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their moral and spiritual vision darkened, whilst the very "babes" in knowledge and in intellect have had clear and glorious conceptions of the mind of God—where is the imprudence or presumption in the weakest and least gifted of God's servants assaulting the strongest holds of suspected or declared heresy? Where the folly of the stripling David confronting the mightiest Goliath? It must first be proved that by human searching man can find out God-it must first be proved that human learning lessens the distance between man and God—it must first be proved that human philosophy raises its possessor into the third heavens—ere an obscure or ungifted man, on the score of that obscurity or lack of gifts, may legitimately be rebuked for stamping "heresy," or "imposture," or "vain deceit," upon the theological declarations of the greatest scholar of the age!

I write not thus, my dear friends, to encourage or to countenance in you vain notions of your own importance or opinions; it is farthest from my design to puff you up, or make you look with contempt upon those whom God in His providence has placed above you in this world. No, no. "Let every soul be subject to the higher powers," be they enlightened or unenlightened, is a precept yet in full force; and, believe me, that the individual who knows not his own place in this life, gives but

a sorry manifestation of his teaching from above. But I am merely maintaining, that the but too common belief-viz. that human learning and human intellect enable a man to know God better, is utterly at variance with both Scripture and experience.

Human learning and capacious intellect are greatly to be admired when sanctified to the glory of God; but let no man suppose that because he is possessed of either or both, he consequently is fit to instruct you in the things that belong to your peace.

I make no secret of the fact, that the doctrines I have from time to time laid before you are most decided and discriminating! I am not one of those who believe in half-a-dozen sorts of doctrine, or mouth out an indefinable, Babel jargon, composed of bits and scraps of "begged opinions," and mutilated fragments from the word of God; but I am one who thoroughly believes in the doctrinal Articles of that branch of Christ's professing Church to which we have the privilege to belong; and, with those Articles, holds that free-will to do good in man is indeed a nonentity, and that the works of all unconverted persons, be they ever so good in their results, partake of the nature of sin.

I hold, moreover, and would, if I could, have you to hold, that there is but one road to heavenone faith, one Lord, one baptism;" and that who

soever is not upon that road, knows not that Lordreceives not that baptism-will never see light!

that

Charity, I trust, both you and I possess ; blessed bond of peace with the brethren-that charity which puffeth not up-the charity of Paul—the charity of God. But as for that maudlin sentiment called "charity" by the world—a charity that would give every man a chance (!) of being saved -a charity that would fain hope every man will be saved-a charity that dares not exclude the devils themselves from hope—a charity that would eat into the very core and vitals of faith, and leave you in the gloom and hopelessness of infidelity, you must pray against, repudiate, and abhor.

It will, perhaps, be objected that I lay claim to infallibility, as I take so high a stand and occupy so determined a position; but I refute the charge by pointing to my definition of "infallibility" in the following pages.

Yet, as it may be asked, "What is the difference between your assuming that you are right in the main, and that all who differ with you are wrong, and the assumption of infallibility?" you must permit me, my dear friends, to be a little minute upon this point.

There is a sophism [i. e., a fallacy] in this objection; a sophism by which many a poor child of God has been puzzled, and many a superficial

thinker been deluded. I would, then, first call your attention to the meaning of infallibility, and afterwards state to you the reasons there are for concluding with decision, too] that all who differ from me in the main are wrong—grievously wrong. Infallibility is exemption from error. Not merely upon a single point, but exemption from error upon all points, or the impossibility of erring upon any point. This I hold to be out of the reach of man; yea, even of inspired man [see for an example in Galatians ii]. I do not, therefore, presume to infallibility in this, its real sense; but yet I hold that every truly converted individual is empowered to pronounce, with authority, upon the soundness or unsoundness of any form or confession of faith that may be laid before him-i. e., as far as the essentials of that faith are concerned. Such a one may err in non-essentials; for instance, I might err in my notions of church discipline-in my views of waterbaptism-in my suspicions as to the conversion of an individual of a peculiar temperament—in my ideas of the millennium-in my interpretation of many mystical passages in the Bible, &c., &c. But I most confidently hold that, if I am a converted person-one called effectually by the miraculons interposition of God the Holy Ghost, I have a power and capacity given me to decide, and with authority, too, upon doctrine which is essential to salvation, and a reason to believe that such decision is unerring.

And why? Simply because God has thought fit to consign such authority and power to His Church on earth; simply because He has declared that every member of it shall be taught by Him; and that He will guide His people into all truth [which I take to mean all essential truth]. Nothing can be more distinctly stated than that God purposed every member of His Church to be soundly grounded in the essentials of the faith; and nothing can be clearer than that He intended His ministers especially to decide, with all authority, upon questions of doctrine brought before them.

It is on this very fact that the Roman Catholic pontiff, and the priests of Rome, found their authority. It is because of this very fact that the Tractarian party of our own community assume so much importance, and rule with so high a hand.

These parties know well the letter of the Scriptures. They see it plainly enough written, that certain high and holy functions have been given by commission to THE CHURCH; and they are right. "THE CHURCH, indeed, hath power and authority in controversies of faith." She can decide with the authority of her great Head Himself, because He is ever with her, and ever teaching her, and bringing all things to her remembrance. But where the Romish party, and the Tractarian party, and every other party, without clear, and scriptural, and unmis