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are saying, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!?

"11. Consider this well ;-that to preach Christ, is to preach all things that Christ hath spoken; all his promises; all his threatenings and commands; all that is written in his book; and then you will know how to preach Christ, without making void the law. .1 12.

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But does not the greatest blessing attend those discourses wherein we peculiarly preach the merits and sufferings of Christ?'

"Probably when we preach to a congregation of mourners, or of believers, these will be attended with the greatest blessing; because such discourses are peculiarly suited to their state. At least, these will usually convey the most comfort. But this is not always the greatest blessing. I may sometimes receive a far greater blessing by a discourse that cuts me to the heart, and humbles me to the dust. Neither should I receive that comfort, if I were to preach or to hear no other discourses but on the sufferings of Christ. These, by constant repetition, would lose their force, and grow more and more flat and dead, till at length they would become a dull round of words, without any spirit, or life, or virtue. So that thus to preach Christ must, in process of time, make void the Gospel as well as the law."-Sermon on making Void the Law, &c.

If it were needful, we might occupy the whole of this number with proofs from the Sacred Writings, of the correctness of Wesley's sentiments on this subject, but what has been already given is sufficient for the present. The extracts already given, and the remarks with which they are accompanied, may enable our readers to see the folly of the ceaseless outcry which is raised in almost all quarters about Evangelical preaching, and preaching Christ? The phrases Evangelical preaching, and preaching Christ, are used in the present day, in the same unscriptural sense in which the phrase Gospel preaching was used in the days of Wesley they are almost invariably used by preachers and writers to mean an almost constant dwelling

upon the sufferings and death of Christ as an atonement for sin, and on justification by faith, and the divinity of Christ. When they say a man's preaching is not evangelical, they do not, generally speaking, mean that it is not according to the doctrine of Christ, but that it is not constantly full of those few particular doctrines: and when they say a man does not sufficiently preach Christ, their meaning is not that he does not preach Christ's doctrines, Christ's example, and Christ's precepts; but that he does not dwell perpetually on Christ's person and propitiatory sacrifice. We say the foregoing extracts and observations may enable our readers to see how little regard is to be paid to the noise which is made in certain quarters about preaching Christ, and how little credit is due to their statements, when they attribute revivals of religion to that partial and irrational manner of handling the Gospel, which has so long and so falsely gone under the name of Gospel or Evangelical preaching.

We have no doubt but that all the good that is done by preachers throughout the world is done by truly evangelical preaching, or by preaching Christ in the sense in which Wesley says Christ should be preached, and in the sense in which the Apostle Paul preached Christ. But this way of preaching Christ,-this kind of Evangelical preaching, is quite a different thing from what persons generally mean by preaching Christ, and Evangelical preaching. It is not Evangelical preaching properly so called which we dislike, but that irrational, unscriptural, antinomian way of preaching, which misguided men have ignorantly called Evangelical preaching. Our readers may also see from the foregoing extracts and observations, what little right our opponents have to boast of the name of Wesley, or to charge us with degenerating from sound Wesleyan theology. They are the men that have wandered from Wesley; while we have maintained his principles inviolate. We do not call Wesley our master; one is our master, even Christ: still it affords us pleasure to find, that while we follow the Saviour, we are favoured with the company and countenance

of Wesley. We do not call Wesley master; and yet we do not hesitate in saying, that we know not of any man among modern writers on religion, in whose works we find a stricter or fuller agreement on most subjects, both in spirit and in sentiment, with the teachings of Christ, than in the writings of John Wesley.

ANSWER TO QUESTIONS ON RE-
QUITING INJURIES, EXECUT-
ING CIVIL LAWS, &c.

DEARLY BELOVED IN THE LORD,

Will you have the kindness, through the medium of your Investigator, to give me your free opinion on the following inquiries?—

Is an individual, who stands connected with the church of Christ, to be justified in requiting an injury done unto him, when the injury extends to the loss of his property or health, or to the endangering of his life, especially when his country shall be benefitted by the offender being brought to justice? Would not the infliction of a punishment, according to his crime, be a preventative of crime in others? Would a Christian violate God's law, by enforcing the laws of his country in such cases? A SUBSCRIBER.

Ans. 1. We believe that an individual, who professes the religion of Christ, is not to be justified in requiting an injury, however serious the injury may be. The New Testament forbids the requital of injuries of all kinds, over and over again. "Recompence to no man evil for evil." "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." Rom. xii. 17, 19, &c. "Ye have heard," saith Christ, “that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth but I say unto you that ye resist (or requite) not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." It would be easy to quote a hundred passages of the same import

It

with the above, all prohibiting re-
venge and retaliation, all inculcating
meekness and mercy, and all requir-
ing the forgiveness of injuries.
is plain therefore, that a member of
the church of Christ is not justified
in requiting an injury.

2. It is also worthy of remark that Christ never requited any injury himself. "When he was reviled, he reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously." He left the work of requiting injuries to his Heavenly Father; and we are to tread in his steps.

You suppose the injury done to health, or to the endangering of life; extend to the loss of property, or of and you ask whether in that case, the injury ought not to be requited. makes no difference between great I answer; the New Testament injuries and small ones; it forbids us to avenge ourselves, or to requite evil, without any limitations or exceptions. It makes no difference whether we be injured in property, or health, or life; we are to "recompense to no man evil for evil;" we are to forgive men their trespasses, as we would have our Heavenly Father to forgive us. Christ supposes a case in which a may is robbed the opposite of retaliation. of property, but he commands just "If a man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also." And in his own case he was nailed to the cross, yet so far was he from requiting the injury, that he prayed for his murderers, saying, Father, forgive them; they know not what they do."

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Question. "But may we not requite an injury by bringing a man to justice according to law?"

Ans. 1. The New Testament makes no distinction between requiting an injury according to law, and requiting an injury privately or personally. Requiting injuries is forbidden without any limitation or exception.

2. Again, law and justice are very different things. You can never be certain of requiting a man, or of bringing him to justice, by prosecuting him according to law. called "bringing men to justice," What is is often bringing them to injustice. A man that is famishing steals from you a loaf of bread, and by prosecut

ing him according to law, you get him hanged: would this be justice? Yet this was called justice, and it was according to the law of the land, some years age. And even now, if you were to prosecute a man for an injury, it is probable, that instead of causing justice to be executed, you would cause greater injustice to be committed against your offending brother, than he had committed against you. And I have no more right to injure a man by means of the law, than I have to injure him privately.

3. If all civil laws were just, I should still not be justified as a Christian in seeking to have them executed, The law which we have already quoted, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth," is just, and yet Christ forbids us to act on that principle. Many imagine that what Christ forbids is not legal retaliation, but private retaliation only; but this is manifestly an error. Christ says, "Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, An eye for an eye," &c. But this was not said "by them of old time" in reference to private revenge, but in reference to the public execution of the law. Private retaliation was not allowed by the law of Moses. The law to which Christ refers, is in Lev. xxiv. 19, &c. "And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him; breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth." This law did not authorise any one to requite an injury privately or personally, by his own hand, but only publicly, by means of the judges and executors of the law. When therefore Christ abrogates this law, and commands us not to resist (or requite) evil, it is plain that he as much forbids us to requite an injury by an appeal to the law, as by an appeal to our own arm.

Ques. "But might we not benefit our country by bringing an of-fender to justice?"

Ans. 1. Our business is to obey Christ's law, and leave the consequences with God. We are not to

do evil that good may come.

2. We are not always able to judge what particular thing will benefit a country. Men are often mistaken as to what will benefit a country. God alone understands the interests

of a country perfectly. In fact, the welfare of a country depends entirely on the blessing of God, and nothing can benefit a country but obedience to God's will.

3. Whatever good we might do to a country by the requital of injuries according to law, we have no doubt but we should do much greater good to a country, by an example of love and forgiveness of injuries in obedience to the laws of Christ. While we regard civil law as a great blessing compared with complete lawlessness, we regard it as a poor miserable thing compared with the religion of Christ. would not have civil law supplanted by anarchy, but simply rendered unnecessary by men being brought to obey the infinitely superior laws of the Gospel. And nothing tends more to bring people to obey the laws of the Gospel, than our own example of obedience to those laws.

We

Ques. "Would not the infliction of a punishment on an offender according to his crime, prevent crime in others?"

Ans. Perhaps it might, and perhaps it might not. In some cases the punishment inflicted on offenders is itself a crime. Men are sometimes punished with transportation and with death for offences comparatively light. A woman was hung some time ago for stealing a loaf of bread, to save her hungry, crying children from starvation. What ef fect would the infliction of such a penalty, on such an offender as that poor woman, be likely to have on people's minds? Would not such punishments tend to make men hate the laws? And it is in vain to expect them to keep laws which they hate. Perhaps most of the penalties attached to the transgression of human laws are severe, and tend, when inflicted, to harden men, and make them sin with vengeance, rather than to soften and reform them.

2. Some of the laws of our country are downright wicked; they forbid things which are good, and command things which are evil: and I should consider myself bound to abstain from prosecuting any one at law on this account. If I prosecute a person for transgressing one civil law, another may prosecute me for transgressing another civil law, and

what would be the consequence? I might be taken and shut up in prison to the end of my earthly life. There are many laws of the land that cannot obey; and it would not look consistent, in my view, to punish a man for transgressing a law of the land, while I myself transgressed as many of the laws of the land as I believed at variance with the laws of Christ. Till very lately there was a law that forbade people to meet for prayer to the number of more than five, on pain of fine and transportation for life. Could I have any thing to do with a set of laws in which such laws as those were to be found? I can have nothing to do with any laws but the laws of Christ. So far as I can obey the laws of the land, without disobeying the laws of Christ, so far I consider myself bound to obey them but in all cases in which the laws of men are at variance with the laws of Christ, I consider myself bound to disobey them. The law of the land requires me, under certain circumstances, to swear, or to take oaths, while Christ tells me not to swear at all the law of the land requires me, under certain circumstances, to fight, or in other words, to plunder and kill my enemies; but the law of Christ tells me to love my enemies, and not to resist evil, but to overcome evil with good. In all such cases as these, I must disobey the laws of my country, or else sin against God.

Question. "Would a Christian be violating the laws of God, by enforc ing the laws of his country?"

Ans. He would certainly be violating the laws of God by enforcing some of the laws of our country; for many of the laws of our country are opposed to the laws of God: and even in enforcing those laws of our country which are just, by legal sanctions, he would, in my judgment, be acting at variance with the principles of the Gospel. The Gospel teaches its disciples to seek to reform men by instructing them, by setting them a good example, and by doing them good; and these are the only means, I believe, of reforming our fellow-men, which, as Christians, we can consistently employ. "We war not after the flesh."" "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal." It is my belief, that Christians have better work than

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SAYINGS OF THE FATHERS. AN ANCIENT FATHER ON NON-RESISTANCE.

"CONCERNING patience, submission, and meekness, these are our Master's rules. "Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also, and him that taketh away thy cloak, forbid not to take away thy coat also. Matt. v. 39, 40. Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause, shall be in danger of hell fire; whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Matt. v. 22. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.' Verse 16. A Christian hand must by no means be lifted up in resistance; for Christ will not have his disciples like the rest of the world, but orders them to shine with a distinguishing patience and meekness, and to win men over from their sins by such gentle arts of conversion. And I could give you a proof of the influence of such bright examples from many converts among us, who, from men of violence and oppression, were transformed into quite another nature, perfectly overcome by the passive courage of their Christian neighbours, or by observing the new astonishing patience of such injured Christians as they chanced to travel with, or the experience they had of their fidelity in their dealings." Justin Martyr, (a. D. 150.)

THE CHRISTIAN'S DEFENCE. "THUS then while we are stretching forth our hands to our God, let your tormenting irons harrow our flesh; let your gibbets exalt us, or your fires lick up our bodies, or your swords cut off our heads, or your beasts tread us to earth. For a Christian upon his knees to his God, is in a posture of defence against all the evils you can crowd upon him." Tertullian, (s. D. 200.)

TRUTH.

"TRUTH alone is the thing to be had in the highest honour, and to hold the first place in our affections, and the ancients are not to be followed one step further than they are followers of truth.”—Justin Martyr, (A.D.150.)

LOVE STRONGER THAN DEATH.

"Ir is in our power at any time to escape your torments, by denying the faith when you question us about it; but we scorn to purchase life at the expense of a lie; for our souls are winged with the desire of a life of eternal duration and purity, of an immediate conversation with God the Father, and maker of all things; we are in haste to be confessing and finishing our faith, being fully persuaded that we shall arrive at this beatific state, if we approve ourselves to God by our works, and express by our obedience our passion for that divine life which is never interrupted by any clashing evil.”Justin Martyr, (a. D. 150.)

AN APOLOGY FOR CHRISTIANITY.

"BUT allowing our tenets to be as false and groundless presumptions as you would have them, yet I must tell you, that they are presumptions the world cannot be well without; if they are follies, they are follies of great use, because the believers of them, when under the dread of eternal pain, and the hope of everlasting pleasure, are under the strongest obligations possible to become the best of men. It can never therefore be a politic expedient to cry down doctrines for false and foolish, which it is every man's interest to presume true, it is upon no account advisable to condemn opinions so serviceable to the public.”—Tertullian, (a. D. 200.)

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AN INDIAN BOY.

Ar a meeting of a missionary society in Philadelphia, at which two Indian chiefs were present, and addressed a very large audience, the Rev. Mr. Finley, in the concluding part of his speech, related one or two very interesting anecdotes, to show the progress of the revival, and the depth of solid piety among the Wyandots.

took with him

In one of his tours he an Indian youth of zeal and piety. On setting out, he told him it was possible, when he got among sinful and wicked company, that he might forget his God, and again betake himself to the paths "But," said he, of folly and sin. "I would calling him by his name, rather preach your funeral sermon than see you depart from the paths of piety." They proceeded, and in their tour came to the house of a very wealthy merchant, where they remained for some time. The merchant had two or three clerks who were given to frolic, and were destitute of piety, and even seriousness. Into the room with these clerks the Indian Before retir

boy was put to sleep. ing to bed, he knelt down to pray. The others began their frolic with a design to disturb, if not torment continued for some time: at length, him; but he heeded them not. This one night when they were become so bad as to disturb him very much, the wickedness of their conduct, and the youth remonstrated, pointed out concluded by saying, that they were really worse than any Indian in all the Wyandot tribe of Upper Sanbe ashamed of such conduct, as they dusky, observing, that Indians would had more common sense, virtue, and piety. This appeal came home with keen conviction to the hearts of the The effect was deep young men. and lasting, and they became, through that reproof, the subjects of awakening and justifying grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

DR. GIFFORD.

As the late Rev. Dr. Gifford was one day showing the British Museum to some strangers, he was much shocked by the profane language of a young gentleman belonging to the party. Taking down an ancient copy of the Septuagint, he showed it to the youth: on which he exclaimed,

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