Columbus Whig. (Columbus, Miss.) 1843-18??, 1844-04-04
For the wiz
%EGENhRA TioN AND pTAL DE-

or OF heaven, whether mortal ar ;r,4.. .ItIl
IL Chrlst' the first born of every 60 -, .Ionl
- man and that there is more ofh3 - 49,
ra',dds udi 20 nan. And although it nj DOR.
generally admitted. that Christ al. o0 Hg9t,
'nost are co>existent with God, sndA ,o-..1
equal with him, yet am sure thai .rs -.
Ou' re" who' IN their hearts, betiesse 81 IT,,
are out few whose unconscious conv;sa -
on THIS subject, would not be aroused 81 -...tr
$ co. 10 near the relation spoken of in ~ III.
between Christ and God and between "a an
, the holy Ghost, reversible hear II .,;s a..
Christ gaUe to God all po,cer, ON earth ne
""ere' iIa' Cnri't sent God that Christ is great,
''~n God; that God did not his Oson mill bu,
the '0'H Of Christ. who sent him !; that God !.
appointed TO put all things under Christ and
tnat Wien all things shall have been sphd,od
unto mm' then God hinasslf shall become .,,b
Ject unto Christ; and that God prayed to Christ
or that the Holy Ghost sent God down into The
world. Ifsuch expressions as these can he "a.
concIled with our conceptions of the cod,..d
then are we 1T'nitdriGns; but if not, we are Uni
| taridns.
Out 4rlnitarlanism, though in itself absurd
ano dangerous is yet more dangerous IN the
essential consequences or doctrines which or,,,,
out OF 1t. Two Of these, and the FIRST two which
we shall notIce,are Total Depravlty and mvs,e
rlous operation Ofthe Holy Ghost upon the hu
man soul, called Regeneration. And there is
"'SO' rom thlS same origin. another doctrine,
so Paralzng to virtue and SO fatal to true pietv,
tnot were 1t not an insult both to reason and re-
hglon, to discuss it, should, in this place m.ka
it subject of special notice. 1t is that dor.
'rine winch strips man of free agency. and re.
eaEos ms lie' whether good or bad, as hut the
unavoidable 1ulhiment of his predestined fate
0octrlne which removes the criminalitv of ain
from man tn God and makes the las. its autho-
and avenger, and the first its HELPLESS instru
ment and victim. 1 allude, of course, 10 Pre-
destination. And / say that it removes The
criminality of Esin from man, because il makes
him but an instrument of fate, and dwests him
of the power to do otherwise than as he does
For if God have given me will, mot seIfdirccted,
nor free to choose between good and evil, but
mPelled in its course by his fixed and infiexibIe
DEGREES, then my will is but the instrument of
his the criminality of the deeds which
follow, will, of course, run back through the in
strumentto the source of action. NY actions
are governed by my will; and if my will be
governed by the DEGREES of God, then how can
rebel against my maker, and choose TO do
good when evil is decreed? And if cannot
resist, why should be sent down to hell to ex
plate in eternal torments the sin of obedience to
heaven? But it is not my purpose to discuss
this doctrine for if there be any who are con-
scious that they are led on through life by an
invisible hand. and that they have no power 70
act and think but Just as fate directs, an argu
ment to them, to prove their free agency, would
be folly ; and to those who are conscious that
they can either read this or not read it, that they
can either act or not act in given way-to
those who. whenthey have committed sins, feel
guiHu. because they are conscious that they
could have done otherwise-to such as these 1t
would be labor superfuous to urge arguments,
because they feel that they are free agents, ane
in their eonscienees theyiacquit heaven OF the
crime of their own offences.
And now regarding man as free agent, and
the Christian religion a rational system OF
faith and practice, addressed to our reason, YET
simuli6ed. and adapted to the comprehension Of
all ; and understanding the Holy Ghost to De
no distinct parsonage, and nothing more than
Gods holy will, or spirit, sent down 70 EARN
and revealed to men through his written word
I am compelled TO disbelieve the doctrine OF he>
generation as understood.and taught ey Arin'~
itarians. But at the same time do not ana
dare not deny the agency of the Holy SP'rf !"
regenerat:ng men for that's the very lnHu nee
al md uPndnCfS
generation II is the spirit Of love and mercy
and regard for men, and the spirit of perfect vir
the and holiness, diffused through Gods moral
government, and breathed through every page
of his written word, which touches the springs
af convIction in the human soul, and changes
;,e feelings and desires. And the man wAo has
been TINS regenerated, or converted to the
truths Of the bible, finds, in its sacred pages.
new and a more perfect spirit than ne has ever
seen in nature. for the guide and model OF ms
own: and according as he conforms MS lle
od actions to it. the same will bear test mony.
Nth his own that he is a child of God. But
whilst admit the truth deny the mystery Ppi
regeneration; and beg leave to vlndlcate tns
mower of the Gospel to produce it, unalded Oy
f,reign and mysterious agencies For yielding
tn the truth its Legitimate influence, this regen
GRAFTON is nothing more than happy change
wrou0ht in one,s heart and conduct by solemn
and full conviction that the Gospel is tho wofo
ofGod Thisis Christian regeneration ana
though far more important in its consequences,
it's nevertheless perfectly analogous TO "seros
~eo,eneration. For there may be moral a. wen
L;.t;.x, remuneration xnd IN both cases.
regeneration is something more than "cfs
reformation. It is reformation which grows
| out of the heart or change OF eonouct PRO-
duced by convictions, which operate upon the
mind and change its pFinciplse. Bet asimPls
-sfor,nation does notis.pty this change OF P1'n-
eipIes because ii may be- snd often. e. pro-
dnced by external influences. % the 'nnuencs S,
Of self interest, for Instance, whilst the co.'up
principles is still living. though suppressed z.