SECTION I.

Original Sin.

"Behold I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me."-Psalm li. 5.

"Man is very far gone from original righteousness." -From Art. IX.

"The Churchman lays at the foundation of his faith and practice the doctrine of the corruption of human nature, leading to those actual transgressions which render man guilty in the sight of God, and rendering unworthy of divine acceptance his best works."-Bp. Hobart. 3d charge, p. 6.

Q. What is the ground-work of the scheme of Redemption?

A. Bishop White says, "The groundwork of the whole scheme is man's loss of his original righteousness; that, by way of remedy of this, the mediatorial character of Christ involving the sacrifice which he made for sin, in the strict

* Con. Ser. 1801, p. 16.

and proper meaning of the expressions; as connected with every branch of the subject, his divinity, and his existence before all ages; and, as stamping a character on the entire design, its being a dispensation of grace, meaning of grace or favor as the operating motive of the divine mind, and of grace or aid as coessential to man's performance of the conditions of the gospel covenants, are points not dependent on detached passages of holy writ, but pervading all its books."

*

Q. What is man's state by nature ? A. Bishop White says, "By nature, he is ignorant of GOD and of his perfections; and without ability to acquire right conceptions of that only source of religious and moral obligation. This is not the worst; for although his faculties,

*Sermon on Festival of H. Innocents, p.7.

his affections, and his appetites are wisely suited to their respective ends, and in the right direction, would constitute him a perfect being; yet, in consequence of the weakness of intellect, of the strength of passion, and of the excitements of temptations, originating in his wants; being all the effects of the apostacy; we have within us the operating cause of every irregular desire, which may be kept within limits by prudential considerations, but can no otherwise be subdued, than by the powerful influence of divine grace."

Q. What is the effect of the fall?

A. Bishop White says,* " As the effect of the fall we are to acknowledge and teach constantly, that all right to immortality was lost in Adam; and that, by our descent from him, our under

*Comment. p. 81.

standings become darkened, and our wills depraved; or, as the 9th article speaks, "We are far gone from original, righteousness;" so that, without the mercy of God, through Christ, we are amenable to his justice for the punishment of sin in a future life, from which nothing in or of ourselves can rescue us."

SECTION II.

Of the Plan of Salvation.

"Neither is their salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."-The Acts, iv. 12.

"Holy Scripture doth set out unto us only the name of Jesus Christ, whereby men must be saved."-From, Art. XVIII.

"It is this doctrine of justification and salvation only through the free grace of God in Jesus Christ, his divine Lord and Redeemer, which the Churchman daily and constantly cherishes as the only solace of his wounded conscience, and the only ground on which he can hope for acceptance at the tribunal of his Almighty Judge, and for advancement to the celestial glories

which infinitely transcend the merit of his best works." -Bp. Hobart, 3d charge, p. 6.

Q. State the scheme of salvation, guarding it from erroneous statements? A. BishopWhite says,* "Every scheme of religion, which denies the divine character, or the propitiatory sacrifice of the Redeemer; or which represents man in any other character than that of a sinner, needing pardon; or which exalts human reason, to the lowering of the estimation of divine illumination in the Scriptures; or which creates a dependence on our own strength, to the undervaluing of the aids of the Holy Spirit; or which arrogates merit to works, to the detriment of the merits of the great sacrifice of the cross; is so far wide of the leading sense of revelation, that we may consider it as "a fall from grace."

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* Ordination Ser. 1825, p. 10.