New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-01-31

judged at the last day for the use we have made
OF this word, common to US ALL are we to be accu-
scd of arrogance and uncharitableness and to have
all other offensive eplthets heaped upon US Fer
NIT me to say that all. this excitement on your
/ part is uncalIed for. I maintain a certain doc
trlne because | believe it to be taught in Gods
word. fyou can convince me, as you have un-
dertaken to do, that it is not there taught, will
at once relinquish it. But if maintain it with
out interfering, or wishing to interfere, with your
CIVIL social Or religious rights, and without lndul
ging the language of denunciatien, and if you
will point out to me any such language that l
have used, on any occasion whatsoever, will re-
cal it and apologize for it, you have no cause to
feel yourself aggreyed.
have now to say few words on your oftre-
peated charge about exclusiveness,' unchurch-
ing,' &c.
have hitherto been contented with showing
from your standards that however Just in itself
this charge might be, it cannot with propriety be
preferred by any Presbyterian minister who ad
heres to his own scheme of doctrine. | now,
however, go farther-and solemnly deny the
charge, | am not 90 exclusive" unchurch"
no man in the sense which you attach to these
! terms. consgn no fellow creature to those
% uncovenanted mcrcies" which, according to
your views of Christian truth, you very properly
say are no merces at all. Herein consists
your mistake, and ask our readers to look at 1t
closely.
The maxim nulla ecclesa sine episcopo IS
an ancient maxim of the Church catholic, and 1t
is to be interpreted and understood according to
the great principles whereby the Church repre-
sents upon the earth the Universal Fathers mer
cy toward all his guilty and suffering children
i - H., bn,, -.
true Interpreter, and have read 1t to the world and
commented on it. not by the aid Of catholic char
itv and truth but in the light Of the narrow sys-
TEN of Geneva. Your views of the g Church !"
and of the &c covenant and of Gods mercy to
the human race may be gathered from the fol-
lowing dogmas:
Confession Of Faith Chap. catholic uuver
sal Church which invisible consists of the number
under Christ the head thereof and the the body the
fitness of him that feth all n n ALI n,p,.., g.
Cd for the manifestation Of his glory, and angels
pedesnated everlasting life and Others are ioreo
W Those angels and thus predssnated and f9rs-or
aued particularly aud uuchangeably designed aud their
number certain and definite that cannot be either IN
creased or diminished. go
God. before the foundation of the world l.d,
co,dng TO his eternal and immuabe purpose, and the
Christ unto everlasting glory OF his free and
love without any foresight of faith or good works or perse
conditions movios him thereunto and all to the
praise of his glorious grace Ill, :.
BY the eternal and free OF his Will
S being fallen IN Adam are redeemed by Christ eecfnay
called ath Christ by his spirit working IN due
& ARE unto Sehe o s other
by Christ eecusy called justified adopted anctifed AND
Vii The rest OF mankind Col pleased according
the ca C, he east the glory
his power his creatures pass BIZ aud to
dan them isuno and wrath for their SIM TO the praise of
'' Confession caTtaH' ie Of Faith Chap. x:
Section All those whom Godhaih pFedfst,nated unto me-
time -rctuallv TO call by his word and spirit of that
s iae s al sa o s' By sA ja chSs
spu lily and .avngly under tnd the things of God TAX
Of flesh renewing their wills by his almighty power
mining them that which good and eectuay ORA" Ing
thcm ChIS set as they com" most Freely being
Ide THIS eeeua III is Of Gods free and special grace
alone nor from any thing all foeseen who alto
set passive therein until being qa'ckened and renewed By
t to P sP hs grace and Conveyed in it.
III. Elect infants dying in infancy, regeneraed and
SSsa by and dhr o he So ALSO oh4l
sons who meapsbie Of being outardiy called BY the
w Others not elected although they may be called by the
ministry of the word aud may have operations
Of the Spirit yet they never truly Christ ena there
fore cannot b. saved much less can men, not protesting the
thew never so digent to frame lives according the
light Nature aud the law Of that religion they do profess
and 10 be leested.
In the light of such system as this it is that
YOU have undertaken to interpret my maxim,
and have lifted your hands in horror at its I'M
port when thus interpreted.
You of course limit the &c Church and the &c CO.
venant" and the possibility Of salvation, to the
elect" that is, to that specific number Of adults
and infants ,ohom God, according to his eternal
purpose hath predestined into life and hath cho-
sen in Christ, ,oithout any foresight Of ta'th or
GOOD ,oorkS or any thing IN the creature as con-
diti0ns or causes nooing him thereunto. Conse-
uuently you regard my dogma as with awius pre-
sumption laying its hand upon the Divine DEGREES,
defining their course, designating their subjects
among the children OF men, and implously deter
mining that every community without Bishop
az ITS head is not of the {" elect" but consists
only of vessels of wrath, fitted for destruction.
But no, sir, this maxim no Church without
Bishop is not yours-you cannot interpret 1t.
It's birth place is not Geneva-lts home is not
there 1t belongs to the system of free grace ana
of salvation within thereach Of all. 1t abldes IN
the great temple of him who died for all-the
gates of which are open continually and open to
! every man-to which man is admitted, and
from which no man is excluded, by any uncondi-
tional decree of the Almighty. And as the pa
rent, obeving his Savior's invitation, is carrying
his little children to BAPTISM he is not tortured
by doubt and fear lest after all, his offspring not
being of the number of elect infants" the oFdl-
nance NAV be in vain, and his affectlonate care
for their Christian nurture, and hls watchlngs and
PRAYERS and tears, be returned TO his desoate ana
desparing heart by resistless and unconditional
decree, recorded in the clouds and darkness above
/ him. He knows and is sure, that IN the LAYER OF
regeneration his little ones are made members
of Christ, children of God and inheritors OF the
kingdom of heaven And he knows also that
their attainment OF the full maturity of the Chris
tn, Lie or their failura 10 attain II, depends,