It is said of David at a certain time, that "every one that was distressed, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them." So in respect to the Arian party. It is composed to a great extent of discontented and restless spirits, who have either been cut off in the exercise of a scriptural and wholesome church discipline, or are restive and impatient under its restraints, and ready to embrace any system that will give greater license both in faith and practice. Such being the materials of which this sect is composed, we can easily account for the constant war upon creeds and church government, both by preachers and people. Expelled members generally turn against the church that excludes them, and complain of the discipline by which they are condemned. Hence by opposing creeds and tearing other churches in pieces, Arianism not only gets into sympathy with expelled persons, but increases the number of the disaffected and restless, the very materials of which the sect is mainly composed.

But in order to allay suspicions, and spread a kind of salvo over the poison; much is said about "UNION," even while they are concocting plans to rend societies and churches in pieces. In order to unite the heterogeneous elements that are thus called together, it is found necessary to dispense with Confessions of Faith, and in order to keep those that are thus enlisted, they must be wholly free from the restraints of church government, and the pruning knife of discipline. Hence the cry of "no creeds, no discipline."

On candidly surveying this whole system of operations the effort to create disaffection, and

break up other churches by sowing discord among brethren the war upon creeds and church government, and the formation of a party without eitherthe picking up of expelled members-the constant effort to get into notice by "challenges" and "debates," and by alledging that some great man, or respectable body of men, have noticed them-the use that is made of public controversies, and the one-sided course of the Arian paper-in view, we say, of this entire system by which Arianism labors to sustain itself, we can but believe that it is error and not truth. If it were of God, no such means would be necessary to sustain it, and the Arian party might grow up by the preaching of its doctrines to sinners, without tearing Christian churches in pieces, or gathering up excluded members that have been thrown over the walls of Zion.

We never knew an instance where Arianism got any foothold at all, unless it was by just such means as are above described; and, when it has done all it can, according to the above system, and is obliged to rely upon the preaching of its doctrines, and the blessing of God in the conversion of sinners for its support, it uniformly withers and

dies.

XVII. Arianism OUTRAGES PHILOSOPHY, REASON, REVELATION, CONSISTENCY, AND COMMON SENSE.

It represents "the next greatest being in the universe to God," as losing his knowledge, so that he could increase in wisdom" in this world; it accounts for the origin of this being, who is "ten thousand times greater than all the men on earth, and all the angels in heaven," by saying that he was "born into existence;" and represents this pre-existent Spirit as being changed into the flesh of Christ. It asserts that the Spirit of Christ actually died; it

represents the infinite Jehovah as having a wife and a natural son six thousand years ago; and gives Christ all power without all knowledge. It teaches that God sees with natural eyes, and the use of light, as man sees, (which would hinder his seeing but one side of the earth at a time,) and also that he hears with "ears," which implies that we must speak loud enough to have the sound go from earth to the third heaven, in order to be heard. It gives him a "hand" as large as a man's hand, in the "hollow" of which he measures the deep, and by the "span" of which he "metes out the heavens." It gives him literal "legs," and "feet," and a "footstool;" and, although his "feet" and "hands" are said to be like those of a man, he covered the whole of Moses with his hand, and his footstool is 25,000 miles in circumference, and millions of miles from the "literal throne" where the "body" is said to be "sitting." It represents Christ as creating himself; as liable to sin and to go to hell; and as upholding all things while dead. It denies that we are to identify objects by their attributes; makes the Devil omnipresent; contradicts Christ and the inspired writers, and all who knew Christ while on earth, on the point of his being man; and contradicts Moses, who ascribes creation to God only. It represents a being infinitely higher than angels, and without a human nature, as tempted in all points like man; thus implying, that angels and the spirits of the just may still be tempted. It gives us a Redeemer who is not a kinsman according to the law of God, and an "elder brother" who is in no way connected with the family of man. It admits of two omnipotent, and three omnipresent, beings; and represents a creature as sending the soul of the Father out of his body into this world. It represents

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the Father as sending himself in the name of a creature; and teaches that we are baptized in the name of the Father, a creature, and the Father's soul! It rejects the doctrine of the Trinity because it is a mystery, and embraces a system that is acknowledged to be full of mystery. It makes reason a test of revelation, and rejects as false all that feeble, blinded reason cannot comprehend. It makes war upon the Bible, by adding a capital G to the word god" wherever it occurs; by rejecting numerous passages as forged; and entirely perverting many others. It represents Trinitarians as forging a text to prove a Trinity, and then asserts that the text says nothing about the Trinity. It makes Christ a dishonest Agent, creating for himself instead of his employers; and by asserting that "the idea of a person, and the idea of a being are both one idea," it teaches that all beings are persons, even to beasts, birds, fish, insects, and reptiles. It affirms that God delegated almighty power to a "changeable" creature that was "capable of repentance," and declares that a "body" is a person; and that dignity and authority are Divinity. It condemns its own "Discipline" as in part "a forgery," and while it professes to be very catholic and liberal, is most uncharitable and intolerant. It talks much of“ union,” and yet glories in discord and division. It com. plains much of persecution, and is always perse cuting others. It denounces all "creeds," "confessions," and "sects," for the sole purpose of destroying existing churches, and establishing another set of doctrines and another sect. Thus is philosophy, reason, revelation, consistency, and common sense, outraged and trampled upon by the very principles and spirit of modern Arianism.

XVIII. Finally, THIS WILD AND EXTRAVAGANT SYS

TEM UTTERLY EXCLUDES GOD AND CHRIST FROM THE CHURCH, AND FROM THE WORLD.

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In illustrating his views of the omnipresence of God, Kinkade says "A great king may fill a country with his armies, military stores, laws, and officers, while his person [by which he means his body] will not fill one house. So God can fill heaven and earth with his armies, his power, his infinite riches, and perfections, till they are lighted with his glory, while at the same time his blessed person [i. e. his body] is seated on his glorious throne with his Son at his right hand." If this is the sense in which God is omnipresent, he has never yet visited our world himself, but has merely sent his "armies," &c,

But it is asserted that he has sent a creature as his Agent, bearing the titles of "LORD," "GOD," "the ALMIGHTY," "JEHOVAH," "the MIGHTY GOD," &c., and that this Agent is to do God's business for him in this world, "as if a rich merchant in New-York should send his son to do business for him, as his agent, with the people in London." But suppose this son should run away, and go to China, would the merchant then be in London even by his representative? Certainly not. But what says Arianism about their imaginary Agent? It teaches, 1st. That he never visited the earth till 4,000 years after it was created. 2d. That he had but one nature, and being mortal, actually died soul and body, while on his agency. 3d. That though he had been here but a few years, when he came to life again, he left us, soul and body, and went back and sat down on the throne with his Father; and that ever since, the Father has sat on his glorious throne, with his Son at his right hand.”

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Now, if Christ had but one nature, and that nature