take the Bible as their inspired and sole with the state of society in the United authoritative guide. States than foreigners can well possess,

4. Nor must we forget that what may seems necessary to account for the number, be called provincial peculiarities necessa-variety, and numerical magnitude of some rily lead so far to diversities of religious of our unevangelical sects, and thus to sentiment. A true Eastern man from Con-abate the surprise which these may occanecticut, and a true Western man, born and sion to many of our readers. Neverthebrought up on the banks of the Ohio, can less, to a certain extent, this may be hardly be expected to speculate alike on brought within the comprehension even of dubious points in theology, any more than those who have never seen the country. on many other subjects. So, also, are the First, then, be it observed that not only inhabitants of the North and South dis- can a far larger proportion of the white intinguished from each other by peculiarities habitants of the United States read than is fully as marked as those that distinguish to be found in almost any other country, the northern from the southern inhabitants but they actually do read and pursue the of Great Britain. acquisition of knowledge in almost every II. Yet it is not difficult to draw a line possible way. Novelty, accordingly, has between the various unevangelical sects always great attractions for them. Next, on the one hand, and those that may be with the exception, perhaps, of Scotland, in classed together as evangelical denomina- no other country is there so little work done tions on the other. The chief of the for- on the Lord's day; not only does the law mer, as we have said, are the Roman Cath- require, but the disposition of the people olics, Unitarians, Christ-ians, Universalists, enforces it; and as they are not at all of a Hicksite Quakers, Swedenborgians, Tun- character that would incline them to spend kers or Dunkers, Jews, Shakers, and so on the day at home in idleness, they naturally down to the Mormons, beginning with the take advantage of the opportunities within sect that has buried the truth amid a heap reach of attending public meetings, and of corruptions of heathenish origin, and listening to what may be said there. And ending with the grossest of all the delusions religion being a subject to which they atthat Satanic malignity or human ambition tach more or less importance almost uniever sought to propagate. Now it will be versally, it is what they most like to hear observed that, with the exception of the discussed on the Sabbath. Thirdly, where first two, these sects have few elements there is no evangelical preaching, vast of stability. Their ministers are almost numbers, particularly of such as have no all men of little learning, and that little is decided religious convictions, will resort almost all concentrated in specious endeav- to a Universalist, or even to an infidel ours to maintain their tenets, by perverting preacher, if one is announced in their the Scriptures, by appealing to the prejudi- neighbourhood, rather than go nowhere ces of their hearers, and by misrepresent- at all. No doubt curiosity leads them thithing and ridiculing the doctrines of oppo- er first, and perhaps for long afterward. nents who meet their subtle arguments Fourthly, absolute religious liberty being with the plain declarations of Scripture, as the principle of the government, the people well as with unanswerable arguments may everywhere have what preaching they drawn from sound reason. The congre- please, if they can find it, and choose to be gations of the Universalists and Christ-ians at the expense of maintaining it; and, ac-the latter of whom are Unitarian Bap-cordingly, they who dislike faithful evantists, and the most numerous of the une-gelical preaching, often combine to form vangelical sects next to the Roman Catho-a congregation where some heterodox lics are far from large, except in some of the largest cities and towns in New-England, and they often last but a few years, disappearing almost entirely before the extension of the evangelical communions. At times a religious revival almost annihilates, in the course of a few weeks, the attempts made by some Universalist preacher to form a society of that sect, at places where the faithful herald of the Gos-gelical churches. pel has lifted up a standard for Truth. And Thus it will be perceived that the uneas none of the unevangelical bodies, not even the Roman Catholics, can absolutely debar their members from attending the preaching of evangelical ministers when they come into their neighbourhood, they present no insurmountable barrier to the advance of truth.

preacher may hold forth doctrines more acceptable to them. Congregations so formed, especially in cities and large towns, may last for years, or even become in some sense permanent, but in by far the greater number of cases they disappear, part of their members removing to some other place, and others becoming converts to the orthodox creed of the surrounding evan

vangelical sects in the United States are mainly composed of persons who, in other countries, would remain stupidly indifferent to religion, spending their Sabbaths in employments or amusements wholly secular. Even this may be thought better by some than that they should "give heed to A better and more intimate acquaintance | doctrines of devils," upon the principle that

be said of the Universalists-and they comprise nearly the whole-who deny a future judgment and all punishment beyond this life; while as for the Atheists, Deists, and Socialists of every hue, it is hardly slander to say, that their influence upon society is positively mischievous.

no religion is better than a false one. This may be true in many cases, but hardly in all. Experience proves, I think, very decidedly in America, that persons that occupy their minds with the subject of religion, even when they doubt the truth or embrace positive error, are more accessible to the faithful preaching of the Gospel, than others that are sunk in stupid indifference and infidelity. The forms of error in that country have, with one exception, no element of stability-no vigorous dogmatism or permanent fascinations to oppose to the solid orthodoxy of evangelical preaching. The one exception is Roman-or, rather, to obtaining, the true knowledge ism, which presents a sort of mosaic of truth and error, so artfully combined as to exert a charm over the minds of those who have once received it, which it is almost impossible to dissipate.

As for the Shakers, Mormons, and other such agglomerations, they may be accounted for, I apprehend, on two principles. First, the binding nature of human depravity, which makes men prefer anything, however absurd, that looks like religion, and suits their fancies, to retaining,

of God. Next, these bodies always hold out some temporal good-some economical advantage-which, far more than any religious consideration, tempts persons to enter them. One would suppose, for example, that a religion which, like that of the Shakers, makes the sinfulness of marriage a fundamental principle, and obliges married proselytes to live single, could never find followers. Yet, as persons sometimes grow tired of the marriage relation, or, rather, of those with whom it has

may be found willing, even by becoming Shakers, to rid themselves of a burden that feels grievous to them. So, also, in the separation of children from their parents, and the entire breaking up of the family relationships, weak people may al

portunity of ridding themselves of parental responsibility, by shifting it upon other shoulders. This despicable and unmanly selfishness may be regarded as the main foundation of all the forms of Socialism.

Next to Romanism, Unitarianism is, of all forms of error that assume the title of Christian, the most stable. Its professors are chiefly to be found in the eastern parts of Massachusetts; but as those, as well as other parts of New-England, are constantly sending out emigrants to the new settlements, small knots of persons with Uni-bound them as husband and wife, so some tarian preferences may be found in the Middle, Southern, and Western States. Still, this dispersion of Unitarianism, and its sprouting up at various points, not in Massachusetts, has rather the appearance than the reality of increase. It may be more than doubted whether it be not posi-ways be found ready to snatch at any optively declining in Boston and its vicinity. Except that it by no means prevails in the same proportion, it is very much in America what Rationalism is in Protestant Europe-a disease caught by the Church from the epidemic skepticism of the eighteenth century-a skepticism which is now in both hemispheres taking the form of a mystical pantheism. The career of Unitarianism, which one of its advocates calls not a "religion, but a fashion,"* as a sect or party, is manifestly drawing to a close; and such, I rather think, is the impression of its most intelligent and eminent leaders. 1. They agree generally in holding the It seems to be given up as incapable of dif- body of doctrines professed by the Reformfusion; and the thirty years' experience it ed churches of France and Switzerland, as has had of a separate organization con-imbodied in the Westminster Assembly's firms to my mind this conclusion, though Catechisms, and in the doctrinal articles others may think differently. At all events, of the Church of England. In particular, no one who is well informed with regard they hold the supremacy of the Scriptures to the present aspect of things in America, can claim for Unitarianism much vigour or any greater positive increase than that of the natural increase of the population within its pale; and it may be doubted whether it is increasing even so much as that.

A certain amount of moral influence for good may fairly be attributed to some of the unevangelical sects, but this can hardly

* The Rev, O. A. Brownson.

T

III. We have yet to consider the extent of doctrinal agreement and diversity in and among the communions classed together as evangelical-a subject already noticed, but to which it is necessary to return, in order that the reader may perceive its connexion with certain other interesting and important topics.

as a rule of faith, and that whatever doctrine can be proved from Holy Scripture without tradition is to be received unhesitatingly, and that nothing that cannot so be proved shall be deemed an essential point of Christian belief. They hold the inspiration of the Scriptures-the three persons in the divine unity—the holiness of the first human pair as created and placed upon probation-their fall, and the involved or consequent apostacy of the whole human the necessity of some atonement

race

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 figuratively and morally, but literally and physically, 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 renovation 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 betterthan 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 instance, I could not expect to state minutely the differences between the "Old School" and "New School," in the Presbyterian 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

every instance in which sin actually takes place, he, for some wise reason, chooses to permit rather than to interpose his power to prevent it. Some hold that all the 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 Chrisglad 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 of 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