sinners. Some hold that sin consists in a propensity to sin concreated in the soul, or, at least, existing in the soul from the indivisible instant in which its existence commences, anterior to all choice, all intelligence, all desire or emotion; others hold that sin consists only in the perversion of the powers of human nature. Some hold that the "new birth" is not only figphysically, a new creation; that it is a change in the being itself, from which a moral renovation inevitably proceeds; that anterior to repentance, to faith, to any right movement of the soul, there is not merely an influence of the Holy Spirit

(sufficient to vindicate the justice of God's | sible before God for the sin of their first government) in order to the pardon of parents; others hold only that, in consesin-the fact of such an atonement having quence of Adam's sin, all his posterity are been made by the humiliation, sufferings, and death of Jesus Christ, who is both God and man-the offer of forgiveness to all mankind, as provided for them by the mercy of God in Christ-the free justification of the believer, not for his works past or foreseen, nor for his faith, but for Christ's sake alone-the necessity of an inward spiritual renovation in order to salvation-the fact that this spiritual renova-uratively and morally, but literally and tion is the result not of human endeavours, but of the Holy Spirit operating upon the soul, and thus making the call of God in His Word, and by all instrumentalities outward to the soul, an effectual call-the dependance of the believer, for his progress in holiness, on the continued communion upon the soul, but a subjective change with God by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit-the resurrection of the dead-the universal judgment-the eternal state of happiness for the saved, and of misery for the lost.

2. The Methodists and some smaller bodies reject the Calvinistic or Reformed doctrine of predestination, especially in its application to the individuals who, in the fulfilment of God's counsels, become the subjects of renewing grace. They also deny the doctrine that all who are once renewed to holiness are effectually and certainly kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. But in other communions these doctrines are held as clearly taught in the Scriptures, and as of great practical value.

within the soul, which change they call repentance. Others, on the contrary, hold that conversion, or the turning of the soul to God in repentance and faith, is regeneration, and is the effect of a divine influence upon the soul. Some hold that the renewed man will persevere in holiness, because the power of God upon him is such that he cannot fall away; others that God's promise to keep him cannot fail, and that, therefore, he will not fall away. Some hold that God, in His works of creation, providence, and redemption, has not constituted the best system possible to Him, and that He could have done much better than He has done; others hold that the system of the universe, including all events, is absolutely the best; the best which the mind of God could conceive; better, with all the sin which exists, than it could have been if all creatures had retained forever their allegiance to God; and others still hold that this system, including all the evil which exists under it, is, on the whole, better than any other system of creation and government could have been, 4. The theological discussions and dis- but not better than if all God's creatures putes which sometimes agitate these vari- had remained holy and happy. Some hold ous communions are such, for the most that in every instance in which sin takes part, as to make it no easy matter to con- place, God, on the whole, prefers that sin vey a just idea of them to a foreigner. In to holiness in its stead; others hold that many instances, indeed, the disputants God never chooses evil rather than good, themselves can hardly state the point in or sin rather than holiness, yet that in debate to each other's satisfaction. For every instance in which sin actually takes instance, I could not expect to state mi- place, he, for some wise reason, chooses nutely the differences between the "Old to permit rather than to interpose his powSchool" and "New School," in the Pres-er to prevent it. Some hold that all the byterian churches, without giving offence to one party or the other, or perhaps to both parties.

3. A considerable proportion, perhaps a third, of the clergy and members of the Episcopal Church, agree with what is called the Oxford party in the Church of England; so far, at least, as to ascribe to sacraments and other external institutions, a certain spiritual efficacy not recognised by other Protestants.

Let it suffice, then, to say that, generally, the debates among theologians in America are debates about the constitution of the human mind, the analysis of responsibility and moral agency, and the old question of "fate and free-will." Some hold that all mankind, individually, are literally respon

acts of voluntary agents are predestined in such a way that the agent has no power to act otherwise than he does act; others hold that while all the acts of moral agents are certain beforehand in the counsels of God, nothing in that certainty is inconsistent with the power of the voluntary agent to act otherwise.

Such is a specimen of the controversial theology in the evangelical, and particu

larly in the Congregational and Presbyte-er Fathers hold? though admitted to be rian denominations. Were I to indicate important in their place, are regarded as the probable direction of religious opinion of small importance in comparison with and theological science in the United the questions, What saith the Scripture? States, amid this metaphysical strife, I What did Christ and the Apostles teach? should little hesitate to say that it is tend- Under this influence, the tendency of theing, on the whole, towards a higher appre-ological science, as well as of the popular ciation of the simplest and most Scriptural exposition of Christianity from the pulpit, Christianity, that is, of the Gospel as is towards the primitive simplicity of Chris"glad tidings" to all men, tidings of for- tian truth. giveness for guilt through the expiation made by the Son of God, and tidings of the gift of the Holy Spirit to lead sinners to repentance, and to carry on a work of sanctification in the hearts of the believing. The demand is everywhere for a Christianity that can be preached, and that, being preached, will commend itself to every man's conscience in the sight of God. Under such a demand, wire-drawn speculations about Christianity-remote from any application to the conscience, to the sinner's fears, and to the hopes and devout affections of the believer-are felt to be impertinent. Thus the Gospel is preached less and less as a matter of traditionary dogmatism and speculation, and more and more as Gospel, the message of God's mercy to needy and guilty man, to be received by every hearer as suited to his wants, and to be hailed with faith and joy as life from the dead. Against this general tendency there is, and there will be, occasional, local, and party resistance; the surface may be ruffled from time to time by some wind of doctrine, or speculation, rather, and the current may seem to be setting in the opposite direction. But I am fully persuaded that, on the whole, if not from year to year, at least from one period of change to another, the progress of religious opinion will be found to be towards the simplest and most Scriptural views of the Gospel as God's gracious message, which every man may embrace, and should embrace immediately, and away from those philosophical and traditionary expositions of Christianity which it only embarrasses the preacher to deliver, and the hearer to receive.

The great achievement of American theology is, that it has placed the doctrine of the atonement for sin in the clearest light, by illustrations drawn from the nature of a moral government. Nowhere is the distinction between the work of Christ as the propitiation for the sins of men, and that of the Holy Spirit in renewing and sanctifying the sinner, more clearly drawn-nowhere is the necessity of each to the salvation of the soul more constantly and forcibly exhibited. The tendency of our theology, under the impulse of the Edwardean exposition of the doctrine of the atonement, is to avoid the habit-so common to philosophers and philosophizing theologians— of contemplating God exclusively as the First Cause of all beings and all events, and to fix attention upon him as a moral governor of beings made for responsible action. Here it is that the God of the Bible differs from the God of philosophy. The latter is simply a first cause-a reason why things are-sometimes, if not always, a mere hypothesis to account for the existence of the universe, another name for nature or for fate. The former is a moral. governor, that is, a lawgiver, a judge, a dispenser of rewards and penalties. God's law is given to the universe of moral beings for the one great end of promoting the happiness of that vast empire. As a law, it is a true and earnest expression of the will of the lawgiver respecting the actions of his creatures. As a law, it must be sanctioned by penalties adequate to express God's estimation of the value of the interests trampled on by disobedience. As the law is not arbitrary, but the necessary means of accomplishing The increased attention which the the- the greatest good, it may not be arbitrarily ologians of America are giving to the ac- set aside. Therefore, when man had becurate and learned investigation of the come apostate, and the whole human race Holy Scriptures, may be regarded as an was under condemnation, God sent his Son indication of the tendency of theological into the world, in human nature, "to be seience in this country. That the Scrip- made a sin-offering for us ;" and thus, by tures are the only authority in matters of his voluntary sufferings magnifying the law, faith is not only universally acknowledged "to declare the righteousness of God, that in theory, but more and more practically God may be just, and the justifier of him acted upon. Thus the science and art of who believeth." Thus it is that God, as a interpretation are more and more appreci- moral governor, is glorified in the forgiveated. The best theologian must be he who ness of sinners; that He calls upon all bests understands, and who can best ex-men to repent, with a true and intense deplain the Bible. The questions, What did sire for their salvation; that He sends into Edwards hold? What did the Puritans a world of rebellion the infinite gift of his hold? What did the Reformers hold? Spirit, to impart life to those who are dead What did Augustine, Jerome, or the earli-in sin; that in a world of sinners, who, if

left to themselves, would all reject the of- tions, lying with oppressive weight upon fered pardon, He saves those whom He has the common mind, and giving support to a chosen out of the world; that he uses the domineering priesthood. It is not that Raco-operation of redeemed and renewed men tionalism which, retaining little of Chrisin advancing the work of saving their fel- tianity but the name, has had a brief aslow-men. Men are saved from sin and cendency in some parts of Protestant Eucondemnation, not by mere power, but by rope. It is evangelical Christianity—the means that harmonize with the nature, and Christianity of the New Testament. Wherconduce to the ends of God's moral gov-ever the stranger sees a place of worship ernment. This method of illustrating the in our cities, or in the country, the preGospel carries the preacher and the theolo-sumption is-the probability is, with few gian back from the Platonic dreams and dry exceptions, ten to one-that there God is dogmatizing of the schools, to the Bible. worshipped in the name of the one MediIt sets the theologian upon studying, and ator, with faith and penitence; that there the preacher upon imitating, the freedom, pardon is offered to the guilty, freely through simplicity, and directness, with which the Christ the Lamb of God; and that there the Apostles addressed the understandings and Holy Spirit is looked for, and is given to sensibilities of men. And thus it may be re-renew the heart of the sinner, and to fill garded as coinciding with other indications of the tendency of religious opinion in the various evangelical bodies of America.

I would remark, in conclusion, that few things in the history of the Gospel more strikingly prove its inherent life and divinity, than the extent to which it has seeured and retains a hold upon the American people. Their Christianity is not the dead formalism of ecclesiastical institutions-upheld by law, tradition, or the force of fashion.* It is not a body of supersti

the believing soul with joy and peace. The worship may, in many instances, be such as would offend the sensibilities of certain cultivated minds-most unlike the choral pomp of old cathedrals-still, rude as it. may be, it is often that only acceptable worship which is offered in spirit and in truth. The Gospel may be preached there ignorantly, and with many imperfections, still it is the Gospel, and often does it become "the wisdom of God, and the power of God unto salvation."

BOOK VIII.

EFFORTS OF THE AMERICAN CHURCHES FOR THE CONVERSION OF THE WORLD.

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.

WE cannot well close our view of the religious condition of the United States without a brief notice of what the churches here are doing for the propagation of the Gospel in other lands. This forms a *Much has been said in Europe about the tyranny public opinion in the United States, but I confess never have been able to comprehend what this expression means. M. de Tocqueville employs it, but without giving any clear idea upon the subject, as has been well remarked by the Hon. John C. Spencer, in his Notes to the American edition of M. de T.'s work. If public opinion be strong and decided in America, it is because the character of the people makes it so. When they form an opinion, more especially on any matter in which the judgment or the conscience is concerned (and what subject of a practical kind does not involve one or other of these,)? they are not willing to change it but for good reasons. And in all matters of religion, and morals especially, the Protestant Faith, which has so much influence with a large proportion of the population, concurs with the earnestness and steadiness of the AngloSaxon character, to make public opinion, not only strong, but right, on all points on which it has been sufficiently informed. Mr. Laing, in his excellent work on Sweden, has some judicious remarks on this subject, proving that he takes a philosophic view

of it.

natural sequel to what has been said of their endeavours to plant and to sustain its institutions on their own soil.

Some readers, indeed, may be surprised to learn that our churches are doing anything at all for the spiritual welfare of othdo in their own. er countries, while they have so much to When they hear that our population is increasing at the rate of 500,000 of souls in the year, so that nothing short of the most gigantic efforts can effect a proportionate increase of ministers and congregations; when they read of no fewer than 60,000 or 80,000 immigrants arriving from Europe, the greater number of whom are ignorant of the true Gospel, and many of them uneducated, poor, and vicious, they may be astonished that the American churches, unaided by the government in any way, receiving no tithes, taxes, or public pecuniary grants of any kind, even for the support of religion at home, do nevertheless raise large sums for sending the Gospel to the heathen. Such, however, is not the feeling of enlightened and zealous Christians in America itself. They feel that, while called upon to do their utmost for religion at home, it is at

once a duty and a privilege to assist in promoting it abroad. They feel assured that he that watereth shall himself be refreshed, and that, in complying so far as they can with their Saviour's command to "preach the Gospel to every creature," they are most likely to secure the blessing of that Saviour upon their country. And facts abundantly prove that they are right.

his glory, we may with boldness go on to the settling of so hopeful a work, which tendeth to the reducing and conversion of such savages as remain wandering in desolation and distress, to civil society and the Christian religion." And in this, the charter professes to favour the "worthy disposition" of the petitioners to whom it was granted. Nothing could be more natural, therefore, than that John Robinson, Moreover, our churches have a special pastor of that part of the church which rereason for the interest they take in for- mained at Leyden, in Holland, should exeign missions. No churches owe so much claim, in his letter to the governor of the to the spirit of missions as they do. Much colony at Plymouth, “Oh that you had of the country was colonized by men who converted some before you killed any!" came to it not only as a refuge for their But, in fact, the Plymouth colonists apfaith when persecuted elsewhere, but as a plied themselves to the conversion of the field of missionary enterprise; and their natives from the very first. They endescendants would be most unfaithful to deavoured to communicate the knowledge the high trust that has been bequeathed to of the Gospel to the scattered Indians them, did they not strenuously endeavour around them, and took pains to establish to carry out the principles of their forefa- schools for their instruction. The result thers. Alas, we have to mourn that we was, that several gaye satisfactory evihave, after all, done so little to impart the dence, living and dying, of real conversion glorious Gospel, to which our country to God. A poor, small colony, struggling owes so much, to nations still ignorant of for its very existence with all manner of it! Still, we have done something, and hardships, could not be expected to do the candid reader will perhaps admit that much in this way, yet in 1636 we find that we have not been altogether wanting in it made a legal provision for the preachour duty, nor greatly behind the church-ing of the Gospel among the Indians, and es of most other countries in this enterprise.

CHAPTER II.

for the establishment of courts to punish trespasses committed against them."

The Massachusetts charter sets forth that, "to win and incite the natives of that country to the knowledge and obedience of the only true God and Saviour of mankind, and the Christian Faith, in our royal

EARLIER EFFORTS TO CONVERT THE ABORI- intention and the adventurer's free profes

GINES.

sion, is the principal end of the plantation." The seal of the colony had for its device the figure of an Indian, with the words of the Macedonian entreaty, "Come over and help us." And here, as at Plymouth, some not altogether abortive attempts were made to convert the natives from the very first.

Thus, these two colonies might be considered as self-supporting missions, and rank among the earliest Protestant missionary enterprises. The Swedes had in the preceding century done something for their benighted countrymen in the northern part of that kingdom. French Huguenots, too, as we have seen, made an at

NOTWITHSTANDING the common mistake at the present day, of those who conceive that religious liberty, and to some extent, also, the enjoyment of political rights, were the sale inducements that led to the original colonization of the United States, we have seen that the plantations of both Virginia and New-England were designed to conduce to the spread of Christianity by the conversion of the Aborigines, as is proved both by the royal charters establishing those early colonies, and by the expressed sentiments of the Massachusetts settlers. The royal charter granted to the Plym-tempt so early as 1556, under the auspices outh Company, having referred to the depopulation of the country by pestilence and war, and its lying unclaimed by any other Christian power, goes on to say, "In contemplation and serious consideration whereof, we have thought it fit, according to our kingly duty, so much as in us lieth, to second and follow God's sacred will, rendering thanks to his divine Majesty for his gracious favour in laying open and revealing the same unto us before any other Christian prince or state; by which means, without offence, and as we trust to

of the brave and good Coligny, to carry the Gospel to America, by founding a settlement in Brazil. Calvin furnished several pastors for it from his school at Geneva. But Villagagnon, who took the lead, having relapsed to Romanism, put three of the Genevan pastors to death; whereupon some of the colonists returned to Europe, and the remainder were massacred by the Portuguese. A subsequent attempt, made under the same auspices, to plant a Protestant colony in Florida, also failed. Thus, even assuming, which

is not very evident, that these attempts | were of a missionary character, certain it is that the New-England colonies may be regarded as the first successful enterprises of the kind.

But that very year (1675), King Philip, the chief of the Pokanoket tribe, instigated by his hatred of Christianity, and still more, probably, by jealousy of the growing power of the English settlers, made an unprovoked war upon the colonies. It ended in the annihilation of his party, not, however, without vast injury to the "praying settlements." Still, though the Gospel experienced a check, it soon began again to make progress, so that in 1696 there were thirty Indian churches in Massachusetts colony, and, two years later, 3000 reputed " converts."

In 1646, the Massachusetts Legislature passed an act for the encouragement of Christian missions among the Indians, and that same year the celebrated John Eliot began his labours at Nonantum, now forming part of the township of Newton, about six miles from Boston. Great success attended this good man's preaching, and other modes of instruction. Nor were his labours confined to the Indians near Bos- In Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Long ton. From Cape Cod to Worcester, over Island, which belonged to the province of a tract of country near 100 miles long, he New-York, though its eastern part was colmade repeated journeys, preaching to the onized by emigrants from New-England, native tribes, whose language he had thor- missionary efforts were less successful. oughly mastered, and had translated the Still, the Gospel was not wholly without Scriptures and other Christian books into effect, and portions of the Narragansett, it. Both editions of his Indian Bible, the Pequod, Nantick, Mohegan, and Montauk one of 1500 copies in 1663, the other of tribes were converted to Christianity, and 2000 copies in 1685, were printed at Cam-long formed "Christian settlements," some bridge, near Boston, and were the only Bibles printed in America until long af- The news respecting the progress of the ter. Eliot, who has ever since been call- Gospel among the Indians in New-Enged the "Apostle of the Indians," died in land excited so much interest in the moth1690, at the age of eighty-five. "Wel-er-country from the first, that" The Sociecome joy," was one of his last expres- ty for Propagating the Gospel in Newsions. His labours, and those of others England" was incorporated in England so whom he engaged in the same great work, were blessed to the conversion of many souls, and many settlements of "praying Indians" were formed in the country round Boston.

remnants of which exist to this day.

early as 1649, and though its charter was annulled at the Restoration in 1660, a new one was granted the following year, reorganizing the society, under the title of "The Society for Propagating the Gospel among the Heathen Nations of New-England and the parts adjacent in America." The celebrated Robert Boyle took a great

But Eliot was not the first who preached the Gospel with success to the Indians in New-England. Thomas Mayhew began his labours among them on the island call-interest in it, and was its "governor" or ed Martha's Vineyard, in 1643. In 1646 he sailed for England to solicit aid; but the ship was lost at sea. His father, Thomas Mayhew, the proprietor of the island, though seventy years of age, then undertook the task, and continued it till 1681, when he died, at the age of ninety-three. His grandson succeeded; and for five generations, till the death of Zachariah Mayhew in 1803, aged eighty-seven years, that family supplied pastors to the Indians living on Martha's Vineyard.

In the Plymouth colony we find honourable mention made, among those who laboured to evangelize the Indians during Eliot's lifetime, of Messrs. Treat, Tupper, and Cotton; while in Massachusetts, besides Eliot, there were Messrs. Goskin, Thatcher, and Rawson; and in Connecticut, Messrs. Fitch and Pierson. The result of their united efforts was seen in 1675, in fourteen settlements of "praying Indians, twenty-four congregations, and twenty-four Indian preachers.' Besides religious instruction, the Indians were taught agriculture, and the other most necessary arts of civilized life.

president for thirty years. The good Baxter was its friend. In 1698, "The Society for promoting Christian Knowledge" was founded by members of the Established Church in England; and in 1701, "The Society for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts" was instituted. This last joined with the first in aiding the American missions, as did also, at a later day, "The Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge," which was founded in Scotland. A considerable portion of the funds expended by these societies, in the missions among the Indians, was contributed by the churches in America; for, before the Revolution, they had no independent missionary organizations of their own, owing to their dependant condition as colonies. In 1762, the Massachusetts Legislature incorporated a society formed at Boston, "for promoting Christian knowledge among the Indians in North America," but the ratification of this act by the crown being refused, the missions had still to be conducted on behalf of the societies in Great Britain, through American committees formed at Boston and NewYork.