you to determine with what feelings the scheme ought to be rejected. We are persuaded that it would not be possible to give a full explanation of the divine decrees in the compass of a single letter.Our attention has been directed principally to two points: in the first place, to show that the decrees of God are not inconsistent with the moral agency and accountableness of man; and in the second place, that when the doctrine of the divine decrees is properly understood, it cannot be denied without supposing the divine plan so completely liable to frustration and defeat as would make the standing of the Christian entirely uncertain, both in this life and the life to come. This last proposition is, we think, fully made out by the preceding observations; and it presents an alternative on the denial of the deerees, in which we believe that no pious man can acquiesce.

We shall next notice a part of our church regulations, on account of which we have been exposed to many severe, unfriendly, and as we think, unjustifiable attacks from the Methodist denomination. We mean that part of our system which relates to the support of the gospel ministry. We believe that reflecting men of nearly all denominations agree that unless a gospel ministry be supported, the gospel cannot be generally preached: and therefore to pursuade any people to give up the support of their ministers, is to pursuade them to assist in the destruction of their own church. The Methodists are as fully aware of this fact as any other people; and no people in this country provide more punctually, or more liberally for the mainteLance of their preachers than they do. The manner of their provision, indeed, makes it less sensible, but not less substantial. They assign a sufficient maintenance for the preacher himself, for his wife, and for each of his children; and this provision is often continued for many years after the preacher's decease, and taken altogether, is a better support for a large family, than most of our ministers enjoy.

Our plan is a very simple one, and perfectly open to the know!edge of the world. When the settlement of a minister is contemplated, an estimate is made of the sum necessary for his stipend. This sum is raised either by voluntary subscription, or by pew-rent. Some members of the congregation, as trustees, take the subscription into their own hands for collection, and guarantee to the pastor such an amount of it as can be safely promised. Here every thing is perfectly voluntary and open. And if it should sometimes happen that the trustees, rather than violate their promise to their pastor, should be obliged to coerce the litigious to comply with their voluntary engagements, this, although it seldom happens in church affairs,

is nothing more than what frequently occurs in all the free transac tions of our country.

The Methodists have made severe attacks upon this plan; but we doubt whether their own plan, or any other which can be devised, be not equally open to objections. In the Methodist church, the expense necessary for supporting the gospel is often unequally distri buted. Members particularly situated are often taxed to a great amount by means of their hospitality; and we have heard some high estimates of the sums annually expended in this way. We have also heard great complaints against that part of the Methodist plan which taxes their slave members a dollar a year. It is true the sum is not large; but thirty or forty years' membership at that rate might draw from a poor slave more money than he should equitably contribute. But we shall not dwell upon these things: and indeed, we only mention them to shew that whilst our opponents are attacking us without mercy, they are also liable to attacks at home. We think that the itinerant plan of the Methodists, considered as a missionary system, is in the main a good one. But then we think a mere missionary sys tem not competent to the entire edification of the church. It causes their clergy to ride too much and study too little to promise an enlightened ministry. And indeed, the Methodists themselves, in cities and other places, where they are numerous, have fallen into the method of supporting their ministers by subscription, or perhaps by pew-rent, in the manner of other denominations. This, we think, makes it the more strange, that we should receive so much abuse for a plan known to be imitated by their own church, when in circumcumstances to justify the imitation.

But at any rate, if our plan be wrong, the people have the power of correcting it. Our church government is not despotic. The peaple possess the power of choosing the ministers, elders, and all other officers of the church, and of course they can apply any amendments to the method of maintaining their pastors which time shall discover to be necessary.

A doctrine has lately sprung up in the world, or if anciently professed, it was only by the wildest sectaries, against which we would affectionately warn you. We mean the doctrine of sinless perfection in this life. We are aware that the New Testament writers sometimes use the word perfection; but at the same time they exhibit a marked difference between Christian perfection, and sinless perfection. The propagators of the doctrine of sinless perfection in this life say that it is not only attainable, but necessary to salvation. Christians who believe them must, then, be in danger either of des

pair under a just sense of their imperfections, or of delusion and spiritual pride. They must be tempted to exclude their improper thoughts and deficient performance of duty, from the catalogue of their sins, and to substitute the workings of blind enthusiasm and fanatic zeal for the pure fervours of divine love, and strict obedience to the precepts of the gospel. But the principle reasons why we consider this sinless perfection as manifestly contrary to the word of God, are the following:

In the first place, the man who claims sinless perfection must entertain a very different opinion of himself from what the most pious men who are held up as examples to us in the word of God, entertained of themselves. Job said, "I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." Isaiah said, "wo is me for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips:-for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." St. Paul, in the last stage of his Christian course, said that he had not attained, neither was he already perfect: he "forgot those things which were behind, and reached forth unto those things which were before." When Paul was a Pharisee he thought himself perfectly without sin, and "as touching the righteousness of the law blameless;" but when he became a Christian, his views of the divine law and of himself, were entirely altered. In the second place, the man who claims sinless perfection is disqualified for using the Lord's prayer which our Saviour taught his disciples, and of course required them all to use. For in that prayer there is one petition in which we must pray conti ually for the forgiveness of our trespasses. But in the third place, the Apostle John decides the whole question of sinless perfection in a very serious manner. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." This determines the point with all who duly reverence the bible. It shews us that the man who professes to be so much superior in holiness to Job, Isaiah, and Paul, is actually under a delusion, which excludes all proper knowledge of saving truth. John indeed, elsewhere says, "whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin;" or literally translated, doth not make a business or trade of sin. But as this applies to that deliverance from sin which even the weakest Christian obtains the moment he is regenerated, it gives no support to the doctrine of sinless perfection in the present life.

As the best security against error and danger of every kind, we would earnestly exhort to diligent and sincere self-examination. This is a duty often inculcated in scripture, and it is of indispensable necessity to all Christians, but more especially important to those who are just commencing a religious life. The time when a person

first indulges the hope of the gospel is, in general, the most important period of that person's existence. If that hope be built upon a wrong foundation, or admitted upon insufficient evidence, it is seldom dissi pated until it is forever too late. It is a dangerous matter to suppose that mere joy, preceded by what may be thought religious distress, is sufficient evidence of religion. Religious comfort, when genuine, must be accompanied with sincere watchfulness against sin, and with all holy resolutions, desires, and practice. We must look more to the habitual purpose and tendency of the mind than to mere feeling, in order to ascertain our title to the favor of God.

"Itching ears; heaping to ourselves teachers;" or hearing the word of God from mere curiosity, is another evil against which the apostle warns the church, as a thing extremely injurious to religion. We would not altogether condemn what is called occasional hearing, or the hearing of other denominations; but we believe that hearing the gospel for mere curiosity, without that reverence and close personal application which duty requires, is one of the greatest evils of the church in the present day. And just in proportion to the extent of the evil, and the injury it is effecting, is the difficulty of applying a remedy. General evils are so fortified by example as to keep themselves in countenance; and we are unawares led into the most offensive criminalty, whilst we imagine that we are performing our duty. We believe that the kind of hearing just described is often carried so far as to subvert all the ends of the public ordinances of religion.

We are afraid that two important duties are much neglected in the present day; and that the church greatly suffers in consequence of that neglect. We mean the sanctification of the Sabbath, and family religion. If professors of religion are in the habit of making unnecessary journies on the Sabbath, or spending a part of it in unnecessary visits, they are greatly guilty of the violation of their duty and the neglect of their privileges. The due sanctification of the Sabbath is necessary to the maintenance of family religion: and without family religion, which includes the pious education of children, the church will not prosper. Families are the elements of all societies, whether civil or ecclesiastical; and if pure religion do not exist in families, it cannot be expected to exist in the church. We would earnestly recommend to Christian families to meet together on every Sabbath evening, and spend some time in catechising and reading the word of God, or some other book of religious instruction. We believe that such exercises ought not to be excluded, in common times, even by the desire of multiplying the public meetings of religion.

Religion often receives a sanction in young minds from parental authority and example, which cannot be obtained from any other source. Finally, brethren, we must observe that the spirit of slumber which pervades our churches seems to have fallen upon us at a most unseasonable juncture. The Christian world is at present greatly moved. In innumerable places, Christians are active, both in maintaining the cause of religion at home, and extending its influence abroad. The time seems to be approaching, if it have not already arrived, when the Head of the church will collect his true followers into an efficient body; and employ them effectually in multiplying the victories of the cross. It is also true that in the present day, the cause of irreligion and vice is advancing. If the good seed of the word is sown extensively, we know that wherever the church is asleep, the enemy also sows his tares. It would seem that the kingdoms of light and darkness are both collecting their forces for some mighty conflict. And in this war, there can be no neutrality. “He that is not with me, is against me." is the maxim of our blessed Saviour. Perhaps few churches in Christendom are more loudly called upon by the voice of Providence than our own. Not only are our spiritual concerns languishing at home; but we are surrounded by a large region of desolation, where "the people perish for lack of knowledge." The interests of our own families unite with those of more distant friends in calling upon us to awake out of sleep, and act our part as the friends of Zion. May the spirit of the living God enforce the admonition; and excite us to act as a people feeling that “we are not our own, but are bought with a price," even with the blood of the everlasting covenant.

"And now, brethren, we commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inher itance among all them who are sanctified."

SAMUEL HOUSTON, MODERATOR. FRANCIS M'FARLAND, STATED CLERK.

For the Calvinistic Magazine.

CHRISTIAN PERFECTION.

I have listened, with some attention and anxiety, to the abettors and defenders of what they call, Christian Perfection. They sometimes, if not generally, treat it in a controversial manner; casting unjust aspersions on others whom they choose to call, opponents. They use a great deal of declamation, and cite nearly all the pas sages, with great zeal and triumph, where the word perfect, perfection