New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-02-03
THE T r I B y n E +.
From the Commercial .4drertiser.
DR.. Potts 30 Rev. Dr. wainwright


have shared with me in my disappointment, at
mt finding some relerenceto Calvin and Servetus
in your last letter, especially you trod SO close
IL upon this favorite topic, and as it has quite as
nowerlul bearing upon the point of exclusive
High. Churchism as the topic of predestnation
and election. There are some kinds Of argumen.
taton which are quite beyond the reach of Sc
riOus reply; they move the gravest people to in
dnlce in a little harmless mirth When we con-
sider how admirably inconsequent they are, we
find it much more difficult to keep our counte-
nances than to keep our tempers OF this SORTS
YOUR argument in favor Of High Church excu
slyeness drawn from the obnoxious doctrines of
predestination There are several other topics,
equally pertinent, which | beg leave to suggest
for future use, that may serve to amuse If not to
convince. When drawn up, in sylogstc FORM
they are very striking. One have Just mention
ed: Calvin burned Servetus-theretore, no Pres
bvterian can say word against High-Chureh
monopoly Or this the non conlornists in Eng
land were round heads, who sang psalms through
their noses-theretorc, no Presbyterian can say
word against being unchurched. Or this the
Puritans Of New England always burned witches
always prosecuted the Quakcrs, made blue laws,
declared that the whole earth belonged to the
Saints &c. &c. &c.-theretore, no Presbyterian
can call in question the charity, modesty and JUS
tce Of the unchurchng dogma.
But even should you take occasion TO resort to
these or similar specimens of logic, they will not
draw me aside from the point in hand. "a time
for every thing" They are just as germane to
the true issue as the question of Milerism or Mes
merism, upon both of which points, perhaps, your
opponent may be, for all you know, a fanatic
l,n1a tbo,l \
boddo, according to Which mankind were origin
ally provided with those caudal appendaces vul-
carly called tails, that would hardly be pertinent
reply to certain arguments | might adduce to
prove that Prelacy is not the Indispensable con-
Meeting link between the grace of God and the
life of the Church. may believe, with the great
apostle, that for reasons lnscrutablc to US, the WISE
good and just God may and actually does snake
to diter,' but surely this does not imply that
either myself or you should of our own motion, be
allowed to play tie Sovereign among Christian
Churches, and elect some and shut out Others
upon such futile grounds as that they do not
agree with us IN our respective notions as to
Church order. This is the claim ! am resisting,
and which would resist as firmly, were ii adj
vanced by Presbyterian or Congregationalist, as
l now DO, when it is advanced by Prelatist. it
is not Preacy, but eJclusiue Prelacy, naon0potiz-
ing Prelacy. that we are now concerned with
When we have settled this point | Will be
read. to meet YOU arc to indicate rational views
upeL any of the do:trnal points which to be
found IN our standards, and this among them. |
will be glad of an opportunity of showing that
we he'd all infants to be elect, and therefore sa-
ved bgthe grace Of Christ, in which respect we
diiel rom you, who make baptism Indispensable
10 tl'er regeneration, and thus to their saliva
tlon And in reference to all mankind, will
undertake to show that neither the quotations
you have made from the Westminster confession,
nor the Nth article Of your 0mn Church, nor
The wclknown views of the English Reormers,
nor the equally well-known views of many of
your ablest Prelates of past and present times,
lnllltatein any degree against free Gospel and
large charity All this pledge myselito do, you
will hereafter consent to meet me- In the mean
time will dismiss the subject, by decately hint
any that the next time you may wish to deal
blow at an opponent, you would do well to select
weapon which in some Of It's Furnishings Will
not cut off the heads of many your own broth
zen, and strike down one of the articles OF your
own creed. That am not making i mere IN
sinuation destitute of any basis, | refer the rea
der TO the 18th article of your creed, which
give in note.*
The argument in your last, so far as II touches
the point at all, is but a repetition OF the former
strain To use homely comparison, IN using
which | mean no offence, you find yourself IN the
condition Of the ANIMAL in the fable which had
lost his brush, and would fam persuade others to
put themselves in the same condition. Nay you
INSIST upon it that am actuallyln the same con-
dlhon with yourself, on the question OF unchurch-
ing. But fact contradicts this. When you can
point to an instance in which your opponents have
rebaphzcd or re-ordaned any one coming from
other Christian denominations give you leave
TO hold up my bgotry and INCONSISTENCY to scorn-
When you can show thatone of your number mas
partaken Of the symbols Of communion at the
hands of Christian ministers who DO not ADMIT
the absolute necessity of Prclacy-whcn you can
produce AN instance of among us, similar 10 one
among you, in which d modest High Charchman
Speaking of minister his equal, aye his superior
In every quality that constitutes moral and intel
lectual eigmghty,l said of him, Hell has no more
tight to preach the gospel than that dog'-when
You can find among US an individual who has gone
50 far as tocall in question your rghteven to cee-
bfate rlarrlagc-whcn YOU cans how that we
have called ourselves with offensive presumption,
The Church, and have even gone to the Legisla-
lature of the State, rs you have done, to ask tor
Inc Incorporation of society under this exclusive
ntie, The Church Mariners Soclety'-when
You can show, from the pages OF any author re-
cognzed among US, such claims for their own
precise order as | can show upon the pages of
Dodwel and Palmer, and Hook ard Hobart, and
host of others, who 90 far to make pretacy or
Perd'tton the decentralization will admit that
AR. XVlI OfPredestiuati0n aid election
Iedestinatou lie IS the everlasting purpose OF God,
(beios the foundations Of the world were adl he
h Constantly decreed By his counsel secret 10 TO deliver
3n curse aud d5un1tion, those whom he hath chosen
SntSt out of mankind, and bring them by CHRIST
sgs salvation, vessels made honour wherefore they
Wien be eudued with excellent benefit OF God, he called
Ssoidng 10 Gods purpose by his Sp wog king due
son, they lhEnmcL h.. Iinl