they are at perfect liberty to do so. And they may hold any conference with the minister esteemed by them desirable, and may found their action upon such conference. Yet the minister may not, on his own authority, call his people together, and compel their action. And it may be that our Book contemplates such voluntary congregational meeting and action, as in most cases likely to be had, when it says, "If the parties be not prepared to have the matter issued at that Presbytery,"-as though, in all likelihood, they would be prepared. At all events, we cannot but consider it altogether more honorable, and more befitting the confidential character of the relation of pastor and people, that a pastor apprised of a call for his services which he feels bound to consider, or, having considered, feels inclined to accept, should freely confer with his people in regard to it, rather than studiously conceal the fact of the call having been made, or his feelings in reference to it, until the whole matter, to the great grief and surprise of his people it may be, is suddenly sprung upon them in a meeting of Presbytery.

FORMALISM-PURITANISM AND RATIONALISM-THE THREE RELIGIONS AS DEVELOPED FROM THEIR GERMINAL PRINCIPLE.

CONTINUED FROM THE LAST NO.

TAKING these three terms to denote three general conceptions of religion, severally represented by Popery in any of its forms, by a pure Presbyterianism, and by a consistent Unitarianism; we have shown that they are utterly antagonistic in the very sources from which they severally derive their religious ideas. That according to the first, the will of God is made known to men through a visible corporation on earth-the church; according to the second, through His word declared and recorded in His Book; according to the third, through the natural reason of man.

Proceeding next to develope the three systems of religion from this starting point-their Rule of Faith, we have shown how in the first place, these widely different conceptions of the nature of the church of Christ naturally follow from these diverse Rules of Faith. According to Formalism, the church on earth must be a spiritual corporation the agent of God for making known His will, and the channel of His grace to the souls of men. According to Puritanism the church is the body of believing men, spiritually united to Christ, and in him to one another, through the truth revealed in His word.

According to Rationalism, the church is simply an aggregation of men who adopt similar opinions;-the church of Jesus Christ is but as the band of admiring disciples who rallied around Zeno in the Porch, or Plato in the Academy.

We now proceed to show how the same self-consistency characterizes each of the three, and the same contrariety to each other, in reference alike to all the aspects of religion-whether as a theology to be received by the understanding, as a spiritual experience of the heart, as a mode of divine worship, or as an practical influence over the life of the individual or of society.

We observe then, in the second place, that as a natural sequence from the Puritan Rule of Faith, comes the conception of Theology as the science of God and the relation of man to God. A science whose truths are gathered from the broad field of his revealed word and systematized, analogous to the mode in which all natural science gathers and systematizes truths from the universe of the works of God. To this all other sciences are but ancillary. The highest truths, even though they be of the profoundest laws of worlds, suns, and systems, are but the simplest elementary truths relative to this science, which, transcending suns and systems, rises to the grand keystone truth," God so loved the world that he gave his son,"-even Him, "who is the brightness of the Father's glory and the express image of his person" and "by whom He made the worlds"-and so constituted the relation between Him and a fallen humanity, that "whosoever believeth on him shall have everlasting life." The truths of this great Theology, according to Puritanism, must constitute the substratum alike of all true Philosophy, and all spiritual life in the soul of man. To illustrate and enforce these truths upon the world is the church's great work of action, to bear testimony to them even with her blood, the churches great passive act of martyrdom. Accordingly, Puritanism exhibits its life and activity through the profound Theologies of its great writers; the skillful adaptations of theological truths to the minds and hearts of men by its great preacher-and the practical development of this theology, apprehended by the understandings of its people, and thus supplying the life of holy emotion in the heart, and the impulses to a holy life.

But Formalism in perfect consistency with its rule of Faith, knows theology chiefly as an art, rather than as a science. It is but the skilful application in individual cases of the decisions and precepts of the corporation,-God's agent-the church. It is thus chiefly a casuistry. The great truths of Theology, which Puritanism conceives of as eminently practical-yea, essential to religion-because they must underlie all spiritual life in the soul, become in the theory of Formalism but so many high and curious speculations, to be debated of indeed by the metaphysicians by way of sharpening the wits, but having no essential relation to religion as a practical life. Hence Formalism exhibits its tomes of "Moral Theology"-endless hair-splitting of points of conscience-its confessors in the box to shrive the penitent; rather than the preacher in the pulpit to enlighten

the people and its practical life of obedience to precepts of the church in place of obedience from principle to God-faith working by love.

The theology of Rationalism, again, with its Rule of Faith, cannot in the nature of the case be of any higher character of certainty under the light of revelation, than was theology as taught by Socrates, Plato or Cicero. It must be at best but an ingenious speculation. The only advantage of a revelation to the Theology of Rationalism-even when it is inconsistent enough to admit a revelation at all-is, as a means of advancing and improving a Theology, already supposed to exist. But such a theory can manifestly be merely a starting point in an endless progress of improvement: nor is there any resting place for a logical mind short of the "Absolute Religion" of the latest and more consistent Rationalists. According to which all theology is derived from that revelation of God, which is contained in the universe; the outward universe of matter and the inward universe of man. Of course on such a theory, there can be practically no Theology as a certain science of God. If men agreeing that God hath spoken directly and made record of the speech in a Book, yet differ so widely in the interpretation of the written language-how shall there be everany certain interpretation of the mysterious hieroglyphic-unwritten in word, unexpressed in speech, and to all practical intents as yet, unconceived in idea-which are revealed in the universe.

And this general view of the subject, will be found to be as remarkable in its application in detail to all the branches of theology, as to the science itself, viewed as whole. Take for example, that branch of Theology which treats of God's providence and grace as manifested in the history of the church. In ecclesiastical history, Puritanism finds a great cloud of witnesses to the correctness of its interpretations of the revealed will of God. Formalism finds an everaugmenting list of statutory enactments, authoritatively demanding obedience. Rationalism finds but so many land-marks, whereby to indicate the progress and development of religious ideas, all along that ascending grade by which its own imagined superiority of position has been attained. Puritanism calls the Fathers to the witness' stand, and earnestly questions them as to the facts of which they have been eye witnesses, ear witnesses, heart witnesses. Formalism placing the Fathers upon the Judge's Seat, waits with obsequious reverence and bows with implicit obedience to their decision as authoritative and final. Rationalism, as a curious bystander, becomes interested in the story of the Fathers as a curious legend of past ages and men-interesting for the same cause that renders interesting the legend of mythology; to wit, that it is a reading in reverse order, "the New Testament of human nature, every day revealing a new page, as time turns over the leaf.”

3. The same self-consistency, with the same mutual contrariety, marks these three in their views of religion as an experimental, spiritual truth. From the very nature of its view of Theology, Puritanism necessarily concieves of the gospel of salvation, as "a

ministration of the spirit,"-Formalism as a ministration of a law'giver,-Rationalism as the ministration of a school master. Religion on the Puritan theory, must be a life of God in the soul. The truths of God, apprehended with the understanding, and accepted with the heart, will necessarily work out their natural results, in a mind enlightened and expanded; a heart desiring the love of God and panting for communion with him; a taste seeking to be like God; and a life whose acts spring from a living faith in God. Religion, as a life and practice, according to Formalism, must be a mere congeries of external acts of obedience to authority, and compliance with perscription. According to Rationalism, religion as a practical life, can be nothing more than a higher order of mental and aesthetic culture. Consistently enough, Formalism demands ever a visible, tangible representative of God, some Pope, Vicar of Jesus, to give validity and efficiency to its ministrations. Hence Formalism, though in theory standing fast to the great declaration of Peter, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God;" yet like Peter also, in his ignorance, would regard all as lost if the bodily human presence of Christ be taken from the church. It never rises to the lofty faith that can receive the saying, "It is expedient for you that I go away"-(as to the bodily presence) and send the Paracletethe true Vicar of Christ on earth. The fundamental idea of Formalism being of a visible presence of Jesus in the body, still abiding with the church, rather than the invisible presence of the comforter; moving upon the minds of men, as the "wind which bloweth where it listeth;" all its conceptions of religion must be unspiritual, in the nature of the case, and its practical religious life, a life of outward obedience to rules and prescriptions, rather a life which is but the outward manifestation of a spiritual life in the soul.

Puritanism, as a practical religion, in harmony with its theory, declares, "we walk by the faith, not by sight." Religion is a life in the soul, beginning with receiving of Christ by faith, evidencing itself by acts of loving obedience to him, "whom having not seen, we love, in whom though now we see him not, yet believing we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." This life not only originates in an act of the Holy Ghost upon the soul, but is sustained and nourished at every stage by the power of the same spirit through the truth; and therefore, a first element of practical religion must be the constant communion of the soul with the Comforter; who "taking the things of Christ sheweth them to us."

Rationalism in like consistency, utterly ignores all such spiritual life. Though perhaps using the names, Christ, Holy Spirit, Faithyet these are but terms to expres certain speculative ideas. Its Jesus, Saviour, is not the actual Jesus, "the same yesterday, to-day and forever;" the advocate and High Priest of his people, standing before qis Father in the Heavens; not the Jesus that still receives, as he once received, the lowly and broken hearted-that still takes, as he once took, the children in his arms-that still stands weeping, as he once stood weeping, over Lazarus at the grave. Whilst reason is specu

lating of all these matters, they become dim and shadowy visions to the soul-no longer great realities of faith. The heart cheated is left to adore a shadowy, sublimated idea-to weep at an empty sepulchre, and wail under a cross, upon which no Saviour "is lifted up." No wonder that, left thus dark and bewildered, the soul should soon be searching in uncertainty for a Father through His immense dwelling-the universe; and at last sit down in despair at hearing no voice responsive to its call, save the clank of an infinite engine, driving the machinery of the universe!

4. This will be still more plain if we come now to consider generally the several conceptions of religion as a system of worship and ordinances; a method of special approach to God by the human soul. Here the contrast runs through every elementary branch of the subject. The conception of Formalism as to the approach of a sinful human soul to God, is in exact harmony with its idea of the church as God's agent,-her priests as the channel of communication between God and man. The returning prodigal is exhorted to go to the "hired servants in his Father's house" and secure their interest and intervention with the Father, in his behalf. Peace is made through messages sent back and forth. The Father makes treaty of peace and reconciliation with the Son by power of attorney given to one of the servants-and in due theatrical form a reconciliation scene is gotten up. Puritanism conceives of the approach of a sinner to God, as of the prodigal returning with a heart yearning toward a Father, whose heart yearns still more towards him. And therefore, without waiting to send through servants, the erring child rushes confidingly to arms already open to receive him.— Rationalism eschewing all such familiarity of relation, and denying any important cause of quarrel, would teach the erring son to stand upon his dignity, and through occasional message from the "far country," keep up simply a recognition of his relationship, and his rights as an heir.

And according to this general conception, are the three worship.s In Formalism, instead of the direct communication between the soul of the worshipper and God, which Puritanism teachers, all grace must come through the authorized channel-God's agent. And so all worship of the soul must go back through the same channel. The act of faith in devotion, becomes not the act of a soul-hearing, God's-calling voice and apprehending it, and the response of the soul thereto; but simply an act of obedience to a visible human representative. The act of petition, is not as on the theory of Puritanism, the cry of the child to the Father for bread; but of the child going around to all the servants beseeching them to ask for him, of the Father, that he may be fed. The act of contrition, not the cry of one rushing directly up crying, "Father I have sinned," and the inverview of tenderness and love; but the formal making confession and promises through an attorney, authorized by full legal powers, to receive the submission, make the terms of reconciliation, and sign, seal and deliver the papers. Rationalism, rejecting all such conception