hundred and ninety years, or seventy prophetic weeks from the issuing of the decree granted by Artaxerxes Longimanus to Ezra, in the seventh year of his reign, for restoring and rebuilding Jerusalem. Wherefore, it is abundantly evident, that whatever is meant by finishing transgression and making an end of sin, was accomplished at that time. Surely none professing Christianity will deny that this event occurred many centuries ago. Have sin and transgression been utterly annihilated? Woful experience demonstrates their existence. Instead of any thing like evanescence, the present state of society presents many alarming instances of malignant exacerbation. Some other meaning, therefore, must be found consistent with facts and phenomena. In endeavouring to ascertain this, we shall pursue a plan which never has been deemed illegitimate; viz. We shall inquire what these words mean in other passages of scripture, in which their application has never been disputed. In doing justice to this investigation, we shall be obliged to employ a few Hebrew collations; for which the nature of the investigation must be our apology. tion of previous existences? Is it And the people. ויכלא העם מהכוא were restrained from bringing. It would have been rather a hard case, if the liberality of the people for the use of the tabernacle, had issued in their destruction. It is plain, therefore, from the general application of the word, that it means restriction, confinement or prohibition from the former range of freedom, or uncontrolled liberty of action. Such is evidently its generic meaning, and will very well accord with the scope of the passage, viz. the restriction of the empire of sin, and limitation of the kingdom of darkness, by the atoning sacrifice of our Lord. Sin is in due time destroyed in all who believe on him; it shall not continue to have dominion over them. Thus the Quλallw, Govleλew, &c. all nearly sy-prevailing power of sin is restrainnonymous in their respective applied, and gradually limited to the The word used by Daniel, in the passage under consideration, rendered to finish by our translators, is , and signifies to restrain, confine, prohibit, separate, &c.; and in the Septuagint version is rendered by κωλόω, ανεχω, συνεχω, κατακλείω, cations. Let us inquire how the Hebrews used it in the Old Testament, and see whether they employed it to designate the destruction, abolition or annihilation of any former existences. We find this same word used in Hag. i. 10. implacable enemies of Jehovah's Let us now inquire what is meant -rendered by our trans ,לחתם חטאות The heavens have,כלאו שמים מטל restrained (themselves) from dew, and the earth hath restrained its fruit. Is there here any annihila lators, to make an end of sins. root, signify to perfect, seal, seal up, to close, to finish, &c. . And as the meaning is agreed upon, on all hands, there is no need to waste time in settling it by Biblical quo come a victim of expiation, or an expiatory sacrifice for the sins of all those whom God had given unto him to be redeemed from wrath. Thus sin means the victim, or the sin-of tations. We shall admit it to sig-||fering for sin, whether in the shape nify the ending or termination of a thing, in the fullest latitude. The whole of our criticism, here, will turn on the meaning of the word non, rendered sins, by our translators. Now, that this term does not always mean sins, whether in the abstract, or in the concrete, will, we think, be evident from its use and application in the following texts, with many others which might be mentioned. According to lexicographers, aberration, or deviation from the scope or aim, is the generic signification of its root, sun. It has the same meaning in the Arabic, in which its root is also found. But with its nominal modification, or its particular meaning when it puts on the form of a noun, we are chiefly concerned at present. This we shall endeavour to ascertain from its legitimate and incontested applications. In Zech. xiv. 19, by an easy metonymy, it signifies punishment. This shall זאת תהיה חטאת מצרים be the punishment of Egypt, &c. Here punishment is put for its procuring cause-sin. In Mich. vi. 7, it signifies that which is given by way of offering or expiation for sin. The fruit פרי בטני חטאת נפשי Thus of a meritorious or typical atonement. Manifestly to the same purpose, is that expression in Hosea iv. they eat up the חטאת עמי יאכלו,8 sins of my people; which, beyond ing, by one offering, for ever per- of my body (as) a sin-offering of, or We trust, now, we have made it abundantly evident to the attentive reader, that there is no inconsistency between our Lord's finishing transgression, and making an end of sin; and yet sin and transgression continuing as long as God exists. S. B. W. Keviews. The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America: containing the Confession of Faith, the Catechisms, and the Directory for the worship of God; together with the Plan of Government and Discipline; as amended and ratified by the General Assembly, at their Sessions in May, 1821. Philadelphia: published by Anthony Finley, corner of Chesnut and Fourth streets. 1821. pp. 507. This article is placed under the head of REVIEWS, not because we intend to present our readers with a regular review of the book the title of which we have given, but because the few remarks which the present publication of it invites, will accord best with this department of our magazine. This book is usually styled the Confession of Faith, in consequence of the distinguished place which the Confession of Faith, strictly so called, holds in the constitution of the Presbyterian church. It is the very heart of that admirable system; so essential, that it can no more exist without it, than the body can live without its animating spirit. The Confession of Faith was composed by the assembly of divines that met in Westminster, England, in the year 1743, and continued their sessions for several years. In preparing this excellent summary of revealed truth, great pains were taken, not only to exhibit the doctrines correctly, but to present them in the most accurate language. The meaning of the terms was carefully weighed, as well as the truth they were intended to convey. Hence, in regard both to perspicuity and precision of language, and purity and correctness of doctrine, this judicious compend of Christian truth will yield to no similar work to be found in the church. and, with the exception of part of one chapter, it has been ever since regarded as the standard to which all her ministers were bound to conform, while remaining in her communion. At the time when this summary was composed, the relation between the church and the state was not well understood: and, consequently, the authority of the civil magistrate in matters purely ecclesiastical was acknowledged. But when the science of government became an object of study in this country, and more enlightened views began to prevail, the error which had been incorporated in the Confession was detected. This change of sentiment induced the Synod of New York and Philadelphia to allow "every candidate for the gospel ministry to except against so much of the twenty-third chapter as gives authority to the civil magistrate in matters of religion." (See Assembly's Digest, p. 119.) When this Synod were about to establish the General Assembly of our church, they made the requisite alterations in this chapter, and in two others relating to the same subject, and then published it thus altered as the Confession of their Faith and Practice. See Assembly's Digest, p. 121-123. In 1804, the Assembly, contemplating the publication of a new edition of the Confession of Faith, appointed a committee "to consider whether any, and if any, what alterations ought to be made, in the said Confession of Faith, &c. and to make preparatory arrangements on this subject." This committee, the following year, made a decided report against any alteration in the Confession of Faith; but proposed a number of alterations in the Form of Government, Directory for Worship, and Forms of Process. These alterations, however, were not of such a nature, as to affect the great principles of our ecclesiastical polity, but "only to explain, render more practicable, and bring nearer to The Confession of Faith was adopt- perfection, the general system which ed by the Presbyterian Church in this had already gone into use." See Ascountry from her first establishment;sembly's Digest, p. 151–155. In 1817, a committee was appointed to consider and report to the Assembly, what alterations might be advantageously made in the Forms of Process; but their appointment had no respect to the Confession of Faith, nor even to the Plan of Government. They, however, having in their report proposed some alterations in the Plan of Government, as well as in the Forms of Process, the Assembly thought proper to extend their appointment, so as to embrace those departments of our constitution. The Confession of Faith has remained untouched, and we trust it will remain so for ages to come. Why should it be altered? Have new discoveries been made in religion since the composition of that admirable compend of revealed truth? Discoveries! So they may think, who espouse sentiments that vary from our standard; but let them search a little deeper into ecclesiastical history, and they will find that these discoveries were known to the authors of the Confession of Faith, and deemed by them errors. They may be presented to the public in a new dress; still, however, they are the same that appeared to our fathers in a different garb. Surely the Bible had been long enough in the hands of the church, at the time when the assembly of divines sat, for Christians to derive from it a correct exhibition of its principal doctrines. In relation to such doctrines, no room is left for making discoveries. One section of the church may differ from another; and individuals of a particular church may depart from her standard: but what discoveries can be rationally expected? The Bible contains a system of truths plainly revealed and inculcated; and how differently soever Christians have thought on certain points, yet all the leading doctrines have long been known and believed in the church. There is room for improvement in Biblical criticism; but no man born in the world so late as the 18th or 19th century, need indulge the visionary hope of discovering some new and important doctrine never before brought to light. Additional remarks on the Confession of Faith we reserve for the close of this article, and proceed to the other parts of the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church. The Larger and Shorter Catechisms, which present an exhibition of the doctrines of the Confession in the form of questions and answers, remain unaltered. A note found in former editions of this book, appended to the answer to the 142d question in the Larger Catechism, has been omitted in this edition, in consequence of an order passed by the General Assembly in 1816, who declared that, as it had never formed a part of the constitution, it ought to be left out in future editions. cess. The next general article in the constitution, is the Form of the Government, and the Forms of ProIn this part we find very considerable alterations and additions; but none of such a character as to affect any one of the great principles in Presbyterial government. The alterations and additions have been made merely to explain these prirciples, and to assist the different judicatories in carrying them more completely and uniformly, in all parts of our church, into full effect. The three orders of the church, namely, Ministers, Elders, and Deacons, together with the different judicatories, namely, Sessions, Presbyteries, Synods, and General Assembly, are still continued as consonant to Biblical principles and primitive practice. The chapter describing the nature, the powers and the duties of the church-session, contains a greater number of sections than formerly; but no other change is found in it, except reducing the quorum necessary for doing business; settling the question, that, although "it is expedient, at every meeting of the session, more especially when constituted for judicial business, that there be a presiding minister;" yet the session of a vacant church not only exists, but may proceed to transact even judicial business, when "it is impracticable" or highly "inconvenient to procure the attendance of such a moderator;"—and making it the duty of every session, to submit its records to the inspection of Presbytery at least once in every year. The number of sections in the chapter relating to the Presbytery has also been increased; the result of which is, not any material alteration, but only a better arrangement and a fuller exhibition of the powers and duties of the Presbytery. It may be proper to mention, that every congregation, regularly organized, whether able or not to support a pastor, has now a right to be represented in this judicatory. No alteration requiring notice appears in the two next chapters, which specify the nature, powers and duties of the Synod and General Assembly; except that, in the last, to the clause which relates to correspondence with foreign churches, have been added the following words: "on such terms as may be agreed upon by the Assembly and the corresponding body." The 13th chapter, which treats of Elders and Deacons, in addition to the questions formerly proposed to these officers, at their ordination, directs one to be proposed to the members of the church, calling for an answer expressive of their willingness to receive them, and to yield due honour, encouragement and obedience. It also recommends to the members of a session, to receive newly ordained elders in the same manner in which members of a presbytery receive newly ordained ministers into their body, by giving to them, in the presence of the congregation, the right hand of fellowship, accompanied with an expression of their cordiality in admitting them to participate in their office. This chapter also determines the offices both of Ruling Elder and of Deacon to be perpetual; which cannot be laid aside at pleasure, and of which persons holding them can be divested only by deposition: yet it admits cases in which it may be proper for an elder or deacon to cease to act officially in the congregation; and it prescribes the duty of a session toward an elder or a deacon placed in circumstances which appear to require a suspension of the exercise of the functions of his office. Chapters xiv. and xv. treat of the licensing of candidates for the gospel ministry, and of the election and ordination of ministers. No alteration in them merits notice, except that, in the last, persons ordained without a particular charge, for the purpose of preaching the gospel, administering sealing ordinances, and organizing churches, in frontier or destitute settlements, are denominated Evangelists, and directed to be ordained to the work of an evangelist. The xvith chapter relates to the removal of a minister from one charge to another; the xviith to the resignation of a pastoral charge; the xviiith to missions; the xixth to moderators; the xxth to clerks. All remain unchanged, excepting an omission in the xixth of the section relative to the moderator of the session, which has been transferred to the xith chapter. The xxiid chapter remains as it was, only a part of it has been arranged under another head. J. J. J. (To be continued.) |