existence of these faculties, but to the heart, or will: and in this respect all the sound divines, from Augustine to this day, have had no hesitancy in teaching, that no mere man is able to keep the commands of God. But this view of the subject is rejected by modern reformers in theology and religion, not because it is unscriptural, but because it is inconsistent with their own inferences from solitary passages in the Scriptures, with the laws of mind, or with their own consciousness.

Here it is proper to say, that our fathers were wont to regard the Scriptures as the only rule of faith and practice. But recently we are taught to read as of equal authority the the lessons of "common sense," 66 intuitive perception,” and "internal consciousness." Though Mr. Finney does not seem to have explicitly enjoined this duty, his reasonings frequently imply it. In his discourse on making a new heart, he assures us, that all the declarations of the Bible "are in accordance with the true philosophy of mind." By "true philosophy," he probably means his own philosophy, as stated in his sermons;" for on this he seems to rely almost to the exclusion of the Scriptures. But though he does not expli. citly tell us what he means, yet a friend, a patron, a greater than he has declared, that "there is a deep and universal consciousness in all men as to the freedom of choice, and in denying this you reverse God's constitution of man. You assume that God gave a deceptive constitution to mind, or a deceptive consciousness. Now I think, that God is as honest in the moral world as he is in the natural world. I believe, that in our consciousness he tells the truth; and that the natural constitution and universal feelings and perceptions of men, are the voice of God speaking the truth; and if the truth is not here, where may we expect to find it."* Now we would observe, that the views here said to be taught by the universal consciousness of all men, as to the freedom of choice, and which Dr. Beecher calls "the voice of God," are the very same

that men have in their own natural ability sufficient means to avoid sin, and to be perfectly free from it, and so from all the bad consequences of it. And if the means are sufficient, then there is no need of more, and therefore there is no need of Christ dying in order to it." ****** “Hence then, without Christ, and his redemption, and without any grace at all, MERE JUSTICE makes sufficient provision for our being free from sin and misery, by our own power." By these, and many other passages it is plain, that Edwards regarded the doctrine of "ability commensurate with obligation" as at variance with the provisions of grace, and utterly unfounded.

Views on Theology, by Lyman Beecher, D. D. 2d. Ed. p. 45.

with those which were exploded by Edwards in his Treatise on the Will. Here we have an extensive volume of revelation! Wherever it is admitted to be canonical, it will undoubtedly produce some changes in the system of Theology. This species of revelation has been generally regarded by sound divines as rather apocryphal. If Mr. Finney has adopted it, there can be no doubt, but by its aid he has been able to make essential modifications in those doctrines, which were derived from the Scriptures alone. What these modifications are it is important fully to understand.

I. RESPECTING THE HEART.

"It is that deep seated, but voluntary preference of the mind, which lies back of all its other voluntary affections and emotions, and from which they take their character."*

II. CHARACTER OF INFANTS.

Mr. Finney says, "there are two systems." The one maintains, "that infants have no moral character at all, until they have committed actual transgression: that their first moral actions are invariably sinful, but that previous to moral action they are neither sinful, nor holy. God might annihilate them without injustice, or he might bestow upon them eternal life as a free and unearned gift." The other system maintains, that "infants have a sinful nature which they have inherited from Adam." The first system Mr. Finney adopts and defends, but the last he condemns in unqualified terms. To reconcile his doctrine with the salvation of infants by grace, he makes the grace to consist in the gift of existence, and says, "now every infant owes its very existence to the grace of God in Jesus Christ, and if it dies previously to actual transgression, it is just as absolutely indebted to Christ for eternal life, as if it had been the greatest sinner on earth."+

III. TOTAL DEPRAVITY.

"I am to show what is meant by the carnal mind as used in the text. It is a voluntary state of mind. It is

• Sermons on Important Subjects, p. 8. + Ibid. p. 159, 160. Ibid p. 61.

that state of supreme selfishness, in which all men are previous to their conversion. It is a state of mind in which probably they are not born, but into which they appear to fall very early after their birth. The gratification of their appetites is made by them the supreme object of desire and pursuit and becomes the law of their lives."* The doctrine

of a depraved nature he unequivocally rejects.

IV. ELECTION.

"The Elect then must be those, whom God foresaw could be converted under the wisest administration of his government; that, administering it in a way that would be most beneficial to all worlds, exerting such an amount of moral influence on every individual, as would result upon the whole in the greatest good to his divine kingdom, he foresaw that certain individuals could with this wisest amount of moral influence be reclaimed, and for this reason they were chosen to eternal life."+ "The elect were chosen to eternal life, because God foresaw, that in the perfect exercise of their freedom they could be induced to repent and embrace the Gospel." "Sinners, your salvation or damnation is as abso lutely dependent upon your own choice, as if God neither knew nor designed any thing about it."‡

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V. REGENERATION.

"A change of heart then, consists in changing the controlling preference of the mind in regard to the end of pursuit.""A new heart is the choice of Jehovah as the supreme ruler; a deep seated and abiding preference of his laws and government and character and person as the supreme legislator and governor of the universe," "To constitute a change of heart, it must not only be voluntary, but it must be a change in the governing preference of the mind."§

VI. AGENCY IN REGENERATION.

"There is a sense in which conversion is the work of God. There is a sense in which it is the effect of truth. There is a sense in which the preacher does it. And it is

Rom. 8: 7. Sermons on Important Subjects, p. 116. Ibid. pp. 224, 225. Ibid. p. 229,

also the appropriate work of the sinner himself. The fact is, that the actual turning is the sinner's own act.*

VII. MODE OF THE SPIRIT'S OPERATION IN REGENERATION.

"Thus the striving of the Spirit of God is not a physical scuffling, but a debate, a strife, not of body with body, but of mind with mind, and that in the action and reaction of vehement argumentation. From these remarks it is easy to answer the question sometimes put by individuals, who seem to be entirely in the dark upon this subject, whether in converting the soul the Spirit acts directly on the mind, or on the truth. This is the same nonsense as if you should ask whether an earthly advocate, who has gained his cause, did it by acting on the jury, or on his argument." "The power which God exerts in the conversion of a soul, is moral power. It is that kind of power by which a statesman sways the mind of a senate, or by which an advocate moves and bows the heart of a jury."†

VIII. INABILITY OF GOD TO PREVENT SIN.

"This law is moral, not physical, a government of motive, not of force. It is vain to talk of his omnipotence preventing sin. If infinite motives will not prevent it, it cannot be prevented under a moral government, and to maintain the contrary is absurd and a contradiction. To administer moral laws is not the object of physical power. To maintain, therefore, that the physical omnipotence of God can prevent sin, is to talk nonsense." "Sinners can go to hell in spite

of God."§

IX. ABILITY OF A SINNER TO MAKE A NEW HEART.

"As therefore, God requires men to make to themselves a new heart on pain of eternal death, it is the strongest possible evidence, that they are able to do it." "The sinner that minds the flesh, can change his mind and mind God."

We might in this place cite numerous instances in which he inculcates such a theory of the assistance of the spirit in prayer, as necessarily to imply inspiration. This branch of

* Sermons on Important Subjects, p. 20. + Ibid. pp. 28, 30. Ibid, p. 58. § Mr. Finney's Sermons in N. Y. Evang. Aug. 25, 1835. Sermons on Important Subjects, p. 18, 38.

VOL. V.

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the subject, however, has been explicitly stated in a former number. It is well known, that during the last twelve years these remarkable doctrines have been inculcated by the author in various parts of our land. They have been published. The volume which contains them, has been honoured with more than one edition. A newspaper devoted to his interests has almost continually published his doctrines. The things contained in the first two volumes and a part of the third had gone before the world, been repeated by his satellites and received by hundreds and thousands, while the author was a member in "good and regular standing" of a large presbytery in the commercial emporium of our country, yet no effectual process was instituted against him. The community were not warned to beware of his errours, which were thus poured like a flood upon them. And when these errours were embodied and presented with a few additional ones to the General Assembly for condemnation, his friends professed to be ignorant of their existence in the Church. Yet these things were not taught in a corner. They were not only preached and published in the city, but during several years previous to his residence there. Mr. Finney had been celebrated as an itinerant minister. In some sections of the country there is scarcely an important congregation in which he had not inculcated these doctrines; for in the preface of his sermons he says, "in preaching as an Evangelist I found it especially important to discuss these and other topics, and have almost every where found many misapprehensions and misunderstandings existing in the minds of the multitude on most of these points.' These doctrines found their way into many congregations too obscure to attract his personal attention. They were conveyed to them through the pulpits by his disciples, and to their conference meetings and fire-sides by these volumes, by the weekly numbers of the N. Y. Evangelist, by the tracts and other publications of the same school in theology.* They came not as errours, but as the truths which had renovated the American churches. Thus in many instances they gained the attention, excited the feelings, shaped the opinions of individuals, produced discord in doctrine, alienation of affections, and irregularities in conduct. In these

It is not to be inferred, that the great body of stated ministers in the interior of New-York approve the views of Mr. Finney. In many cases these things have been done in opposition to their wishes and advice.