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than a rising to spiritual life.If the creature can do this, without God's special assistance, is he not capable of progressive sanctification, and of becoming completely fit for Heaven? In short is there any thing preparatory for Heaven that is not within his power, if indepen dent of God's special influence, he can exercise faith and holy desires?

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St. Paul told the Ephesians, that they were once dead in trespasses and sins. If they, when dead in sin, could of themselves rise to spiritual life, which is implied in the exercise of holy desires, surely having once risen, and become holy, they could sustain themselves, and make progress in the divine life; for greater power cannot be requisite to sustain a principle in exercise, than to create that prin ciple. We shall attend, in another place, to this, with some other similar systems of doctrine.

From the history of those times, it appears, that though these sentiments, as they were taught by Pelagius, were of short duration, yet they were supported, in the Semi-Pelagian form, by great numbers.

At this period, there was an increasing disposition to reject those doctrines of Grace, which had been handed down by the Apostles, and received by the primitive Christians. Instead of these Apostolic doctrines, the merit of good works began to be a favorite sentiment, especially among the monastic orders. Those

who were in opinion with Augustin, strenu ously opposed the Semi-Pelagian system, but it was not extirpated. In this age, it was dif ficult to combat sentiments which had found an asylum in the monastery. The various orders of monks were peculiarly inclined to cherish those doctrines which favor the merit of works; and those orders began, at the time which we are considering, to gain influence. They increased in numbers and influence, until they obtained a complete ascendency in the Church.

We hear but little of the Pelagians or Semi-Pelagians, after the sixth century. Then we find, that disputes between them and the followers of Augustin, divided the western Churches. Gregory states, that they continued to the middle of the ninth century. Those times of darkness succeeded, in which it is dif-ficult to ascertain what was the faith of the Church, or whether, as a body, she had any faith.

The attention of mankind was directed in a new and strange channel. Instead of searching the Scriptures, to know the mind of Christ, and the doctrines which appertain to salvation, they searched the place of his birth, the scene of his ministry and crucifixion, to find some relie of his body, or of the saints. This is the progress of mankind, as it respects religion. Having begun in the Spirit, they seek to be made perfect by the flesh. Those which are commonly called the dark ages, exhibit a humiliating pic ture of superstition and folly. The professors

of Christianity had nearly lost sight of the spi-rit and design of the Gospel. If it may be said that the visible Church had any system of doc'trine, it is probable that the Semi-Pelagian, or something like this, was the predominant system. Though it might not be known by this name, yet the doctrine was agreeable to the views and habits of the monastic orders. We are certain, this, or something like it, was the prevailing doctrine of the Catholic Church When the Reformation began.

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Doctrines of the Reformation.

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economy of divine providence, that abuses prove the occasion of their own remedy. When they have proceeded to a certain extent, the eyes of mankind are opened to their enormity, and a reformation is the consequence. If this were not the case, the world could not remained to this time; for it cannot sustain for a long time, a state of unmingled error and follyThe errors and abuses of the Church of Rome became the occasion of reformation. is probable there were always some witnesses

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to the truth, in that Church; some who were sensible of her errors and spiritual whoredom,, and ardently wished for a Reformation.

The Waldenses and Albigences made some attempts to expose and correct abuses, in the twelfth century; and in the fifteenth,. Huss and Jerome made the like attempt at the expense of their lives. At length the time arrived, when things were ripe for a Reformation; and a suitable instrument was raised up to begin the arduous and eventful task. The Reformation began early in the sixteenth century. MARTIN LUTHER, a native of Eisleben, in Saxony, began to expose the abuses of the Church, about the year of our Lord 1518. It was not till 1555, that the Protestant Church obtained a peaceable establishment..

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So far as the opinions of men have weight: in determining between truth and error, we may look to the purest times of the Church for the truth; and the purest times have been those in which there were no unnatural con-nexions of Christianity with civil institutions. Those times have been most pure, when mankind have not been influenced in their opinions, by motives of preferment; when they have espoused the cause of truth, because they prized it above personal ease, or wealth,. or honor.

Such was the state of religion during the first three hundred years after Christ. Those who professed. the Gospel, had no patronage

from the civil authority. They all knew that their profession exposed them to persecution; and very many actually suffered all the evils which malice could invent. Their temporal happiness, and life itself, were suspended on the caprice of the reigning Emperor. In such a state of things, if they had been governed by a worldly feeling, they would have renounced the name, with every appendage of Christianity. These observations are applicable, in all their force, to the subject of this chapter. If they have any weight, no small degree of importance is attached to doctrines which have been professed and maintained under every circumstance of outward peril. When men' are raised up to correct long established error and abuse, to arouze their fellow creatures from long slumber, and give a new direction to the human mind, it is a reasonable conclusion that they are furnished, from on high, to be the organs of truth. Especially, when in consequence of combating established customs and opinions, they must relinquish the hope of worldly ease and comfort, and stand exposed to persecution, we must acknowledge, at least, their sincerity in the belief of doctrines which they propagate.

The reader will see, that these remarks are applicable to those men who first renounced the doctrines and jurisdiction of the Church of Rome. The fortitude of those men who dared to oppose the practices of a formidable community, has been a subject of admiration; and considering the peculiar circumstances in

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