portance or sacredness of the divine standard of obj There is in fact such an immutable and divine standar save God knows it to perfection, and every inferen and revelation emphasizes the truth that God ju actions not so much by their outward form as by the prompts them—not so much by their body as b And, finally, it might be urged in favor of the prop tion, that it divests conscience of a perplexingly co acter and reduces it to a simple primitive activity And should it be objected that the only difference and some other definitions lies simply in the more or sense assigned to a word, still then the importance ence is not annulled. For words are the caskets of so long as they are falsely labelled they will commu own erroneousness to the thinking of whatever mind If, according to the definition proposed, the emotive cludes and explains all the phenomena usually emb the word conscience—if the judgment, the logical such, has no moral quality, why then confound the include an element that may as well, and even far be cluded?

1

A brief grouping of the bearings of this essay, an closed.

1. The conscience is a simple and exclusively mo ious activity of the soul. It stands between the ju the will, receiving formulæ from the former and i dates to the latter, but neither includes nor is to be either of them. Says Prof. Chadbourne [Nat. The "We may mistake in our judgment right from wr

The phrases "public conscience," "national conscien refer to that general harmony of conscience in a people munity which uniformly results from a common teaching

3. The conscience is faithful in its functions. I warns against believed sin. If its voice is not heard, i cause it is drowned beneath the clamor of inferior impul

4. It is always binding and should always be obeyed is never a sin to do a believed duty, though it chance t absolute wrong; and it is always a sin to do a believed though it chance to be an absolute right.

5. Conscience is always, and for every moral agent, th guide under his actual circumstances; for it always pron seek after correct views of duty and to practise them s believed. If he disregards it and comes thus, by unfai ing with himself, to entertain wrong views sincerely, the in the neglect of conscience by which he fell into them, b not be in his conscientiously practising them when once si ly believed.

6. It is the most sacred manifestation of the soul. It is that the new life begins. "The Holy Spirit," says Aub "beginning from the inmost centre of the conscience, con ly gains wider and deeper possession of the whole man.' authority it stands high above all political and ecclesiastical It should enjoy perfect liberty, and all laws which interfere it, except so far as to safeguard a similar liberty in others, unjust and infamous. The understanding may be instru but the conscience not forced. The great Reformation was

gives tone to all the subordinate activities of the sou

ART. II.-THE SINNER'S WORK IN HIS SA

To preacher and hearer the process of the new spiritual life is of intense interest. The methods and of hearing depend upon our views of this sub is a class of theologians who believe and teach that sive in this transition from death unto life; that God him by sovereign grace, and that faith and repentanc of this regeneration. Some act consistently with th and hence, never appeal to sinners, never urge the and oppose all missionary efforts to convert the special labor to convert sinners, as being futile and a interference with God's sovereignty. Others preach persuade just as if the sinner had ability to act, bel and submit to God, though they believe that he no such ability, and never can have, until he has be by the power of God. Though it may seem absu the duty and necessity of action while they believe impossible, and urge responsibility while they deny the world may well be thankful that they practise so and the apostles, however much they may differ fro doctrine. Such inconsistency is to be greatly pref teachings which exactly harmonize with the doctrine o

ability. Men are sufficiently inclined to excuse themselves from responsibility, without being told by expounders of the divine law that they can do nothing, not even so much as to believe God and submit to Christ.

Then there are those who earnestly insist upon human ability and responsibility, and at the same time describe the acts which God commands the sinner to do as entirely above his ability to perform. To this class belong theologians of the Arminian school. They teach that the sinner is abundantly able to believe the gospel and repent of his sins, and yet they represent acceptable faith and repentance as containing elements which are above the capacity of an unrenewed heart. It may be interesting to review the statements of these doctors of theology.

THE CALVINISTIC THEORY.

"Man, by his fall into a state of sin, hath wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good accompanying salvation, so as a natural man being altogether averse from that which is good, and dead in sin, is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself or prepare himself thereto." "The effectual call is of God's free and special grace alone, not from anything at all foreseen in man, who is altogether passive therein, until being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit, he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace offered and conveyed in it."

"The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts." "Repentance unto life is an evangelical grace, the doctrine whereof is to be preached by every minister of the gospel, as well as that of faith in Christ." (Westminster Confession of Faith.)

The points stated here to which attention is directed are these: 1. By the fall man has wholly lost all ability to will any good. He has only power to will evil; his only freedom is to do wrong. 2. God effectually calls the elect, whom he renews, but they are wholly passive in that renewal and all the steps thereto. 3. Faith is a grace, which is a consequent of regeneration; hence regeneration precedes faith and is the source of it. 4. Repentance is also a grace, and a fruit of regeneration. Hence it is vain to demand faith or repentance of the sinner

until he has been regenerated by the power of God, in effecting which the sinner is wholly passive.

THE ARMINIAN VIEW.

The Arminian statement of these doctrines, differs materially from the Calvinistic in most points, but runs into the same contradictions in developing all the factors of the scheme. We quote from Richard Watson, a recognized authority among Arminians.

"This appears to be the plain scriptural representation of this doctrine, and we may infer from it: 1. That the faith by which we are justified is not a mere assent to the doctrine of the gospel, which leaves the heart unmoved and unaffected by a sense of the evil and danger of sin, and the desire of salvation, though it supposes this assent: nor, 2. Is it that more lively assent to, and belief in, the doctrine of the gospel touching our sinful and lost condition, which is wrought in the heart by the Spirit of God and from which, springeth repentance, though this must precede it: nor, 3. Is it only the assent of the mind to the method by which God justifies the ungodly by faith in the sacrifice of his Son, though this is an element of it; but it is a hearty concurrence of the will and affections with this plan of salvation, which implies a renunciation of every other refuge, and an actual trust in Christ, and personal apprehension of his merits; such a belief of the gospel by the power of the Spirit of God, as leads us to come to Christ, to receive Christ, to trust in Christ, and to commit the keeping of our souls into his hands, in humble confidence of his ability and his willingness to save us. This statement of faith sets forth: 1. That no faith is acceptable unless it contains the element of affection for Christ. 2. That this characteristic of faith is wrought in the heart by the Holy Ghost. Now, can any one tell how a sinner comes to love Christ? Does the carnal, unrenewed heart love him? When he does attain to love of Christ, what more is requisite in order to regeneration? Is it possible for him to have an affection for the Saviour until he is regenerated? Is such affectionate confidence a condition, or a result of regeneration? Is it possible for a sinner to exercise this affectionate confidence? If not, is he required to do so in order to the reception of the grace which renews his heart? If no other faith is acceptable