pensities, passions, the same liability to temptation and sin, the same capacity for virtue and holiness of life, the same moral obligations and responsibilities that characterized him. He, in his ignorance and weakness, being tempted, committed sin, and according to the laws of the divine order, incurred just condemnation and the righteous penalty for wrong-doing, which in Scripture language is denominated "death." His descendants have done likewise, and have shared with him the condemnation and penalty. By him as a common ancestor they derived existence, were endowed with a common fallible nature, and made subject to good and evil by reason of the faculties and possibilities which came originally through intervening generations from him. In this sense and only in this sense were they made sinners by him, or, as it is sometimes phrased, "fell in Adam."

Now in contrast with this idea of Adam as the natural head of the human race, through or by whom, in the manner set forth, his posterity fell into sin and were brought into condemnation, is the idea of Christ as their spiritual head, the second or regenerate Adam by the grace and free gift of God. Such as he was and is all men may become by the renewing power of the self-same Spirit which dwelt in him; that is Christlike. By what he was and did,- by his truth, his wisdom, his love, his whole mediatorial, helpful, saving work, they are born from above, are rendered morally and spiritually new creatures in him, as in their unregenerate, carnal estate they were sinners.

in Adam. This is the whole of it; and it is deplorable that speculative theologians out of their misconceptions and imaginations should have manufactured such a horrible doctrine as the "Fall of Man" into total depravity, and that the church should have been handicapped and cursed with it for more than a thousand years. For the primitive Christian view of this whole matter I refer my readers to Article II of my proposed platform, page III of this volume, also to Discourses XVIII-XX, Vol. I.

❝IO.

The condition of man, after the fall of Adam, is such, that he cannot turn and prepare himself, by his own natural strength and good works, to faith, and calling upon God; wherefore we have no power to do good works, pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing [preceding] us, that we may have a good will, and working with us, when we have that good will."

The combined mystification, error, and deception of this Article can be exposed and cleared away by a few plain questions. Does God ever require good will and good works of mankind which He has not in some way given them the ability to render and perform? Not unless He is a tyrant. more unscrupulous and merciless than Pharaoh of old or Haynau of modern times. Was Adam before the "Fall" able by his own natural strength and good works, without divine help, to do what was pleasant and acceptable to God? Or, can any human being do anything without somewhat of God's strength and grace to help him? Can he sow or reap temporal fruit or grain? Can he even

retain the very breath of his earthly life? Of course not. Then why set up mysterious distinctions about what man can or cannot do without God's helping grace, and his working with us? And suppose a Jew, a Pagan, an Atheist, does justly and loves mercy, feeds the hungry, clothes the naked, ministers to the needy and suffering, as set forth in Matt. xxv. 35-40, are not these works as good and as pleasing and acceptable to God as if done by a Christian? My creed says, yes; but this Article says, no. Let the candid reader judge between the two. The truth is, that this dogma of man's moral inability as a consequence of Adam's sin is pure fiction, whereby the credulous are deluded and the easy-going wrong-doer has his conscience lulled to undisturbed repose. Why should one try to do what he has no power to do?

"II.

We are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by faith, and not for our own works and deservings. Wherefore, that we are justified by faith only, is a most wholesome doctrine, and full of comfort."

Here again theological subtlety and moral purblindness override common sense and common justice, as well as Gospel truth. There is as little Scripture as reason in the notion that Christ's merits are or can be credited to us on any ground whatever. His merits were and are his own. They are not ours because we believe in him. God cannot regard us as righteous unless we are so, in spirit and in truth. To do this would falsify the

The

facts in the case, would subvert the moral order of the world. "He that doeth righteousness," not he that hath faith in another's righteousness, "is righteous, even as he (Christ) is righteous." faith that justifies us is a faith that works by love, purifying the heart, regenerating the character, transforming the life. The faith in Christ that saves us is a faith that makes us Christlike. It is personal virtue, worth, holiness, that God requires of each and every one, not that which is transferred from another. Indeed, virtue, worth, holiness, is not transferable any further than it inspires, quickens, generates the same qualities. Every injunction of the Master, every perceptive duty urged by Him, contemplates personal obligation and personal obedience. Such too is the lesson of the parable of the Prodigal Son. The justifying faith in this case was that faith in the father's love and yearning desire for his boy's return, that brought him to repentance, that drew him to his childhood's home, that insured him a welcome there, that gave him peace. This is the true doctrine of justification by faith, the only doctrine that finds warrant in reason or Scripture. Any other is not only not wholesome but mischievous, and can furnish no comfort to souls animated by the spirit and life of Christ.

Further discussion of the XXXIX Articles is reserved for my next Discourse.

DISCOURSE XXI.

THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND, ETC.-Continued.
THE THIRTY-NINE ARTICLES.

"Rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men that turn from the truth."— Titus i. 13, 14.

As the present Discourse is to be devoted to the further discussion of the subject under consideration in the last one, I place at its head the same text that was there employed; it being equally applicable to what I have to say in both cases. The more important and especially distinguishing features of the Protestant Episcopal Church Creed appear in the Articles already examined and commented upon at considerable length. The remaining ones, requiring less extended notice, will be more readily and summarily treated and adjudged. The discussion continues in regular order from the point of suspension.

Articles 12 and 13 declare "that good works, which are the fruits of faith, and follow after justification," "are pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ," that is, not inherently and for their own sake but for Christ's sake; and that such good works done before justification, and hence without the inspiration of Christ's spirit, "are not pleasant to