the defence of a doctrine from a similar charge in reference to the Scriptures, in these two important respects, that whereas no doctrine is to be preached, of which there is no explicit statement in the Word of God, many doctrines may be taught, as found in the Word of God, concerning which a Confession of Faith may be silent; and inasmuch as while the Scriptures must be held as of unlimited authority, equally in respect of the language they use, as in respect of the matter expressed, a Confession of Faith is only received and approved of as to the truth of the matter."

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In reference to the doctrines in this libel, declared to be inconsistent with the Standards of the Church, I would reply as to the first, the doctrine of Universal Atonement and Pardon through the death of Christ, that the utmost that can be said in support of the charge, is that the present Confession of Faith is silent on the subject; but this, though it were fully admitted, would in truth be nothing on which to found. As to the second doctrine, that Assurance is of the essence of Faith, it is substantially stated in the definition of Faith given; and the impression that it is otherwise, has only arisen from confounding together the distinct subjects of Assurance of Faith and Assurance of being in a state of Salvation.

First. In respect of the first, I am aware that the peculiar use of the word redemption, though not altogether unsanc tioned by Scripture usage, has occasioned the impression to exist very generally, that the universality of the Atonement is denied, and I shall now state my reasons for holding this to be a serious error. This I judge both from the consideration of the passages that are so misunderstood, and also from the history of the drawing up of the Confession of Faith, and its relation to former Confessions.

The first of the passages to which I refer, is Confes. chap. iii. sect. 6. which is in the following words, "As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so hath he by the eternal

and most free purpose of his will, foreordained all the means thereto; wherefore they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ by his Spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by his power through faith unto salvation. Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only."

Now if redemption in this passage mean the work of atonement done in the person of Christ, the shedding of his blood for the remission of sins, then is there here an express limitation of the Atonement; by if by redemption be meant, the actual deliverance of those, with reference to whom it is spoken, from a state of evil into a state of salvation, and be thus of the same import with Salvation, then is it a statement not affecting the extent of the Atonement at all, and merely amounting to this, that the persons ultimately saved are those and those alone originally elected of God unto Salvation.

Now, that this is the true view of the passage is manifest from the contrast of a fall into an evil state and deliverance from that evil state, contained in the words, "Wherefore they who are elected, being fallen in Adam are redeemed by Christ;" which is farther manifest from the proofs adduced in support of the doctrine of their being redeemed by Christ, in all of which the deliverance or salvation accomplished is that to which reference is made; they are these, 1 Thess. v. 9-11, "For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain Salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him."-Titus ii. 14, "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works." Accordingly we have, that the Elect are "effectually called unto faith in Christ by his Spirit working in due season,

are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by his power, through faith unto salvation," given as the parts of the work of their redemption by Christ. The first of the proofs adduced for these links in the chain of redemption is that corresponding enumeration of links connecting God's foreknowledge of his elect with their ultimate glory, given in the Epistle to the Romans, viii. 30, which I have already noticed in considering the statements of Scripture on the subject of election, as implying the universality of the Atonement.

The next passage to which I refer, Confess. chap. viii. sect. 8, is in these words, "To all those for whom Christ purchased redemption he doth certainly and effectually apply and communicate the same, making intercession for them, and revealing unto them in and by the word, the mysteries of salvation; effectually persuading them by his Spirit to believe and obey, and governing their hearts by his Word and Spirit, overcoming all their enemies by his Almighty Power and Wisdom, in such manner and ways as are most consonant to his wonderful and unsearchable dispensation."

This passage clearly establishes the interpretation I have given above of the word redemption as used in our Standards as the true one. Redemption cannot mean, the paying of a price, or the giving himself a ransom, seeing that it is here spoken of as a thing purchased, and the account given, of the manner in which Christ doth apply and communicate redemption, is clearly the detail of a personal deliverance from evils, of those to whom it is applied.

The next passage is in the Larger Cat. Quest. 59, "Who are made partakers of redemption through Christ? Ans. Redemption is certainly applied, and effectually communicated to all those for whom Christ has purchased it, who are, in time, enabled by the Holy Ghost to believe in Christ according to the Gospel." It is manifest that the

word redemption here has the same meaning of personal deliverance from sin and all its consequences in this passage, which we have found attached to it in those formerly quoted; and that the question, "Who are made partakers of redemption through Christ," is the same with the question, "Who are made partakers of Salvation?" or, "Who are saved through Christ?" This examination of these three passages, and they are those quoted on the subject in the Act of Assembly 1720, surely justifies the conclusion, that it is a decided error to hold that our present Confession of Faith denies the doctrine of Universal Atonement and Pardon through the death of Christ.

The silence of the Confession on this subject, were it even to be interpreted in the most unfavourable way as to the opinions held regarding it by those who drew up this Confession, yea, were it even known, historically, that the prevailing opinion among these persons, was that the Atonement was limited-even in such a case, the silence of the Confession on the subject would be felt to be a cause of thankfulness by every one who understood the awful sin which the Church would have incurred by denouncing so important a part of the truth of God; a sin, of which if she had been guilty, it would have amounted to little, if any thing, short of solemn apostasy. I am not aware, however, that any branch of the church of Christ, of the many into which it formed itself at the Reformation, has been stained with this guilt; on the contrary, the general tone of all the earlier Confessions has been the acknowledgment of the love of God in Christ as a love to all men: but that the silence of our present Confession may not be interpreted to its discredit, I would consider its history with reference to the previous Confessions to which it is immediately related, and more especially with reference to the act of Parliament by which the Assembly that drew it up was called together. The Confessions to which I refer are the 39

Articles of the Church of England, with special reference to which it must be understood; and also the older Confession of our own Church, to which it is importantly related; seeing that it was received " as in nothing contrary thereto," they are the symbols of doctrine of the Church of England, however, which are specially to be considered; seeing that the act of Parliament appointing the Assembly of Divines at Westminster is entitled, "An Ordinance of the Lords and Commons, assembled in Parliament, for the calling of an assembly of learned and Godly Divines and others, to be consulted with by the Parliament, for the settling of the Government and Liturgy of the Church of England, and for vindicating and clearing the Doctrine of the said Church from false aspersions and interpretations." There was thus given to that Assembly a deliberative power as to settling of the Government and Liturgy of the Church of England; while as to Doctrine, the duty devolved upon them, and the trust reposed in them, extended no farther than the vindicating and clearing of the doctrine of the said Church from false aspersions and interpretations. We are therefore to expect no new Doctrine in the Westminster Confession of Faith, other than that contained in the previous Articles and Catechisms of the Church of England; a more guarded expression, and a fuller dwelling upon any point that had been under misrepresentation, we may expect, but certainly nothing new as touching the foundations.

Now we find in the Articles of the Church of England these statements on the extent of the Atonement :-In the 2d Article, entitled, "Of the Word, or Son of God, which was made very man," Christ is spoken of as one "Who truly suffered, was crucified, dead and buried, to reconcile his Father to us, and to be a sacrifice not only for original guilt, but also for actual sins of men."-Again, in the 31st Article, entitled, "Of the one oblation of Christ finished