serted popery, but being not yet fully purified from its leaven, had passed over into our churches, and had been admitted into the ministry in the same, during that first scarcity of ministers." p. 8. These disturbances having been suppressed, "afterward James Arminius, pastor of the most celebrated church at Amsterdam, attempted the same thing, with great boldness and enterprise." p. 8. *** ters who had been thus hastily admitted, were excluded, and formed a new body. But the general condition of the church was that of peace and union in the truth. Early in the nineteenth century, matters took a turn tending towards disorder; but the leaven was kept under, and outward peace and good order prevailed. II. Disturbances-their causes-novel doctrines. "James Arminius, a man, indeed, of a more vigorous genius, (excitatioris) but whom nothing pleased except that which commended itself by some show of novelty, so that he seemed to disdain those things received into the Reformed churches, even on that very account, that they had been received. Afterwards he began openly to propose and disseminate various heterodox opinions nearly related to the errors of the ancient Pelagians, especially in an explanation of the Epistle to the Romans: but by the vigilance of the venerable Presbytery of that church, his attempts were speedily opposed, lest he should be able to cause those disturbances in the church, which he seemed to project." p. 9. His "Some pastors who were intimately acquainted with him, gloried that they possessed an entirely new theology. scholars, having returned home from the university, or having been removed to other universities, petulantly (proterve) insulted the Reformed churches, That the peace of the Presbyterian church is now disturbed, will not be disputed. Our ecclesiastical atmosphere is greatly agitated. It may be a profitable question, From what causes? May we not safely infer the cause from its effects? If a controversy now exists, and throws the whole community into commotion, and, upon close examination, we find the subject matter of the controversy identical with principles which are known to have produced controversy of a similar character in a distant age, can any reasonable man hesitate to believe in the existence of the same causes? Assuredly, novelties in doctrine and measures are the present causes of present controversies. "Innovation distracts our councils." If Mr. Barnes was content to receive the doctrines of our Confession of Faith in their plain, and obvious, and commonly understood sense, the cause of controversy, so far as he is involved would not exist. If he was content to labour within the 66 Finally, very many new things in the government of the churches occur every where in this formular formula.) So that from the same, it might appear, that nothing other was proposed by those men, than that they might make all things new, not only in doctrine, but in the external government of the church by rites." p. 50. *** They presented a second remonstrance to the Illustrious the States, in which, with incredible impudence, they endeavour to remove from themselves `the crime of innovation, and to fasten the same on those pastors, who most constantly remained in the received doctrines of the churches." p. 63. "But moreover, because some persons having gone out from ***** they have among us, grievously, and altogether dangerously, disturbed the Belgic churches, before most flourishing, and most united in faith and love, and in these heads of doctrine, have recalled ancient and pernicious errors, and framed new ones: and publicly and privately, both by word and by writings, have scattered them among the common people, and have vehemently contended for them: have made "frame-work" of the Constitution he would find a harmonious co-operation of all true Presbyterians. The reader will perceive that novelty and haughty resistance to received opinions, by the introduction of ancient Pelagianism led to distraction. Nothing can be more evident than this fact, that the brethren of the new school do aim to subvert, or exceedingly to modify the doctrine of the authorised writings of the Presbyterian church, and that the others want no alteration to be made in that doctrine. Another point of resemblance is violent attempts now made to misrepresent the orthodox views, e. g. it is strenuously insisted on, that we teach the absurd doctrine of personal identity with Adam. This absurdity has been fathered on Edwards, with the obvious design, thereby to neutralize his influence in other points. The same is averred in reference to living orthodoxy. We all deny it; but still the opposition say, we do believe it. We challenge the proof, and there is none. Still the calumny is reiterated. The reader will also remark that, as the Remonstrants finally discovered, that the orthodox were the innovators: so now it is ascertained that the Confession of Faith is semi-Pelagian. (see Beecher's trial.) Still another point. The new doctrines find their way to light in a commentary on the Epistle to the Romans. (See Stuart's Commentary and Barnes' Notes.) Let us now attend to the par neither measure nor end of inveighing against the doctrine hitherto received in the churches, by enormous calumnies and reproaches." p. 127. Doctrines of the Synod of Dort. "As all men have sinned in Adam, and have become exposed to the curse and eternal death, God would have done no injustice to any one, if he had determined to leave the whole human race under sin and the curse, and to condemn them on account of sin.”—p. 87. No Presbyterian can be at any loss to see here the precise doctrine of his own church. 2. The will.-The "Therefore, all men are conceived in sin, and born children of wrath, indisposed (inepti,) to all saving good, propense to evil, dead in sin, and the slaves of sin; and without the grace of the regenerating Holy Spirit, they neither are willing nor able to turn to God, to correct their depraved nature, or to dispose themselves to the correction of it."—p. 105. "In which manner, (or for which reason,) unless the admirable Author of all good should work in us, there could be no hope to man of rising from the all, by that free will, by which, ticulars of doctrinal innovation. We shall not find, indeed, a perfect agreement in the detail; but it will appear that in the main points, the ancient and the modern new schools are identical. Errorists condemned by them. The Synod condemned all who teach that All men are taken into a state of reconciliation and the grace of the covenant; so that no one, on account of original sin, is liable to damnation or to be damned; but that all are exempt from the condemnation of sin.'—p. 103. Who teach that It cannot properly be said, that original sin suffices of itself for the condemnation of the whole human race, or the desert of temporal and eternal punishments.'-p. 111. To see how much like this is the modern doctrine, see p. 104, of the argument. ability doctrine. Condemned are they "who usurp the distinctions of impetration and application, that they may instil this opinion into the unwary and inexperienced; that God, as far as pertained to him, had willed to confer equally upon all men, the benefits which are acquired by the death of Christ: and that some rather than others (præ aliis,) should be partakers of the remission of sins and eternal life, this discrimination depended on their free will, applying to themselves the grace indifferently offered."-p. 103. "Who teach that Man unre when standing, he fell to ruin." p. 110. "And that others, who are called by the ministry of the gospel, do come and are converted, this is not to be ascribed to man, as if distinguishing him self by free will (libero arbitrio) from others, furnished with equal or sufficient grace, (which the proud heresy of Pelagius states,) but to God, who, as he chose his own people in Christ from eternity, so he also effectually calls them in time; gives them repentance and faith."-p. 107. The reader will here perceive the doctrine of our church as it has been held from the first, and is taught in our Confession. Man has neither the ability nor the will to convert himself. 3. Faith a grace. "That some, in time, have faith given to them by God, and others have it not given, proceeds from his eternal decree. For, known unto God are all his works, from the beginning of the world." Acts xv. 18. Eph. i. 11. According to which decree, he graciously softens the hearts of the elect, however hard, and he bends them to believe; but the non-elect he bends, in just judgment, to their own perversity and hardness.'' p. 88. Thus, therefore, faith is the gift of God; not in that it is offered to the will of man by God, but that the thing itself is conferred on him, inspired, generate is neither properly nor totally dead in sins, or destitute of all power for what is spiritually good; but that he can hunger and thirst after righteousness of life, and offer the sacrifice of a broken and contrite spirit, which is accepted by God." "-p. 112. "Who teach that 'Grace and free will are partial causes concurring at the same time to the beginning of conversion; nor doth grace, in the order of causalty, precede the efficacy of the will; that is, God doth not effectually help the will of man to conversion, before the will of man moves and determines itself." "-p. 115. The reader must see here the old doctrines of Pelagius, revived by the Arminians, and now strenuously thrust upon us as new theology. Man has the ability; the will only is wanting. Faith an act of the mind. "For the proof of this thing, he [Gomarus,] produced his own very words, written out from the hand writing of the same Arminius, in which he asserts that in the justification of man before God, the righteousness of Christ is not imputed for righteousness; but that faith itself, or the act of believing (To, credere,) by the gracious acceptation, (acceptationem, acquittal,) was that our righteousness, by which we are justified before God." p. 23. In view of this doctrine the Synod condemn those "Who teach that, in the true conversion of man, there cannot be new qualities, habits, or gifts, infused into him. Not even that God only confers the power of believing, but from thence expects the consent, or the act of believing; but that he who worketh both to will and to do, worketh in man both to will to believe, and to believe itself, (et velle credere et ipsum credere,) and thus he worketh all things in all."-p. 109. "In order to give them alone justifying faith, and thereby to lead them to eternal life-that he should confer on them the gift of faith."—p. 100. 4. Faith not a condition of election. "This same election is not made from any foreseen faith, obedience of faith, holiness, or any other good quality and disposition, as a prerequisite cause, or condition in the man who should be elected; but unto faith and unto the obedience of faith, holiness," &c.-p. 89. The doctrine condemned in the opposite column is sometimes avowed publicly in this nineteenth century. infused by God into his will; and so faith, by which we are first converted, and from which we are called the faithful, is not a quality or gift infused by God; but only an act of man.'"-p. 113. For proof that this error is part of our new theology, the reader may consult the preceding Argument, p. 54, &c. where he will see evidence of remarkable coincidence. Mr. Barnes does indeed deny that faith is a work, whilst he affirms it to be "his own act.' Dr. Wilson, however, proves it upon him beyond cavil. See p. 59. Faith a condition of election. The Synod condemn those "Who teach that election of individuals to salvation, incomplete and not peremptory, is made from foreseen faith, repentance, and sanctity and piety begun; and, therefore, faith, the obedience of holiness, piety, and perseverance, are not the fruits and effects of iminutable election to glory, but the conditions and causes required beforehand.'". -pp. 95, 96. Doctrine of perfect satisfaction Doctrine of perfect satisfaction maintained. "Which punishment we cannot escape, unless the justice of God be satisfied." "2. But as we cannot satisfy it, and deliver ourselves from the wrath of God, God of infinite mercy gave to us his only begotten Son as a Surety, who, that he might make satisfaction for us, was made sin and a curse denied. The Synod condemn those "who teach" that God the Father destined his own Son unto the death of the cross, without a certain and a definite counsel of saving any one by name (nominatione,) so that its own necessity, utility, and meritoriousness, (dignitas) might be established unimpaired (sarta tecta) to the |