vidual, which has been believed by some of the most devoted and experimental Christians whom this world has ever seen. In all of these statements it is apparent that they have benevolently aimed at the great end before mentioned,— that is, to give a thorough and radical view of the fallen and ruined condition of man, so as to dissipate all the delusions of pride and self-confidence, and to prepare the way for a cure no less radical and thorough. They felt that the strength and obstinacy of their own inherent depravity was so great, and its resistance of all means of thorough cure so long-continued, that it must have its roots lower than any act of conscious choice, even in a depraved nature. So also the power of depravity, as developed in the history of the world was so great, both in resisting and rendering vain divine means and influences adapted to reform it, and in plunging man headlong into all depths of sin in its vilest forms, that they could not rest satisfied with a mere statement of the fact that men do voluntarily sin from the commencement of moral agency, but descended into the depths of a nature utterly depraved, anterior to all individual, personal action, for a cause permanent and powerful enough to produce such results.

To illustrate their ideas of the activity and of the power of this depraved nature, they resort to the most striking material analogies. It is like a glowing furnace, constantly emitting flames and sparks; a fountain sending out polluted streams. It is a seed or seed-plot of sin. Original sin, by which it is thus corrupted, is a stain or infection pervading all the powers of the soul. It is a noisome root, out of which do spring most abundantly all kinds of sin. They do not regard it as merely a propensity to sin, which is not of itself sinful, but assert emphatically that it is truly and properly sin, and exposes those in whom it is,

even before they have acted at all, to the wrath of God and eternal death.

In coming to these results, they turned the clear gaze of their minds away, for a time, from other considerations, and regarded intently what they knew of human depravity by experience, by history, and by the word of God, and sought to lay a foundation deep enough to sustain a doctrine that should come up to the fearful realities of the case. Nor does their language convey an idea at all too strong of the fearful power of the actual developments of human depravity in the history of this world, even as stated by Unitarians,— or of the great truth, that there must be in man some adequate cause, before action, of a course of action so universal, so powerful, so contrary to right, to the natural laws of all created minds, and to his own highest interests.

But the question whether their statements are not liable to serious and unanswerable objections, so long as the moving powers of Christianity are adjusted as they are at present, will more properly come up for consideration hereafter.

CHAPTER IX.

SOCIAL AND ORGANIC RELATIONS OF MAN.

WE have seen how full are the statements of Turretin, Dr. Watts, John Wesley, and others, against the idea that a new-created being should be so made, or so circumstanced, that there should be an original bias or preponderance towards sin and ruin. If a new-created being has a sinful or morally deteriorated nature, there would seem to be, on these principles, the greater reason for not exposing him to the additional influence of circumstances tending to develop, strengthen and mature, his sinful propensities. We need, then, in order to judge of the conflict between principles, and facts, to consider the circumstances of man, as well as his nature and original propensities. If we stop short of this, we shall not adequately conceive the power of those causes, various and united, that tend to the ruin of man, as conceived by those who entertain the views under consideration. We see only the power of his personal depravity as an individual, and his weakness to resist allurements to sin. We ought, then, in order to complete these views, next to consider the fact, that, being thus depraved, man is subjected from his birth to the power of other sinful minds, united in depraved social arrangements and organizations, called, collectively, the world.

In the heathen world, and in sinful families of Christian

nations, this subjugation to the power of evil social organizations begins from the time of birth. All the pollutions of idolatry, all the evil passions, actions and examples, of sinful parents, surround the child from his birth upward, and form the moral atmosphere in which he lives.

"Superstitions exist that are the growth of ages; and idolatries that seem to have been adapted, with consummate address, to meet all that depraved nature craves; and these are so inwrought with the fabric of society as to make an integral part of every one of its institutions, and thus every earthly interest seems to demand that things should remain. as they are.'

On this subject Dr. Burnap has thus spoken, with great truth and eloquence :

Society, from the same causes, is as capable of becoming vitiated as the individual, with this more calamitous consequence, that it reäcts upon the individual, to make him. more depraved than he could have become had he stood alone. Not only so, but the vices of society are more enduring than those of the individual. The vices of the individual die with him, but the vices of society are perpetuated from generation to generation." * * ** *

"Under an arbitrary or a tyrannical government, all motives to a virtuous life are greatly weakened Virtue has no reward, and vice is safe so long as it has the means to bribe the hand of justice.

"It is in vain to expect any high degree of moral attainment under a bad government. Take, as an example, the Ottoman empire. It occupies some of the fairest portions of the globe. But, the very manner in which the government is administered corrupts and ruins everything. The whole organization of the state is nothing more nor less than a vast machine for extortion and robbery. The suc

cessive governors of the different provinces are generally court favorites, or mere adventurers, whose only hope of wealth and distinction is the favor of their sovereign, resulting in the opportunity of plundering, for a few years, one of the provinces of the empire. With this understanding, the sycophant takes possession of his government, and under the pretence of taxation, which he levies at his own discretion, the best citizens are sure to suffer the worst spoliation. The very appearance of thrift and wealth is dangerous, and all motive to industry and economy, to good morals and good management, is taken away. Those who are plundered seek first a refuge in hypocrisy and deception; or, having lost all, become the robbers and oppressors of those who are more defenceless than themselves.

"Can it be said that a human being, who is born and passes through life under such a government and in such a state of society, has a fair opportunity for right development? No more than a grain of corn thrown into a heap of stones or a thicket of brambles."

The power of corrupt social organizations is not at all exaggerated in this statement; and the same remarks may be extended to corrupt religious, educational and commercial organizations, which have in all ages exerted inconceivable power.

So, too, as far as the larger social circles, of which he is a part, in Christian nations, are worldly, ambitious, luxurious or sensual, he is led, by social power and rewards, and by the fear of shame, to follow the same course to which his depraved heart already impels him. Hence the fact that large cities are slaughter-houses of countless throngs of young men,-in theatres, at the gaming-table, the tavern, or the place of impure resort. Moreover, so far as business and politics are worldly and corrupt, so far they give a new