined to the investigation of that part of truth lying above and beyond the boundaries of our consciousness. Thus in the more practical Occidental church, theological enquiry has been more frequently and with preference directed to the doctrine respecting man, in all its branches and relations; while in the more speculative Oriental church, investigation has turned principally upon the doctrine respecting God, the mode of his existence, the person of the Redeemer, and other associated doctrines.

But the consideration of man belongs to Christian Theology, only so far as his relation to the work of Redemption is concerned. This relation must be one of greater or less need of the remedial scheme of the Gospel. To deny this need wholly, is not merely heretical, but directly anti-Christian. But this need being generally admitted, there are two extreme diverging tendencies, which constitute the natural heresies to which speculation about man has been ever prone. The first is that, which represents the need of man to be so great, as to constitute a natural, as well as moral inability to good, supposes the human constitution to be essentially, as well as contingently evil,-sees nothing in man to which the scheme of Redemption can naturally appeal, or which renders him naturally susceptible of influences from it, and places him in the incapacity of a block or a stone to all religious duty and effort, until brought under moral obligation, and empow ered to duty, by an antecedent and unconditioned renovation. The other extreme of sentiment is that, which unduly exalts the ability of man, and overlooks the bondage of his will,— which conceives human nature to possess within itself principles which are adequate, or nearly so, to its recovery, and so reduces to the minimum man's need of Redemption, that though his dependance on divine grace is not denied, it is rather held as a matter of revelation, than believed as

a necessary result of the views entertained respecting his natural condition.-Such seem to be the existing divergencies of opinion; and somewhere between these must the truth lie. To attain the golden mean, in which our need and dependance shall be so held as not to interfere with our moral obligation, and in which the powers which truly remain to us since the fall, shall be so regarded as not to interfere with our absolute dependance on divine aid,—in short, to attain to the just and scriptural view of man's relation to the scheme of Redemption, must be acknowledged to be of the highest importance to every intelligent Christian.

In our attempts to attain to the truth on this subject, as well as on every other, we would have infixed in our minds, that most important, but neglected principle, " that every speculative errour, which boasts a multitude of advocates, has its golden, as well as its dark side, that there is always some truth connected with it, the exclusive attention to which has misled the understanding, some moral beauty which has given it charms for the heart." We cannot think so meanly of the human mind, as to suppose it capable, except in the state of the most extreme perversion, of receiving naked errour, unadorned by the attractions of some truth, which hides its deformities, and commends it to the mind and heart. Hence we may see, that those persons are not in a fair way of arriving at truth, who feel an unmingled detestation of any wrong tendency of opinion, or who pronounce upon it indiscriminate condemnation; on the contrary, they are almost sure to run into the opposite extreme of errour. This unlimited detestation of some former heresy, is represented by Lord Bacon, as the root from which most of the subsequent heresies of the church have sprung; and so he describes them as "posthumi hæresium filii,-heresies that arise out of the ashes of other heresies, that are extinct and amortised." He establishes the truth of this representation by appealing to the history of the Arian and Sabellian heresies; and it might be still farther established by inquiring into the causes of the leading divisions in the church of our times. --Would we then escape that partiality of view to which controversialists are so liable, and which blinds them to half the truth on the controverted subjects; we must rise above sectarian prejudices, and seek first for the golden side of errour, -the truth which attracts so many, and such enthusiastic * Bacon's Works. Vol. vii. p. 43, Montagu's edit.

advocates: we must then endeavour to discern where the regard for this truth becomes too exclusive, or runs into extravagance, and so becomes an ignis fatuus, leading on its unsuspecting followers into the dark and inextricable mazes of errour. Such a course of impartial eclecticism will indeed unfit one to be either the leader or tool of a party; but it will qualify him for the nobler service of truth. There will be some hope of convincing an opponent of his errour, if we recognize and acknowledge the truth of which he has been in pursuit; while he will feel that an indiscriminate censure is unjust, and follow on the more eagerly after that light, which is so clear to himself, but which his assailants refuse to see.

While the controversies by which the church in our times is agitated, are, in themselves considered, only evil; yet it is not difficult to see how they may be overruled by Providence to great and good ends. The doctrines which are now the subjects of this animated discussion, will probably be held hereafter more purely than before, by the great body of Christians. The rust which had grown over them by long disuse, will be rubbed off by the collision of debate, and the dross by which their gold was made dim, will be purged away in the fiery ordeal of controversy.

In seeing the unchecked and luxuriant growth and spread of false opinions, it is some consolation to reflect, that if errours really exist, it is better they should be allowed a full developement, than be left to lurk, as a secret poison, in the body of the church. While, then, we see in these violent eruptions, the symptoms of an inward disorder of the system, we see also the evidence of an approaching relief, and the promise of renewed health.

There is another still more cheering aspect in which we may view the present imperfect and erroneous conceptions of Christianity, which in themselves are so much to be lamented. Since in religion, knowledge depends upon experience, and the latter is necessarily progressive, so must also be the former. And this is true of the religious knowledge of the Church as a whole, as well as of that of individual Christians. The Christian, in the first stages of his religious life, has only a vague and incomplete knowledge of the whole system of Christian truth. Owing to some particular circumstances either in his outward or inward state, he seizes eagerly, and apprehends clearly one part of the general system. As these circumstances vary, and his experience is enlarged, other

parts of the system successively attract his attention, and become fixed in his belief. And he comes at length to a mature and complete understanding of truth, as the result of that providential discipline by which his religious life has been fully developed.

It is the same with the church as a whole. In the early periods of its history, while its religious life was as yet undeveloped, its knowledge of the great system of divine truth was partial and incomplete. And its advance in Christian knowledge, like that of individuals, has been always conditioned by its outward circumstances and inward states. The prejudices of the early Jewish converts in behalf of the ancient dispensation, made them slow to perceive the universal nature of Christianity, and its independance of the limitations of Judaism. The more free and untrammelled nature of Christianity was first apprehended by the Hellenistic con-, verts, who, from their external relations, were free from the bias under which their Jewish brethren were placed. Again; the Christians of the Oriental church, in the second and third centuries, from being placed in immediate contact and conflict with the Gnostics, (who weakened the sense of moral obligation by making all evil the result of our natural, bodily organization,) were inclined to exalt the powers of the free will, and overlook comparatively the dependance of man upon divine aid for the right exercise of his moral powers. But when, in the fourth century, the outward relations of the church were altered, and it was now placed in conflict with the Pelagians, the grace and sovereignty of God became as prominent, as the powers of man had formerly been.—Thus is one point after another, in the great system of truth, gained to the knowledge of the church, in the progress of its history. One side after another of the great orb of revelation is turned upon the eye of Christian reflection. What was obscure, becomes luminous; what was defective, is supplied; and the parts being separately considered, the idea of the whole is gradually heightened. The great points once settled in the convictions of the church, are indeed momentarily forgotten or obscured, and often need to be again impressed; still there is a perceptible and steady advance of knowledge. We may, then, look upon the imperfect and erroneous views of Christian doctrine now so prevalent, as constituting perhaps a necessary stage in the progressive developement of Christian knowledge. Now we VOL. I. 4

know in part. And it will not be until the church has been led, by the nurturing grace of its exalted Head, through all the needful vicissitudes of its earthly destiny, that at last, its spiritual life being complete, its knowledge, springing from this vital source, shall also be perfected.

In entering upon the work we have undertaken, we cannot but feel some solicitude in view of its responsibilities and dangers. In times of excitement, whatever bears on the agitated questions, takes strong hold upon the public mind, and ought therefore to be well considered. As we shall be compelled, by our convictions of duty, to speak openly and decidedly on many subjects about which the minds of Christians are divided, we can hardly hope to escape opposition; and shall thus be exposed to the feelings so often kindled in the conflict of opinions. We know of no way to guard ourselves against this danger so effectually, as to cherish the dispositions which the truth for which we contend, is calculated to produce, and to keep high in our view, above all personal considerations, the great end for which it was revealed. Should there be any thing in the conduct of this work contrary to Christian charity, or tending, by a rancorous spirit or offensive manner, to foment the unhappy divisions of the church, we should expect to suffer the reproach of our own consciences, and to meet with the disapprobation of all good men, and of the final Judge of the world. If, however, in faithfully discharging the duty to which we are called, in maintaining what we believe to be true, and opposing what we believe to be false, we should arouse the anger or hostility of any class of men;-for these effects, we should not consider ourselves responsible, but regard them rather as signs of the badness of the cause of those by whom they might be exhibited. "Two sorts of men there are," says Bishop Berkley, "one, who candidly seek truth, by rational means; these are never averse to having their principles looked into, and examined by the test of Reason. Another sort there is, who learn by rote a set of principles and a way of thinking, which happen to be in vogue. These betray themselves by their anger and surprise, whenever their principles are freely canvassed."*

That momentary jarring of the temple which necessarily attends the lifting of its pillars from off the sandy basis to which they had been removed, and replacing them on their * Defence of Free-thinking in Mathematics.