CHAPTER III.

THE SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED. THE AUTHOR'S PERSONAL APOLOGY.

I consider the principal enemies of the Gospel to be, not the pontiff of Rome, nor heretics, nor seducers, nor tyrants, but bad Christians; because the former exert their rage out of the church; while drunkenness, luxury, perjury, blasphemy, impurity, adultery, and other abominable vices overthrow it, and expose it defenceless to the rage of our enemies. Rome does not constitute the principal object of my fears: I tremble on account of other enemies, more dangerous. Of what importance is it to have driven away the wolves from the fold, if the pest ravage the flock?-CALVIN.

If the heavy accusation advanced in preceding details be just, it cannot be otherwise than inferred, that we, the children of the Reformation, and members of the two chief Protestant Establishments of Europe, have slender cause for boasting of our lineage and immunities. We expose ourselves-and the enemy is not tardy in availing himself of the advantage so liberally afforded him-to the taunt, What has the Reformation done for you? We can all answer the question, Where was your religion before

Luther? It might be more embarrassing to be asked now, Where has been your religion since Luther ?

But the first of these three questions either remains to be resolved, or must be otherwise met with a certain reserve and caution, such as naturally will create a smile on the countenance of a generous opponent. Whatever be our doctrinal purity, yet opinions, as such, are of no value. If they mature into principles, the fruit will soon be seen; and the objector be at once silenced. But the defensive plea of the Romanist is, that the fruit does not appear; and the infidel by-stander laughs at both parties, and reminds himself of the avowal of one of St. Peter's successors *, How profitable is this fable-But I will not repeat the rest of the sarcasm. It is sufficient to our purpose to be aware of the triumph ingloriously given to an ungodly world, when it discerns the heart of an atheist under the vesture of an ecclesiastic.

Another circumstance is also, in this view, brought to our recollection, the surprise of the modern heathen at our anxiety to convert him to the Christian faith; that is, to a religion which he accuses us of professing without be

lieving, or, at least, without yielding it our obedience; and he ironically assures us, that our own consistency is a proof of its value; for, in this relation, the Gospel, he tell us, is its own witness. There is no answering such objectors, but by the honest confession, that our religion has always been, and ever will be-unless in an age of Millennial glory-far more disgraced than honoured by the conduct of its advocates. All attempts to hide our shame, will only serve to increase the scoffer's suspicion and contempt.

Many well-meaning apologists have indeed endeavoured to rescue our credit from the sneers of such men as Gibbon and Voltaire; by arguing that the persecutions and religious wars consequent upon the establishment of Christianity in modern Europe were not really so malignant and bloody as infidels have represented. But why not own at once the full amount of the charge, and at the same time assure the unbeliever-what he knows already, if he ever read the New Testament-that Jesus Christ actually foretold such things, as the infallible consequence of his mission into a world, where he came not to bring peace but a sword?

* Unbelievers seldom choose to attack Christianity as it

It appears indeed, if I may so express myself, that Christ was determined, from the beginning, that the credit of his religion should be entirely independent of human support; that He would ultimately subdue the world, and beat down all enemies under his feet, by his own Divine energy, without the least succour from his creatures, otherwise than as he chose to employ them as the passive and imperfect instruments of his pleasure. And this might shew us, were we willing to learn wisdom at

is drawn in the sacred writings, and exemplified in the lives of real Christians, who stand at a distance from worldly parade, political struggles, or state intrigues; but as it is corrupted and abused by worldly men. Mr. Paine racks his imagination to make out a resemblance between the heathen mythology and Christianity. While he is going over the ground of Christianity, as instituted by Christ and his Apostles, the resemblance is faint indeed! He therefore hastens to corrupted Christianity; and here he finds plenty of materials. "The statue of Mary," he says, "succeeded the statue of Diana of Ephesus. The deification of heroes changed into the canonization of saints. The mythologist had gods for every thing: the Christian mythologists had saints for every thing. The church became as crowded with the one, as the pantheon had been with the other; and Rome was the place of both." Very true, Mr. Paine; but you are not so ignorant as to mistake this for Christianity. Had you been born and educated in Italy or Spain, you might have been excused in calling this the Christian theory. Such conduct, however, teaches us to defend nothing but the truth as it is in Jesus. Your directing your artillery against its corruptions and abuses betrays a consciousness, that the thing itself, if not invulnerable, is yet not so easy of attack.'-Fuller's Gospel its own witness. Introduction.

the fountain-head, the injury done to the Christian cause by keeping out of sight the distinction between the wise and the foolish, the chaff and the wheat, the wheat and the tares, as descriptive of the visible church; in which, as our own Confession declares, the ' evil be ever mingled with the good, and sometimes the evil have chief authority in the ministration of the word and sacraments *.'

Yet, in the very teeth of this faithful avowal, what numbers among us, both lay and clerical, redden with indignation at any scheme of doctrine which brings their sincerity into question; as if the present generation of the Christian church were exempt from all liability to such self-deception as, in every age, has characterized the human mind! As far as men are thus deluded, we need not wonder at their tenacious adherence to the Antinomian theory of baptismal regeneration; which, notwithstanding all explanation, soothes the baptized into a persuasion of their security, and discourages examination of their spiritual character.

Exactly the same delusion diffuses itself around the sacramental table, when communicants approach its mysteries as another source of safety from future evil, without first in

* Art. XXVI.