share of self confidence, that they can unsparingly censure such, as depart from their creed -and this without the trouble of humble inquiry or careful examination.

Controversies on civil, political and religious subjects, have been managed in a similar manner. Respecting property, controversies often arise on trivial grounds. By altercation the passions of the parties become agitated; subjects, foreign to that which occasioned the dispute are introduced and blended; the relations and friends on each side become interested, and soon there is occasion to exclaim, "Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth !"

A political controversy may arise when the difference of opinion would be of little consequence if managed with candour; but from the want of candour or from interested motives the bubble is blown up to the size of a mountain, and filled with malignity; then, by burst ing, it may overwhelm a whole community. Perhaps in the outset both parties aim at the same end, but differ as to the best means or instruments to be employed. In the course of the controversy the original question may be forgotten, and twenty others substituted to keep alive the animosity. Through the influence of party spirit the public good is too frequently overlooked. Instead of doing all they can to become united the leaders often do what they can to widen the breach, and to prevent reconciliation.

Happy it might have been for the world if such management had been confined to political

controversies. But to the dishonour of the Christian name, what has been called religious controversy has too generally been conducted with irreligious passions. At the beginning of a dispute there may have been but one question, and that perhaps of a very unimportant character; but this has been so managed as to beget many others; by multiplying the topies of debate the original question perhaps loses its importance and others are substituted as fuel for the fire of contention. After some time each party assumes some distinguishing name, or has one given by its opponents. That name which happens to become popular will be assumed by multitudes, who are wholly uuqualified to judge of the points in debate, and whose real opinious are very different from those of the man, whom they fondly call Rabbi. tenets or the system first distinguished by his name may be modified and in a great measure changed; some articles may be varied, some expunged and others of an opposite character substituted, and still the system is regarded as essentially the same. By thus amending or revolutionizing the system, it sometimes so happens, that what had been regarded as heresy is adopted for orthodoxy, and what had been orthodoxy, is denounced as heresy.

The

From Calvin and Arminius were derived the names Calvinists and Arminians. In former ages the Calvinistic system embraced. as essential, the following ideas :

That the sin of Adam was imputed to all his posterity, and

:

that they indeed "sinned in him and fell with him in his first transgression" That by the fall man lost his power of obeying, but God retained his right of commanding That Christ suffered for an elect number only-that he died to appease the anger of God and reconcile him to the sinner-that the sins of the elect were imputed to Christ, and that he paid their debt to divine justice: That believers are justified and accounted as righteous "only for the righteousness of Christ imput to them."

The Arminian system rejected all these articles and embraced opposite opinions. Yet is it not a well known fact, that a large portion of the clergy of New-England, who claim the honours of Calvinism, are in all these particulars dissenters from the doctrines of Calvin, and from the Westminster Assembly? Is it not also well known that these professed Calvinists are, in respect to these articles, the followers of Arminius rather than of Calvin ?

But why, it may be asked, is this inconsistency exposed ? To this we may answer-It is done that readers may be led to reflect on the mutable character of what has been called orthodoxy, to consider the fallibility of all men, the danger of being governed by party names and party spirit, and the importance of learning to think for themselves in matters of faith and religion.

"The world is governed by names. This borrowed remark is just, both in regard to politics and religion. Nothing perhaps has had a more perni

cious influence in disturbing the peace of mankind, and in preventing the progress of truth, than the idolatrous respect which has been paid to popular names. There is indeed a degree of respect due to the char acters and writings of great and good men. But it should be better understood that all great and good men have been liable to err, and that great and good men are not peculiar to any denomination of Christians.

In regard to politics the spinit of party seems in a great measure to have subsided in our land; and it should be the care of every Christian to do all he can to prevent the resurrection of a monster so malignant and so injurious to the peace and welfare of society. It should also be the care of every Christian to do all he can to eradicate from his own mind and from the minds of others the spirit of party in regard to religion, and to cultivate those friendly sentiments and affections which are the essence of that loveorcharity which is the "end of the commandment," the glory of Christianity, and the object of divine approbation; and without which all other attainments will" profit us nothing" in the final account.

As differences and changes in opinion are to be expected, and as these will give rise to dispu tation, it should be the aim of Christians to effect a reformation in the manner of conducting controversies.

Let every

man feel his own fallibility and his need of candour both from God and man. Let these truths be duly impressed on every mind, that all the advances

which have been made from the darkness of popery and even from paganism, have been reproached as dangerous innovations; that hitherto there has been but little opportunity for free or impartial inquiry, on account of the perils which have ever accompanied a dissent from popular opinions; and, consequently, that it is highly probable that Christians of every name are in some great errors. Let all bitterness, wrath and clamor and all evil speaking be excluded; let the language of controversy be kind, respectful and conciliating; let love be without dissimulation; let every writer be open to conviction, and aim to do good to his oppo

nent and to community by a thorough investigation and fair display of the truth. On the one hand, let no man imagine that his being on the side of the majority is the least evidence that he is on the side of truth; on the other, let no man suppose that his having changed his opinions is any proof that his present views are correct. Let all Christians learn to estimate their own characters and the characters of each other, not by a human creed, but by the precepts of our Lord, the laws of righteousness, love and peace. With these views and on these principles controversy may be productive of great and durable benefits.

To the declaration of Judas, "I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood," we would call the attention of more modern infidelity. Repulse us not with the contemptuous answer of the high priests, "what is that to us ?" Let the descendants of those ancient priests, let the despised, dispersed, and perseented nation who cried out in their fury, "His blood be upon us and on children," answer what it has been to them; and we will show what it is to others.

our

This testimony of Judas we propose now to consider in its peculiar nature, value, and ap. plication.

1. It is the testimony of an enemy. It has been suggested, and with great probability, that Judas was intended by his employers to have acted a princi

pal part in the trial of Jesus, had not his premature and unexpected repentance defeated the design. Jesus was accused of pretences to the Messiahship, and represented to Pilate as one who had been saluted by the people with the title of king, a man who was drawing after him multitudes of an inconstant people, and who therefore might be dangerous to the Roman power. The High Priests thought no doubt that they should avail themselves of the testimony of this perjured disciple, and that he would be a principal and important witness, whose testimony would be the more readily received because he had belonged to the intimate associates of the accused. But the bitter repentance and awful death of the traitor, as soon as the mock trial

had been completed in the council of the priests, deprived these miscreants of the man whom they had expected still farther to employ, and they were compelled to suborn witnesses as they could, whose testimony was found to be utterly inadequate. When Jesus is standing before Pilate, who was waiting for some substantial accusation, and inquiring repeatedly, what evil hath he done, why does not Judas appear and publish the crimes for which he had assisted in apprehending him? Ah! the traitor has already gone to appear himself before a bar more terrible than Pilate's. If, when he had delivered up his Master, he could have produced the most insignificant charge, would he not have hastened to communicate it to the delighted ear of Caiaphas ? After his treachery had succeeded, when Jesus had surrendered himself without resistance, when he had nothing to fear from the dispersed and timid band of the disciples, was this the time for him to repent of his successful malignity? Would he not rather have attempted to recollect something in the character and conduct of Jesus to extenuate his own baseness; and would not the thinest shadow of fault appearing in the life of Jesus, have mitigated the intolerable anguish of that remorse which at last hurried him to destruction? But no! Judas, who was expected to appear with his accusations, is himself torn by the scourges of his conscience! The traitor trembles in his retreat, and dies in horrible anguish with a testimony to the

innocence of his Master on his lips!

2. The testimony of Judas to the innocence of Jesus is the tes timony of a disciple. Judas, before he conceived his base design was admitted to the same intimacy with his Master as the other members of the little fraternity of disciples. He had listened to the most confidential conversations. He had been entrusted with the commission. of an apostle. He had attended his Master whenever he re tired from the troublesome concourse of promiscuous followers. Nothing which the other disciples knew of their Master could have been concealed from Judas. He had been present at his miracles. He had himself, perhaps, been furnished with a share of miraculous powers. If in these wonderful works, which, if real, proved that God was indeed with Jesus, there had been any collusion with the disciples, Judas was a party, and could now bring to light the

fraud, and expose the pretensions of the boasted wonderworker. If there had been any concealed ambition, or defect of honesty or ingenuousness in our Lord's designs, Judas was in his confidence. Nay, if an unguarded expression had ever escaped the lips of Jesus, the traitor was listening and ready to record it. But with all these opportunities of detection and cavil, he found nothing, absolutely nothing. He dies without leaving a suspicion which might veil the disinterestedness of his malice; and his past intimacy with the holy Jesus served but to aggravate the re