Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, March 21, 1837, Page 284, Image 4
l'Vo/H the Southern Christian lleruhl.
No. 7.
I propose in this number to discourse of
rcitivK " total deprnvi y."
' Pride, ambition, envy, malignly, deceit
and emnity against (hrl eonstitute the cliarue'er
of the Devil; and these, wherever
they exist and prevail, are the imago of the
Di vil. Hut God is lov", and holiness, and
truth.?Now let facts decide whether men
in general, all over the world, in every age.
apart from the grace of the (lospel, have
most resembled and do most resemble that
holy (?<> 1, or that great enemy of God."?
[Scot's Theological Works, p. 9. J Again :
* Fallen man is an unmixed, incorrigible
mass of pollution and depravity, incapable
of rfV-c ual amendm'-nf except by the grace
of the (losjicl, and this enhances the v;dne
of the Gospel inn.:ei;> '.'."?[Mem, page
I find the nature and rx'cn; ;>r to';;! de
. ii i i .. t*? _ i r i
[tr.urv so wi-.i <_\\p: vssi'U liv ruopii'.'lJ 1 i.
Tyng, I CI)., Hector of JSt. l\iul*s Church,
INidadtlphia, :hat ! shall eopv the same, as
sta ing no: only the <!o t:i;ic, hut Ws/vn uinr\'i?a!
importance.
4,I. Tiie (JospC funis you lofct under a
hu.dcn of inconceivable guilt. I'.very prec
[ft of ilic divine law testifies against you.
Th? re is no* a du*v roouired of you wliicli
has n-?t }>'"vi J.-ft uu??o?n*. Tin r is no? a
transgression prohibi <*?i?;:i winch.by !..o;gh:
an I purpose if not in word and act, you
have no engaged. \ ou were bora in sin;ni:d
from the birth have gone os'ray. One
transgression would have exposed you to
eternal ruin ; and you have multiplied your
t ausgressions as the sand of the sea. Kv.
I OAO.. lif<i I\O/?OHOA ennnt m uo
** " v u<mi yji \ \' ?i ujVf i/v^vuiicv o|t%. v ii? 4
helium against C?od, is a record of condemnitioii;
ami there is not a single hour,
which, if you were tried by i*, would no'
sink yon into unutt rable despair. Vonr guilt
is, therefore, inconceivable: for until you
have wri f"ii down eery sinful purpose and
f eiing :>f your lives, and marked the ree.mpciiso
of everlasting condemnation as
its prop r desert, and then have added up
she siiiii of a'l these innumerable purposes,
and taken the amount of condemnation
\\ hir!: ii! re-sal: fromyourcstimatc.youiiavc
attained no just measure of your guilt. It
is h'g'i as heaven ; what can you know ?
It is deep as hell; what can you do? It is
utterly beyond the power of your minds to
comprehend the ex'ent of actual guilt which
II upon every one of your souls. You
are lost beneatli a load which the arm of
omnipotence alone can heave off from you:
and in this condition the Ciostx'I comes to
... - - - - i
S?.k m?d s.ive you.
'J. The Gosp.l finds you lost in the extremity
of personal corruption and sinfuln
*ss. Tlio depravity of your fallen nature
is exceeding great, and it extends to every
power of vour mind, and to every* a flection
-Vt of your heart. It is vain to dispute about the
u >r.!s/o atdrpravibfyWhicli a re often used the
st.it" '?? express of man l>v nature. I mean,
by my asser ion, that there is nothing in you
by uaure which is not sinful, that your hearts
are full of evil. Vour understandings a?e
dark ; your wills are perverse ; your affections
are sensual: your conscience is partial;
your memory will not retain heavenly
truths ; your bodies are under the influence
of a depraved mind; and every member,
instead of being an instrument of boliness,
is a willing servant to sin. And
from the head lo the foo\ you are dcs'i'iite
of soundness or spiritual health, and Ailed
u iili llltliness and nolluiion. Through your
whole lives, aud iri your whole character
there is no: one good thing. And if your
c\ erkisliag salvation were ollbred you upon
the single condition of finding a thought ot
desire which was not sinful, in the whole
compass of your past existence, the requisition
would defy your power in compliance.
There is none of you who hath
done goo I, no, not one. That there may
he depravity heyond yours, none will doubt:
b j! that there is any thing but depravi y in
vou hy nature, the word of God denies.?
Lost in this extreme of sinfulness, the
object of the Gospel is to seek and to save
you.
3. The Gospel finds yon lost in a st ate
of enmity to God. The natural mind of
every man is enmity to God. In some it
may break forth into more open acts of
hostility than in others. Hut it is r.ot less
really enmity to God, where it is cloaked
with a fair exterior, and shut tip under false
professions of inditference or friendship. I
mean to say, that there is a direct hostility
1? 'tween the mind of God and the mind of
<*verv unconverted sinner. They pursue
opposite and entirely inconsistent ends;
while one is gathering, the other is laboring
to scatter abroad. Many may not be
conscious of dis:inct purposes of opposition
to the will of God ; many may deny that
they have such. The reason is, simp'v,
either that they do not s.'op consider what
/vf i 1 r\A I ^ tnnf t h/itr f!
iJIL' 'II >71 V>I"I 1.1) 171 I.IUV ill' y ikii^ i\fi iii*
?iic!i erroneous views of his character that
jtiiey have ma le him altogether such an one
as themselves. To a God of perfect holiness,
a God who cannot abide transgression,
a God who will by no means clear
jtoe guilty, there is not an unrenewed sinner
upon the earth wlio is not tut enemy. Your
whole course of character and conduct, in
** unconverted state, is o;>cra!ing to thwart
the divine purposes in the redemption of
the world, to make iniquity abound, when
he would makean end of sin, and to diveri
from Jesus :hc heart which he would bring
Jio.ue To his dominion. And thus, by these
wicked works, you prove yourselves the
i pernios of God.
*i. J ne Gospel onus j ql. .os. tn a sta.e
of utter inability to return to God. or to
restore to yourselves the divine image .and
favor. So far are you from being able to
recommend yourselves to God, that every
imagination of the thoughts of your heart
is only evil continually. Go J alone can
enable you to will or do any tiling that is
good. You have not a wish cf your own
to be reconciled to God. Your dispositions
and affections are so entirely averted from
him, and you love darkness and sin so
much better than you love Jight and holiness,
ihu' you have no natural desire to be
brougb to a knowledge of yourselves or to
t* knoW'Odce of God. This r.vorsiors r.f
! your minds forms sn u:Ut incapacity ol
I yourselves to return to God ; and were
then? no other power to operate in the conversion
of souls hut the determining power
of your own wills, Kzckitl might as well
preach to tlie dry hones as we preach the
Gosp< I un'o yon. isill more beyond your
power is it to r-'s'ore to yourselves the divine
fivor and image which have been lost
by sin. This is a path which no human
wisdom hath ever trodden, ami no mortal
eye could even* discern. And except as
tire result of God's unsearchable riches oi
grace, a!; possibility of reconciliation to him
would cease, for as it regards a way to render
God merciful to tiro .sinner's soul, or tc
bring this soul hack to God. though the
united wisdom of ail creatures should be
collected to decide upon the method, the
Gospel fun's von ulter'v lost, and inns!
s ek and save you as von are.
This i> the condition in which the Gospel
finds \ou by nature. Von are lost unJ.a*
a load of intolerable guilt, in the extrenil
v ofsiuii.Iness and corruption. in the en
iji ;v ofvonr hearts to God, and in an uttor
inability to restore yourselves to his favor.
; I have no disposition to overs ale thi*
matter. Hut unless you do discern your actual
state by nature, and become acquainted
with \<>:;r !.eer<>ities, i; is vain to point youi
no to tii". provisions winch the Gospel
has ma Jo lor your rescue and relief.
W e cannot better illustrate the natural
condition of fallen man than by comparing
it with the actual condition of fallen angels.
They contracted guilt and were unable to
remove it. They lost the divine image in
which they were created, and were unable
to restore it; and having no provision made
lor them by God himseif, tlicy are left to
endure the penalty of their transgression in
endless, irremediable misery. I know not
tl.-ir ilicro k :i shadow of difference between
us and litem in this respect, except so fur
as tiic sovereign grace of God in which fhnj
found no interest, lias interposed for us.?
This, I believe, to be the very truth before
t iod ; and all the difference between us and
them, is the difference which grace has
i i' ?
maoc.
Hut if this truth were really felt among
you, our work, in establishing the truth of
the Gospel, would have no difficulties to enI
I
! counter. It is the pride of your hearts
which interposes the great obstacle to your
accejitar.cc of the Gospel. You are so
avers3 'o see your necessities, so disposed
to contend lor some remnant of goodness
( or power in yourselves, which shall lessen
your obligations to God, that the provisions
of the Sun of man arc shut out from you
and despised. But could you feel and ac}?I
l?r. yfrhnllIaoI fltirl
Ivliuu i ugt; iv/oi, unu
forever !osJ, you would bo ready to hear ol
a Saviour with thankfulness, and to embrace
with anxious desire the salvation which has
ben provided for you in the Gospel. You
would rejoice that "the Son of inan had
. come to seek and to save that which was
lost."?Dr. Tynfs Parochial Lectures o,
the Laic and the Gospel, See. 10.
I have preferred to state this doctrine in
words copied from known " modern evangelical
ministers" of the Protestant Episco pal
Church, rather than in those of "old
dead orthodox Prcsbi/tcrian Calvinisls
, Having represented the import of the exj
pression "total dopiavitv," [for the New
School have no objection to the adoption ol
. the words, but to the things signified there'
by,] I wish to add the Scripture testimony
' to this doctrine.
This is to be deduced,
1st, From God's description of the moral
character and heart of man, as expressed
in the Bible; and
2nd, From his judgment and sentence
upon tliis moral being, man, declared in the
' word.
1st then, God saw the w ickedness of man
1 that it was great in the earth, and that every
imagination of the thoughts of his heart was
only evil continually, Gen. vi. 5. The imagination
of man's heart is evil from his
youth. < 'Oil. viii. 21. The heart of the sons
of nice is fully set in them to do evil, Keel.
viii. 11. The Bible calls some children
of the Devil, John viii. 44 ; also, 1 John iii.
10. For from within, out of the heart of
; man, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornication,
murders, thefts, covefousness, wickedness,
deceit, lasciviousncss, an evil eye,
blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these
evil things come from within, and defile the
! man, Mark vii. 21?24. I know (says
' Ban!) that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwclIeth
no good thing, Rom. vii. 18. The
carnal mind is enmity against God, Rom.
I viii. 7. There is none righteous, no, not
one; there is none that understandoth, there
is none that seeketh after God. They arc
all gone out of the way, they arc together
become unprofitable; there is none that doI
eth good, no, not one. Their throat is an
i open sepulchre; with their tongues they
hnvci injfil ih'Cfir: the unison of asns is un
* ? i 1 i
I der their lips; whose mouth is full of curs,
i ing and bitterness; their feet arc swift to
! shed blood ; destruction and misery arc in
their ways, and the way of peace have they
, not known. Now we know that what things
soever the law saith, it saith to them that
j arc under the law; that every mouth may be
stopped, and all the world may become
j guil y before God, Rom. iii. 10?*20. Thus
| much for the mode in which the moral chai
raptor and heart of man is described in the
' Strictures,
; '2nd, Let us consider the T)\\me judgment
! and sentence.
We find the very words of the Judge
' written in the book, which will bo pronounced
upon every child of Adam, unless he be
washed, and justified, and sanctified in the
name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit
of our God, The judgment and sentence
is thus expressed by the Lord Jesus : u Do.
part from me ye cursed, into everlasting
lir<\ prepared for the Levi) and .his angels,"
i .Matt. xxv. 41.
The same doom in kind is awarded to
the Devil and his angels, and to unrenewed
man : iiis moral nature, therefore, cannot
be of a superior order or kind, without in1
voivitig the sentence in injustice. Reasonin'*
upon *? *< suh'T-t ar.svcr0 r:<? roed put.
[*' pos". After s'ating the doctrine according j <
i jo Scripture, the proper answer to pride, \ i
. j wrath, scll-rightcousness and cavil, is that j
of Paul, " Nay but, O man, who art thou |i
tJiat rcpliost against Clod ?" Rom. ix. 20. ' i
Persons who do not understand nn a feel! <
' the true malignity of their depraved and sin-:
j ful natures; who have not been convinced I
: j bv the Holy Ghost of sin, [John xvi. 8.] j
i never go to Christ. They are not "sickJ
11 ihov have no "need'1 of the physician.
:! They may acknowledge and feel that they !
i i Iiavc a "/das" to evil; that their will is not;
i precisely "in equilibrio hut they do not !;
f(C,l themselves to be now ios!; they fear they !
>! shall be lost by and bye, unless they have
grace given them to keep the command- :
t. mcnts, and they go on "trying," in a legal:
way, to do better and better, and really think
t they are advancing in holiness, and arc very ;
| " devoted," because they do many things ; j
; and they trust and believe in these many ;
-: things which they have done, and are do- i
, ins, or arc to do ; for all of which doings !
1 O7 7. O I
tliev say they arc indebted to grace;?and i
' * -* * i - -1 - - " _ r T
iins is ino oiny grace incy conceive 01: jc.
sus has died to put them in a " saleable";
j s:ate. I?ut these persons forget two Scrip- j
; tures?
i 1st. That without faith it is impossible to
I . please Clod, Ileb. xi. G.
j And 2nd, Tins is his commandment, that;
II we should believe 011 the name of his ?on,j
j Jesus Christ, John iii. 23.
I; Persons of such a religions experience j
[; do not trust and believe in what Christ has
. | done in his life, in his death, and in his re?
surrccfion; and therefore their rightcousi,
ncss docs not exceed the righteousness of
'! the Scribes and Pharisees, Matt. v. 20.? ;
'! They reject Christ and his salvation by rc- : <
I fusing to believe,?to trust in his righteous- ;
II ncss, and by confiding in their own, Pom. ;
; x. o?10. They trust not in a righteous- j
': noss of/W//i,but inn righteousness of works,i'
' i which proves them to be s ill under the 11
' j curse, Gal. iii. x. And they never will reaso j <
to have some confidence in the flesh, [Phil. ;
11 iii. 3] fill they perceive and feel their own j l
j " total depravity." Never, till then, will j <
;; thev go to Jesus and be saved, <
I ' LUTHER. i
j ^ _ J i
Front the Christian Observer, fur 180* >. ,
SUBJECT FOR SELF-EXAMINATION*. j I
ITavc I Juring the year that is past, re !
. garded the favor and everlasting enjoy- ;!
j ment of God as the great end of all my |1
J schemes, and have I labored to maintain a 1
j constant reference to him, in all the actions 1
' of my life ? | j
; Have I, in pursuing that end, placed my 1
! whole reliance on Jesus Christ, regarding
his olicdicnco, sacrifice, mediation, and in- 1
.! tercession, as the only ground on which I '
. could hope to obtain the pardon of my sins,
f l>eace with God, the sanctifying influence of I
the Holy Spirit, or any other spiritual Dies- '
|sin-? . , . . I!
j Have I kept continually in mint] the in- 1
I dispensable obligation I am under, to walk
I in the steps of Christ, and to be holy as he 1
j is holy, if I would enter into Heaven : and j 1
have I been constantly and earnestly en- J1
j -aged in prayer for bis Holy Spirit, in the |(
i firm belief that by him alone, can I bcena- i
! bled to fulfill that obligation ?
| Have I been employed in cultivating r.n i1
! habitual sense of God's presence, and of; J
, my accountablcness to him; of the shortness j1
of time, and of my obligation to improve ii?;
; Has it been my study to appear well, not (
t so much in the sight of men, as in the sight j 1
j C? 7 o
. of God ? And to that end have I been par-1
t licuiarly on my guard against the love of '
j human praise, or distinction, and the fear 1
of shame: desisting from my purpose, when 1
, i porccivca inese iu uu um* inumw,
' and endeavoring to overconic them when I 1
I C
perceived them to mix with sucli as were (:
I more pure ? j?
i Have I been in the habit of considering 1 (
I . ?
i love to Hod, and zeal for his glory, as my i,
11 highest duties ? Mas it been my daily la- j1
. bor to improve in these divine affections ?:;
(j And have I judged of my progress in '
;! them, not by transient fervors of the mind,;
: but by my habitual temper, by my punctu- j*
i; al performance of the self-denying duties J
, of Christianity, by my cheerful acquios-!'
''cenceinall the dispensations of the Al-!'
' mighty, anil by the love, the humility, and
! the meekness which I have been enabled :(
i to exercise to all around me ? J
, Can I savof myself that I have lived a :(
: life of dependence on Christ, and of faith 1
! in his word; and that I have made that i
I word the exclusive measure of my belief ;s
| and practice ? j 1
I Has it been my particular study to re-!
j strain all wandering of the mind in the pub- i 1
lie, and private exercises o( divine worship, 1
and to guard also against the evils of vanity (
and formality in worshipping God ? <
Have I banished as much as possible.!1
i vain and wordly conversation from my lips,::
j and vain and worldly thoughts from mv I *
j mind on the Lord's day; and have I taken J1
| delight in its appropriate duties?
Have I been careful so to arrange my j5
i duties, and my domestic concerns, that i
! neither I myself, nor any of my family, nor
I any one employed by me, may experience ,
any unnecessary hindrance to a regular j
. attendance on the public worship of God, '
. or bo deprived of the time which is requis-: i
! itc for duly hallowing the Sabbath ? *
1 Have 1 been particularly studious to guard i i
t j against the intrusion of impure thoughts; i (
j turning away mine eyes from whatever; j
, i might excite them, shutting my ears against t
| polluting conversation, and restraining my ! ]
,; tongue from every licentious word ? I
j Havel been vigilant in repressing equal.'.
, i Iv every rising of covetous desire, and every i (
tendency, to improper expense, or the care.; j
less prolusion of any of the gifts of God ? j |
Have I regarded myself in the light i *
merely of a steward of the bounties of Prov. i <
j idence; and have I sought out proper sub. j I
'i jects with whom to share them ? Remem-1'
j bering that to God 1 must give account |
J for the employment of all his gifts, let me I
j now inquire whether in the last year my I
! heart has devised and my hand has cxecu. 1'
i ted liberal things ? What proportion of my J l
gains have I given to God Is it a sufii-1;
ejent proportion 1 Might it not have bc:n '
enlarged by the abridgement of vain and ( 1
superfluous expenses ? j hiti
Have the temporal, but especially the scr
spiritual miseries of my fcllow-creatures j the
excited any serious concern in my mind,, pci
or led mc to join in plans for their relief? j of ^
Have I been careful to improve my time, j the
that invaluable talent ; redeeming it from j Ihe
unnecessary sleep, and from frivolous con- j the
vcrsationand pursuits; resisting every temp- j oni
tat ion to procrastination and sioth; applying | yoi
myself with activity to the business of the j mo>
present day and hour; & always exercising I (ui
self-denying attention to what is my proper j tio,
works ? : rca
Have I kept truth inviolate in the smallest go
as well as the greatest matters; even in ca- ma
sos where my worldly interest or my world-!
ly credit might seem to be at stake ! . of
Have I conducted mv worldly affairs . ny,
with strict uprightness rod fidelity, as in the co:
sight of God; not concealing from others : act
o # ' O
that which they ought to know, or taking i spc
advantage in any degree of their ignorance wit
and dependence ? , fro
Have I been careful to look up to God Go
for his blessings on all my undertakings, j h:s
avoiding every pursuit, whether of pleasure vai
or business, in which I could not freely im- tliu
ploro him to prosper my way ? i bet
flnvc I cultivated a teachable spirit? tioi
flavc 1 been open to convic'ion, and been 1 clu
ready to receive reproof meekly and thank- Nc
fully"? " mo
When engaged in dispute have I been thii
nj)t to indulge any sujK-rciliousness in look slu
and manner, any sourness of mind, any im- t:oi
patience of contradiction ? Or have I been ! Ion
in the habit of listening with patience and the
kindness, to the arguments and reasonings the
of others, however absurd and inappropri- ( sen
ate tliey may have appeared to be? j sin
In my domestic relations especially, have j aiu
I home contradiction or dissent, with kind- j as
ness and good humor? Or have I been apt cut
to show impatience on any symptoms of
difference in opinion ? I art
Have I cherished .1 temper of benignity (Je[
to all around me, carefully attending to the 'ah
July of Christian courtesy, to the outward w'ri
expression of love and kindness; and avoid- ?y |
ing every thing, whether peevishness and ; 'ak
ill-humor, or coldness and neglect, which Hh
might necessarily wound the feelings of. stl"
others ? due
Have I watched against all hastiness of ucl
spirit towards inferiors, and especially to- His
wards those who depend on me and need be
my help ? And have I been ready cheer- :,na
fully to listen to their representations, and j ncc
:o show them all the kindness in my power,!
11 consitcnce with my other duties ? |
Have I allowed the ill conduct of others 1
o lessen my kindness or good will to them,' ,
>r to irritate me to return evil for evil ?
In reproving servants have I been care- j
"ul to avoid harshness, and has my general
conduct towards them, proved that I am * j
really anxious 10 promote mcir everlasting t QC(
ntercst ?
Have 1 been apt fo indulge passion and 1 0f
xtevishness, towards my ciiildren ? Have i q
[ watched over them as one who must give {|ie
m account of them to God, being prevent-1 poj
?d neither by false tenderness nor indolence,' {|1C
xom correcting their faults ? j *1'
Have I exerted myself as much as I j scj,
night have done in leading my children, j ovc
my servants, and all over whom I have any j t;m
nflucncc to God ? ; jon
Have I been punctual in devoting a pait , ?|)C
:>fevery day, to those great concerns which 0f
ic between God and my soul ? j tjlc
Have I been in the daily habit of read- j tjlc
ng the Word ol God with mediattion and : no^
>raycr ??and how has the du'y of secret | rejj
prayer been performed ? 1 aj/
Have I every day made these graces of wj1(
h? Christian temper, in which I know my- ' fon
self to be defective, the subject of special ' uj0
ind earnest supplication at the throne of ? yjr
Brace? L.ai
Have I been accustomed to retrace the jsjej
innumerable instances of God's providential s|m
goodness to me, and to adore him on ac- t0 |
:ount of them ? iuj^
Has my mind been properly affected with j .0q
.he blessings of redemption, and in the con- i u:s
;cmp!ation of them have I been willing to j
Jevotc myself entirely to the service of my fi
Redeemer ? kjn
Have I been in the daily practice of re- j ner
Jailing io memory my innumerable offences anc
igainst God, and preserving the recollection i jjjj.
)f them, as an incitement to gather watch- CQ[}
nlncss, circumspection, and self-denial ? !
Have I daily engaged in the work of ?jn
self-examination, and has that duty been anc;
aithfully and diligently performed ? ! Lai
Have I anxiously studied to reform what i *yu
[ found to be amiss; and has the discovery :
)f my failures led me more deeply to repent c Kj
)f sin. more highly to value the love of my ! ajj],
trucified Remember; more implicitly to j jnff
ely on his atoning merits for pardon and j ^jj
icccptance; and on the grace of the Holy ! paj,
snirir. for victorv over sin and advance
rmm"j
licnt in holiness ? i ^
Ilavc on the whole heen advancing in my ; aL
spiritual course during the last year ! ! tjie
: of <
From the Christian Intelligencer. j par
Tholuck's Opinion* on the Character [ tint
vnd tendencv of professor StUART's j klK
1'heological Sentiments.?In the Church- thu
nan of last week, there is an article headed.' ovc
' American Theology/' (from some re- its
linrks in which we would wholly lisscnt,) reli
:opied from the British Critic, a quarterly the
periodical, edited by members and devoted j she
o the interests of the Episcopal Church in the
England. In this article, the theology of j a c<
he works of Professor Stuart, and of Jacob i
Abbott's Corner Stone," is severely con-' Th
lemncd. In the course of the remarks, i 1
;he opinion ot the celebrated and excellent1 t
Professor Tholuck, of Halle, in Germany,; '
:is to Professor Stuart's Theology, is intro- tun
Juccd as quoted from a periodical edited by nor
him, entitled the "Litcrarischrr Anzcigcr." 'Ih
The quotation is from the number dated , thu
April 7. 1934. wr<
Mr. Stuart somewhere observes >n relation ani
to the doctrine of original sin,4hat tlvc whole ; pol
subject needs in this country, an investiga- cor
tion, and review dc novo, such as it has not it, <
vet received. < >n this the reviewer tTliol. bin
?>bsrrvc? t
To this review, do novo 31. Stuart has | ma
iscIf contributed. When now, one ob- | err
ves how he conducts his examination of! to
doctrine of original sin, free and inde. fro
rdent of honored names and confessions an<
faith, and liow he in part brings forward difl
same objections which the rationalist Hi<
ologians among ourselves set up against pro
letter of the church's doctrine?and when dei
> anticipates further that among the is ;
uigcr theological race of America, this not
de of proceeding will continually spread, ent
id that calling to their aid our ra~ mn
nalisl German books,) one cannot Imt ah bio
dy anticipate that North America, must it \
through the same crisis into which Gcr. hut
ni/ has been brought" I it 1
U'c ask the attention of our readers and j agi
iiic American Churches, to this tcstimo-1 ed
Wo confess, that although deeply I All
ivinccd of the dangerous, and evil char- no!
er of Professor Stuart's criticisms, and ex<
:cuiations," we were nor prepared to meet en<
h a testimony so full and explicit as this wo
m Tholuck. Distinguished as he is in of
rmanv, among the evangelical men for eve
able and efficient opposiuon ,o the pre- am
ling neology, yet he has not embraced j fre<
peculiarities of Calvinism, and it has ! sin
m thought that in some of the exposi- esti
is, there lias been somewhat of a similar upi
iractcr with those of Professor Stuart.? j ole
testimony from any source could be j Bil
ire unprejudiced than that of Tholuck in j tiio
s ease. Some months since, we gave a 1 e?
>rt extract from a review of the last cdi. j
i of " Stuart on the Romans," in that
g established and excellent periodical, S(
" Christian Observer." The editor of A
! Christian Observer, pronounces the
itiments of Professor Stuart, on original
, and justification by faith, at direct vari- q '
:c with the doctrines of the reformation, and
set forth in the confessions of the difier. ti,)
Protestant Churches, and with evangel- ^at
1 truth. Distinguished as Professor Stumay
be for industry, and ability, in the
rartment of Biblical Literature, yet his ccp,
ors as spread before the public in bis . is ?
tings, appear to us to have been serious- j *?rr i
productive of evii. lie seems to havel^ '
1 the basis for the extreme of the New j s<0,j
unity as it is now displayed. Is it not; ncc
ingc that while such men as the con-1 pre?
tlors ofthe Christian Observer, and Thol- ?,al
:, speak so unequivocally, andstrongly of i tjjc
sentiments on original sin, that he should | t|lo<
considered nearly as oracular, by so i firt)
ny who still solemnly snbscribe in con- ! Chv
:tion with their vows of oflicc, the j ~'?1
?stminister confession of Jaith and Cate- inp
sms. circ
- . . for
c Establishment and Progress of the jn c
Christian Religion prove its Divine ori- per
t/jj. j doir
[luring the lapse of near four thousand jdcr1
. 1 unr
irs, the nation of Israelites, with all their j ^
itical and religious rites and ceremonies, Chi
;upied the Territory, at the liead of the I wai
ditcrranean sea, called Judea, a country tle(1
tnmicnlnm u-oc 'inrl ??ill t! ?n !
W I IIVsl I tltl IMUIV.IN U1IU
pi(ol. During this Jong period of time, the
changes among them, cither mora!, i flrn
itical or religious, were few. Within j and
same period, how many large and flour- I(-1!1
ing Empires arose?extended them- * la
r i ?. anc
res from sea to sea, and as a mighty 'j
ilaiiche gliding down into the valley of of t
e, inched and passed away. The Baby- j GIw
ish?Egyptian?Grecian?gone! Judea, i
strong inheritance of the mighty people i
God, in tenancy to the Romans; and in j
ir low estate behold a Jew arises within i adv
limp of their Territory, about to change, j S
the substance but the face of their own j CC1V
gion, and both the substance and form of!
the other religions, on the face of the i,
le earth. This Jew appeared in the the
in of a man; his birth said to lie mirac.! Pos1
us, (for lie claimed to be born of a j n '
gin;) his parentage from the ordinary | or a
Iks of life; his opportunities of cultivation muf
ider; his followers were at first, a few <
pie hearted fishermen. Yet he claimed inS
x) the son of God, with power from on
It. He was believed on. His doctrines (
k root in the hearts of men. He and | Wil
followers were persecuted even unto j 1;LS
th; yet his religion lived and still lives, j
e Jews and Romans, have had their j q
gdoms, and laws, and religion, and man-! Mci
?? 1- i * _
s, orw cusroms, aiui inoruis upruun-u i .vgi
I overturned by this religion taught in the
tie, notwithstanding every engine which | ^ J
ild be devised bv civil power, religious ain<
judice and fanaticism, and Infidel cun- in f
g, have been brought up to bear upon, and
I contend against it. Malignant enemies and
e scorned and slandered it; false!
'aids in their worldly pride,, and ambi-I.. \
1 and avarice and licentiousness, have [ jaR
leavored to corrupt it. But escaping \ i
;e from the bloody sword, and cncrvat- ?
, corrupting embraces of the world, the j
gion of the Bible lives. She rejects the jm
icly claimed Divine right of Popes, their J
ular power, the alliance of Courts, and the is li
ictmcnts of Senates, for her aid,& walking j
oad proclaims in the presence ofthe world.
Bible. My only foundation, is the word nec
God. Truth, unaided by man has thus J Iosi
won its wav in the world, and will con- {
... . . 11 p .1. _ ; an i
ic lo prevail until the earth is tun or nie
)\v!edgo of the Lord. Could it have ^
s prevailed, dear reader, under all the a?I(
Twhelming prejudice against it, had no/1 ths
origin been Divine? The Mohammedan ?ati
gion prevailed by bathing the sword in Pr??*
blood of its enemies. The Christian by ?jn~ s
dding Us own blood to save the lives, vea; the
life of the souls of its enemies? What [ con]
antrast is here. j ?'vc
| put
e Purity of the Doctrines and Precepts j conl
aught in the Bible, proves its origin to j
\c Divine.
'The heathen writers represented the na3
of Cod as embodying human imperfec. ~
is, and they worshipped him as such." ^ <
eir false religion countenanced those A
igs, which right reason pronounces to be
>ng, and injurious tojpersonal happiness,
1 the purity, peace, and prosperity of _
ideal institutions. The Bible, on the
itrary, represents ail things contained in j ^
connected ith the best interests of the j {j
nan race, as holy and pure. God, the j an(j
frtmcr cf *Tf* universe, the maker of I
in, the sovereign of the world, the Govtor
and Judge of all the earth, is revealed
us, as a Holy Being, infinitely removed
m all impurity. His law is Holy, just
1 good. His people are a Holy people,
[bring from *11 the world around them.
5 laws and institutions are Holy, and his
eepts opposed to sin in every shape or
jree. Heaven, the home of the righteous,
x holy place. "Nothing that is impure,
hing that defdeth, or maketh a lie, shall
er into that Holy place, the rest; that re.
lineth for the people of God." If the Bihad
been the production of men, would
lave spoken the language concerning
nnan nature, which it now speaks? Would
lave pronounced thecoma/ mind enmity
xinst God ? Would it havo so represent'
the character of our race, as tt does I
I gone astray, * that none doeth goody no
i one?" Meihinks not. It would have
;uscd, or palliated human conduct, as the
imies of truth add holiness now do. It
uld have apologized for the aberrations
the sinner in heart and life, as many arc*
m now disposed to do. The doctrines
J precepts of the Bible are calculated to
e men from their selfishness, the root of
, to instil into them principles of disinter.
?d benevolence, to form them pure, and ight
and holy, promoters of their benevnt
maker's glorv. The purity of the
>le, stamps it with the seal of Divine aurity.
PROSPECTUS
OF Tltfi
)UTHERN CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE.
T the late General Confidence oftheMeth
L odist Episcopal Church, resolutions were
scd, authorizing the publication of weekly re.
ous papers, on the same footing with the
istiari Advocate and Journal (of New York,)
tho Western Christian Advocate (Cincinna.
at Ri Innond, Nashville,and Charleston. At
ihville, the paper thus authorized, has already
a issued. The one intended for Richmond,
!, we doubt net, soon be put forth. And the
>rgia and South Carolina Annual Confcrcn
, for whose districts the paper at Charleston
specially intended, havocach taken measures
its early publication.
'lie Act of the General Conference authorir
these publici tions, was called for by tho
it hern Delegates, on the ground of its being
cssary to an equal distribution of the Church's
?s to all parts of her communion ; and cspclv,
in view of the peculiar political aspect of
- A l-f. J P..
tunes. \\ lUnn me range comempiaica ior
paper at Charleston, leaving equal scope for
:e at Richmond and Nashville,there arc about
r thousand whites in the membership of the
ireh. Here then are, probably,ten thousand
Lhodist families, and a much greater number
ched to the Methodists who have no weekly
cr published among them. This, under any
umstancos, might be held a sufficient reason
(Itc publication wc propose; but considered
onnexion with the feeling which is known U>
rado all classes of men on tho subject of our
lestic institutions, it not only justifies our urtakingas
one that is expedient, but strongly
es it as necessary to the Church.
Ve propose, therefore, to publish at tho city of
irlcston, as soon as the subscription list shall
rrnnt it, a weekly religious paper, to be cntiI
The Southern Christian Adrocato; which
II be zealously devoted to tho promotion of
d morals and religion?to give expression to
views and feelings of our people, kindly, but
ily, on all subjects bearing on the Churcb~
in particular, to sot forward the cause of
Lstiun benevolence, as embodied in tho Bible,
sionary, Sunday School, Tract and Tempere
Societies.
'his paper shall be printed on an imperial shec'#
.lie same size and quality with that of tho
isti in Advocate of New York; with new
J, Ion^ primer; and the typography, in all
>ects, shall closely resemble the New York
er.
'lie price will be Three Dollars, to be paid in
ancc.
ubseriptions paid within one month after reitig
the first number, either to the publisher
n authorized Agent, will be considered as in
ancc.
n any ease of discontinuance during the year,
subscription for the year must be paid, and
tnge of the order to discontinue,
kll communications, whether of business onr
tcr for publication, unless remitting money,
ubseriptions, to the amount of ten dollars,
?t be j>ost paid.
'omuiunications involving facts, or respect,
persons, as accounts of revivals or religious
itings, "obituary notices, biographies, &c.
?t be accompanied with the writer's name,
'ommunications may be addressed to the Kev.
lliam Capers, Charleston, or to either of tho
toral Ministers of the Methodist, Episcopal
trcli in this city, who aro members of the
dishing Committee.
.'he Itinerant Ministers and Preachers of tho
Lhodist Episcopal Church, are all authorized
:nts of the Southern Christian Advocate, to
mi payments may be made.
.'he proceeds of this paper, as a part of tho
icral Book Concern, will be equally divided
)ng all the Annual Conferences, to bo applied
iprcadiug the Gospel, and aiding distressed
superannuated Ministers, and the Widows
' * 1 * -E-'I ? tirAfl
orphans ot those wno nave uiou 1U iiiv ? VIA*
WILLIAM CAPERS, Editor,
^ublishiw* Committer.?Nicholas Talley,Goo.
Pierce, Bond English, Whitcford Smith, jun.
ics Scwell, John N. Davis.
Charleston, Jan. 38.
Davidson College.
1IIE Second Annua! Instalment on tho Sob.
. scription to this Institution is now due. It
loped Hat the subscribers will meet it prompt.
?The collectors appointed in the several con
(rations last year arc requested to act in tho
ic capacity this year. The present will of
essity, be the year of greatest expense, as the
titution will go into operation on the first
ilarch next. Aro thcro not some who feel
nterest in this entcrprizc, who have, as yet,
: ...Icifinoa ??nrwi will thev
Ml it 11? PCCUIIIUIJ u?j?w?vv .
now, in this time of its greatest need, lend
'lping hand ? Who will give us books for
Library It was suggested to one congreon,
that each one having the ability should
sent to tho Library one or more volumes, as
e\v Year's Gift. This suggestion has brought
levcral valuable liooks. It is proposed that
friends of tho Institution in all the other
grcgations act on the hint. Let each one
! at least one volume. The Books may be
into the hands of the pastors of the respective
gregations. Books on any subjeet will bo
ikfnlly received. Will the pastors bring this
ect before their congregations ?
r. J. SPARROW,
Agent of Davidson College.
3i* sale at the Bookstore.
N Appeal to Young Men in the Presbyterian
L Qburch. By Professor Howe,of the Theo.
cal Souiinary in Columbia. The proceeda to
devoted to tho education causo.
Psalms & Hymns
| p the General Assembly of the PresbytcriW
an Church, large and small edition, itifine
common binding. Enquire ct the Bookstore.
>?? . 07,
/