The Calvanistick clergy in New-York have as good a right to denounce their brethren of the New-England orthodoxy, and to treat them as hereticks, as the orthodox of New-England have So to treat other Christians. Whichever of two parties may be in the right, as to the opinions in dispute, that party is always in the wrong which is disposed to revile, defame, or persecute. If this be the case on both sides, both are in the wrong, and a greater wrong than any mere errour of opinion.

Investigator complains loudly of a persecuting spirit on the part of the Calvinistick Clergy of New-York, and he pleads ably for the rights of conscience. He endeavours also to prove that the opinions of those clergymen, on the doctrines of original sin, the sinner's inability, and the extent of the propitiation made by Jesus Christ, are grossly erroneous, dishonourary to God, and injurious in their tendency. The opinions of the Calvinistick clergy, on these three points, are what he calls "The Triangle." "The whole of their doctrine," he says, "amounts to this, that a man is in the first place condemned, incapacitated, and eternally reprobated for the sin of Adam: in the next place, that he is condemned over again for not doing that which he is totally, in all respects, unable to do: and, in the third place, that he is condemned, and doubly and trebly condemned, for not believing in a Saviour, who never died for him, and with

whom he has no more concern than a fallen angel." p. 12.

"To this," he says, "it is proper to add, that they are tenacious of their own opinions, and intolerant of those of others in no ordinary degree. I shall justify this remark, by simply adverting to the recent expulsion of a young man of unblemished character and respectable talents, from a theological seminary in this city. I cannot but notice as an extraordinary coincidence, that the very man who expelled him, has at this time come out and astonished the world by a pompous and flaming production in favour of general communion, catholicism, and christian charity. I wish he would inform the world whether he intends they shall follow his book, or his example. I cannot express what gratitude I feel to Providence, that though Bonner and Gardiner should revive, they would not find in this country a government ready to second their intolerance by the flames of persecution. The tiger may show his teeth and growl, but he cannot bite."

It is certainly lamentable, if there is just occasion for such representations, and such severity of remark, respecting any minister or ministers of religion in our country, who claim the " uppermost seats in the synagogues" of orthodoxy. And perhaps it is not less to be lamented that such representations should be made, if they are not well founded. In a future number we expect to give our readers some extracts

from the reasoning of Investigator on the doctrines which compose "The Triangle." These doctrines, as stated by him, are the following:

1. "That the whole human race are guilty of the sin of Adam, independently of their own conduct, and for that sin are truly deserving of eternal punishment."

2. "That all men labour un

der a true and physical incapacity to do any thing which God requires."

3. That "there is a remedy for a part of mankind; Christ has died for an elect number. They, and they only, enjoy an offer of salvation; and for them alone is provision made."

Against these opinions Investigator reasons with ability, if not with moderation.

"DR. DODDRIDGE observes, in his introductory sermon to his lectures against Popery, which I have in manuscript,- Such of you who have frequently attended my ministry, well know, that it has not been my custom to insist on subjects of controversial divinity. As my temper does not incline me to dispute, so I confess, when I seriously consider the importance of that eternal world to which we are hastening, I can seldom persuade myself to employ in matters of criticism and debate, those sacred and important moments, which we separate from our common time, with a view to a more immediate preparation for it. Practical preaching is, under God, the great support of the gospel, as practical precepts

have every where the greatest stress laid upon them in it.'

"I most sincerely and heartily assent to the sentiments contained in the above quotation. And you, my friends, can witness for me, that I very seldom indeed, bring matters of controversy into my publick discourses.-I shall, however, on the present occasion, give you my opinion, as briefly as may be, on some controversial points.

"Before I came into this country, I wrote to Dr. Morse, respecting a removal hither; informing him, I was no great stickler for particular sentiments in religion; being well assured that many wiser and better than myself differed from me, both on the one side and on the other. But as it was generally reckoned

there should be some considerable agreement between a minister and his people, I would observe, I might perhaps be justly styled a moderate Baxterian; there being no other I was acquainted with, who more generally agreed with me on religious subjects than he did. The Dr. answered, there were many ministers in New-England of similar sentiments with mine.

I landed in Boston the 13th of June, 1793, and in March, 1794, I came with my family to Brattleborough, to settle on a farm. Immediately after my arrival here, I was desired to preach, and have been the only minister in this town for twenty years; to which office I was chosen annually, that is to say, twenty times in twenty years; always, as I have been told, by large majorities, and often without a dissenting voice.

Here I have lived in great peace and comfort with my parish, having never had any difference, nor even a dispute with any one. I shall always reflect with pleasure on this part of my life, having reason to hope my labours were not without a divine blessing. I consider many people in this town, who do not now attend my labours, as my old friends, for whom I shall retain an affectionate regard to my dying hour. And I can appeal to my late flock to say, whether I was negligent of their spiritual welfare.

When in the course of my education, I was called to study the controversial points, I paid great attention to them, and my Vol. IV. No. 10.

opinions respecting them became established; and are now very much the same they have been the last fifty years of my life.

Within these two years, strange reports have been circulating respecting my erroneous opinions in religion, particularly as to the doctrine of the Trinity -a word that never occurs in the word of God.

It is well known, some professing christians deny our Lord's having had any existence before he came into this world. Such go under the denomination of Socinians. Some have charged me with being a Socinian; but this charge is altogether groundless.

I must confess to you, mý friends, that I consider our Lord as having made an atonement for sin. Numberless scriptures might be quoted in proof of this. He was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification. The Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all. Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sin of the world. We have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. How the sufferings and death of Christ have this effect, 1 do not pretend to know. The gospel,

as

Dr. Macknight observes, "has discovered to us only the fact, without explaining to us the manner in which it is brought about." I therefore thankfully receive the doctrine, just as I would thankfully receive an efficacious medicine, that would certainly cure a most dangerous disease, though I knew nothing of the ingredients of which it

was composed, or the manner in which it operated upon the human frame.

I am also fully satisfied, that our works, in no degree what ever, merit the favour of God. They are the conditions of our salvation, but not the cause. Not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to his mercy he saveth us, by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. I as firmly believe as any man can, that there is no other name given under heaven amongst men, whereby we can be saved, neither is there salvation in any other. It appears to me clearly revealed in the scriptures, that the work of religion in the soul, is begun, and carried on, in the use of proper means, by the spirit of God, and that we are kept by his mighty power, through faith, unto salvation: and also, that Christ ever lives to make intercession for us, and will come again to judge the world at the last day.

If I am asked, Do you believe a Trinity in unity, or in the Triune God: that there are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; that these three are one, the same in substance, and equal in power and glory?— or, as I think the Church of England has it, that the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God? I answer, these are human phrases, which I do not understand; and no two that have attempted to explain them, have agreed in their explication. They are doxologies,

fetched from the dark and barbarous ages of Popery, unknown to the apostles and first christians, and have occasioned endless contention and animosity.

The doxologies above mentioned form, in a great measure, the standard of the orthodox opinions on the trinity; and if a person will subscribe and them, that settles the matter, no suspicions of heresy are entertained. I must decline having any thing to do with them.

use

Those good men (and many such there are) who admire, and almost constantly use, the phrases in question, do not tell us whence they came, nor by what authority they are used in the church of Christ, in preference to, and neglect of, those many excellent doxologies found in the scriptures, in which all christians can join. In some places, these spurious phrases are used so much, and the scripture doxologies so little, that the former are likely to be thought a necessary part of christian worship, though they were altogether unknown in the purest ages of the church. The use of them appears to convey this idea, that the word of God is not sufficiently explicit, allows of too much latitude, does not sufficiently guard the truth, but men of different and dangerous sentiments may shelter themselves under its loose and vague expressions. Or, in other words, that fallible (not to say furious) men, have expressed divine truths in better language, and with more preci sion, than the apostles of Christ did, though they were under the

immediate inspiration of the spirit of God.

-as

To censure men as not sound in the faith, as enemies to the truth, their preaching as dangerous to souls, though their lives are as pure as their opponents, though they have enjoyed as many advantages for understanding the scriptures,– -are as diligent in searching for truth,ready to embrace whatever they think clearly revealed or fairly deducible from the word of God; wishing for nothing so much, as to spend and be spent in being useful to the souls of men: -If we must be branded, with opprobrious names, and unjustifiable measures used to prejudice our people against us; if we must be excluded from the pulpits of our brethren, and, so far as it can be done, driven from our parishes, and from the ministry,—and all this because we cannot make use of a few unintelligible human phrases, that have occasioned a world of mischief and misery in the Church of Christ; surely a conduct of this sort cannot be justified, though it be found in men who really think they are defending the truth, and contending earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints.

Those who censure me for my opinions, (which, when they come to be viewed in the light of the heavenly world, will, I doubt not, be found to be very similar to their own,) did they know how anxious I have been to form my sentiments from the word of God, what pains I have taken, how many fervent prayers I have put up to God for divine

illumination, they might think me mistaken, and pity, but not blame me for being so.

Here I am, between seventy and eighty years of age, full of infirmities which I expect to carry with me to the grave, waiting and hoping, and occasionally even longing, for a blessed immortality, where in God's light I shall see light. I have little to fear, or to hope, from the present world; and to be judged and censured of men, is with me a small thing indeed; especially by those who have taken up their opinions from others, and never had time or capacity for knowing much on these mysterious points.

During the short period of life that may yet remain to me, shall continue to preach, in my humble way, repentance towards God, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, urging upon my hearers that holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. And I cannot but think, that ministers and people would be better and more usefully employed, were they to spend their zeal in doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God, rather than in preaching and talking, and taking so much pains to know what others think, on these high points, of which we can know but little, and what we do know, is of small importance.

After the controversy about them has been carried on fifteen hundred years, it is high time to drop it. For us to copy after the example of Christ, be in this world as he was, and have the same mind in us that was also in