but, alas, now too late, it seems, shall apprise them of their unhappy delusion, and their evil destiny !*

From the character of the foregoing researches, it must be evident to every unprejudiced person, that the testimony of Jesus, as it is found recorded in the Gospel of St. Matthew, amply suffices to establish my position, that good works are absolutely necessary to the salvation of the Christian, without need of further corroboration from the other Gospels, the teaching of which is, of course, homogeneous with the one under review. Should any doctrine, therefore, in either of the other Gospels, be found to contradict the plain, categorical instruction of Christ, as we see it here set forth, sound exegetical principles would unhesitatingly pronounce it to be an interpolation, and unworthy of credit. Such being the fact in the premises, what are we to think of those who, by their confessions of faith, flatly contradict Jesus Christ, by falsely asserting the feasibility of salvation without good works? And this faith-it is scarcely credible, that thus glaringly lies in the face of the Savior, has the unparalleled hardi-hood to claim to be alone orthodox! The mischief that orthodox creeds have done to mankind, in promulgating this erroneous and wicked dogma of salvation and justification by faith in extraneous merits, without the observance of the moral law, is incalculable, and is the main cause of the unpractical and unnormal state of the Church, which has virtually become a dead formulary, a pretense, instead of

*This crass picture of future punishment, is of course, not to be taken literally, and can only mean that great moral delinquencies will be inevitably followed by protracted and very serious evils. Punishment, to be rational, must be corrective, and to be felt as just, it must be merciful!

a fruitful vine-yard of the Lord, in which work and reward go hand in hand.

The orthodox trace their antinomian creed to the doctrine of St. Paul, as it is set forth chiefly in the fourth and fifth chapters of his Epistle to the Romans. This fact alone proves them skillful exegetes! Is it possible that people can be mentally so thoroughly blind as not to see that if St. Paul should teach what they presumptuously assert that he does teach, that he could by no means be an Apostle of Jesus Christ, but must be a vile wretch, an infamous impostor, who-instead of deserving a crown of martyrdom for his pure and true Christian life, should only merit the hatred and execration of the human race for corrupting and virtually nullifying the Gospel of the Redeemer! His teaching will convict his defamers!

PARAGRAPH IV.

St. Paul's Testimony in Behalf of Good Works, or the Observance of the Moral Law, as Necessary to Salvation.

In seeking for testimony in support of the doctrine that good works, such namely as are inculcated by the moral law, are essential to the Christian's salvation, attention is at once invited to the prominent text in Romans ii. 6–15, inclusively. Here we will first notice the good and bad works; then the rewards and punishments, and, finally, the justification, of which it treats. Good works are here. more or less clearly defined to consist in obeying the truth, in being peaceable, and in patiently and persistently striving for the attainment of happiness. On the contrary, evil works are designated as contentiousness, disobedience of the truth, and the practice of unrighteousness. To do

the former, is to do well, the latter, evil. Retribution too has its basis in the moral law, and God will dispense justice to every one according to his deeds-to the good or those that lead virtuous lives, by carefully observing the moral law, "glory, honor, peace, and eternal life;" to the bad or those that lead immoral lives, "indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish." As to our justification, the Apostle clearly and emphatically represents it as the boon due to the "doers of the law:" the justification to which he here alludes, is of course not a legal justification, but the moral or evangelical justification peculiar to the economy of the Gospel. We are justified, that is, considered to be just or righteous-dikaiō thésontai, because we are doers of the moral law: oi poietai ton nómou. Finally, the Gentiles who show, or do not show "the work of the law written in their hearts," shall be blessed by an approving or tormented by a guilty conscience.

is

This passage alone, it may be confidently asserted, decisive as testimony in favor of the necessity of good works to the attainment of salvation. It proves that rewards and punishments are dealt out according to the character, which distinguishes the deeds of men, while at the same time, it incontestably teaches, that the doctrine of total depravity is false, even admitting that Adam has existed, and that man, even the constantly decried and much-abused heathen, can do the work of the law, and is judged in proportion as he faithfully keeps or heedlessly breaks it!

Not at all aiming to be exhaustive, I shall allow frequent gaps to intervene in these researches, and, therefore, next consult St. Paul on Romans, xii. 1. Here we learn that

our Divine service is to be a sacrifice. A Levitical sacrifice, for example, was holy sound and without blemish. It was moreover an offering to God. Such a sacrifice our bodies should be: our desires and passions must be subordinated to reason; for our Divine service is to be reasonable or based upon rational convictions. Such kind of morally ameliorative religious service, to the observance of which the sensible Apostle earnestly admonishes us, is acceptable unto God, simply in virtue of the good, pious deeds in which it abounds!

In his first Epistle to the Corinthians, xv. 58, St. Paul makes evangelical works the condition of future happiness, and hence, of course, regards them as of the greatest importance in the life of the Christian. For, having admonished the Corinthians to continue immovably steadfast in the Christian profession, he adds: "Always abound in the work of the Lord for as much as ye know that your labor will not be in vain in the Lord." The "work of the Lord," remarks Doctor Clarke, "is obedience to his holy word. Every believer in Christ is a workman of God. He that works not to bring glory to God, and good to man, is not acknowledged as a servant of Christ: and, if he is not a servant, he is not a son; and if not a son, then not an heir. And he must not only work, but abound in that work; ever exceeding his former self; and this, not for a time, but always; beginning, continuing, and ending every act of life to God's glory, and the good of his fellows." In this accurate portraiture of the Christian character, man is, by no means, intended to be represented as independent of God. On the contrary, his practical religious life is promised to be virtually performed under the in

direct agency of the Supreme Being, who is necessarily the primary giver of all good gifts; yet without detriment to man's voluntary action, or his competence to obey the moral law, and who, thus qualified by his conduct to merit the Divine blessing, will realize the welcome declaration of the Apostle, "that his labor is not in vain."

In chapter ix. 5-7, inclusively, in his Second Epistle to the Corinthians, St. Paul treats of charity, describing it as an important Christian duty, while he calls attention to the fact the charitable person, who gives alms cheerfully and liberally, according to his means, or-in other words, he that "soweth bountifully, shall reap also bountifully;" whereas, he that bestows his benevolent contributions grudgingly, that is, "soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly." It is apparent that the dispensation of charity or alms-giving, is a virtue which requires other Christian traits of character to co-operate simultaneously with the successful exercise of this benignant office; as, useful industry, a proper economy, and great self-denial, especially a benevolent disposition, which promptly recognizes in every human being, however degraded, wretched, or unfortunate he may be, a fellow-being, whose misery pleads for sympathy while his wants claim relief. Charity, thus consisting in benefactions to the needy, involves much labor as well as provident care, and the charitable person is indeed doomed to arduous work, especially in large cities, where his sphere of labor is most ample, and his services almost without respite. Finally, for I aim to be brief, good works as absolutely necessary to our happiness, are again unmistakably taught in the fact that the charitable person shall reap much: be greatly rewarded, because he has