nistry. He reminds them, that all were imperfect men -all were liable to do wrong-even the apostles themselves did not pretend to be faultless. He reminds them that the tongue was the most difficult member to be regulated, and be kept from offending; and at the same time intimates, that if they had not by much sanctification and self-government, brought that unruly member into subjection, they would be in peculiar danger of doing injury to the cause of truth.

I will now add a few other arguments, which were not made use of in the Sermon, to confirm the doctrine there laid down; and after this, an attempt will be made to refute the principal arguments used by my antagonist, to support this doctrine.

One argument, which seems calculated to establish the doctrine of the sinful imperfection of the children of God in this life, is the representation which the scriptures make of growth in grace. "He that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger." Job xvii. 9. "The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day." Prov. iv. 18. Here the commencement of a work of sanctification in the heart, is compared to the breaking of the day; and the progress of the work, to the gradual prevalence of the light over the darkness, until the sun itself appears. Then it is perfect day. From the breaking of the day until the rising of the sun, darkness and light both exist together, tho' the darkness is continually retreating before the rising light. Our divine Lord, in one of his parables, said, "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened." Mat. xiii. 33. The kingdom of heaven is the Church of Christ set up in this fallen world, and making gradual progress, until the whole world is filled with the glory of God. The kingdom of heaven is also that holy interest, which is set up in the heart of every one who is born of God, and this will gradually extend its heavenly influence, until the whole heart is sanctified.

Another proof of the saints imperfection in holiness in this life, may be derived from the directions given them to examine and try themselves, to determine the

truth of the work of grace in their hearts. They are commanded to examine themselves, and prove them. selves, whether they be in the faith. They are called upon to give all diligence to make their calling and election sure. The apostle John, towards the close of his first epistle, says; "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life." He harl laid down many discriminating marks by which to know a true work of the Spirit, and distinguish it from all counterfeits. The force of the present argument is this; That if the christians had no sinful imperfection, there could be no need of this close search, to determine the genuineness of their religion. If their hearts were wholly cleansed from sin,-if their love to God and men were perfect, so that nothing remained in their hearts of a nature contrary to love, there would be no more need of self-examination, to determine their state to be good, than there is need of it among the saints in glory. It is wholly through remaining corruption in the hearts of God's people, and through the imperfection of their obedience, that they can have a single doubt of their interest in the covenant.

Let us now look at the principal arguments, by which our opponents seek to support their doctrine of a sinless perfection in this life.*

I. One of their most potent arguments is drawn from the characteristic names, by which the scriptures distinguish saints from sinners. They are frequently called perfect. Noah is called a perfect man; Job is called a perfect man, and others of God's children are said to be perfect. Now,' say our opponents, here is divine testimony, that saints may arrive to a state of perfection in this life and surely if they had much

I still consider them as holding to a sinless perfection in this life; for if we bring a text to show that saints are not sinless, they immediately give it a different explanation, so as to make it mean only that they once were sinners, or that they may again become sinful. What can be more decided proof, that they do believe in sinless perfection in this life? "The moment you acknowledge that a christian may live a day withsut sinning, you give up the point." Letters p. 199.

Corruption dwelling in their hearts, God would not say they were perfect'

This argument ought to be carefully attended to ; and if it shall appear to be against our doctrine of sinful imperfection, then our doctrine must be given up even if this should unchristian every Presbyterian, and destroy the hope of every Calvinist in the world. I think I have candidly examined the argument, and do not see any thing in it, which militates against our doctrine. The author of the Letters does not hold to the sinless perfection of all the saints. He says, "We acknowledge that some of the saints sometimes sinned; and that all, the best not excepted, are liable to sin.' p. 199. The sinful imperfection of some saints is very fully acknowledged, in the book of Doctrines and Discipline, already referred to. As a proof of this take the following passages: "While so much of nature emains even ia believers." p. 116. "This consideration may satisfy those who inquire, Why so few have received the blessing?" that is, the blessing of entire sanctification. See p. 121. In the next page the author (Mr. Wesley) is speaking of those believers who are not yet perfect in love, when he says, "And yet we may be sensibly pained at the sinful nature that still remains in us." In the 136th page of the book referred 19, the author is very explicit in opposing the idea of complete deliverance from sin, as being considered common to all believers. He says, "Deny that any ever came up to this, if you please: but do not say all whơ are justified, do.” So far as our opponents concede that some of the saints are sinfully imperfect, they no doubt accord with the Bible, our common standardHere then is a point in which we are agreed, viz. That some of the saints are sinfully imperfect. But in this we disagree ;--that while we say, they are all sinfully imperfect; they say, that some of them are sinlessly perfect. We demand proof of this. They answer, God has testified coacerning Noah, Job, and others, that they were perfect. Now, if we, on our part, can prove that God has testified this about the whole company of believers, even about all the saints on earth, we shall do away the force of their argu

ment, unless they should shift their ground, and say that sinless perfection is common to all saints. In Psal. xxxvii. 37, it is said, "Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace." Here it is manifest, that perfect, and upright, are used synonymously. Every upright man is a perfect man. And yet all the friends of the Redeemer are denominated upright. "The upright love thee." Sol. Song i. 4. I would turn the attention of my readers to Prov. ii. 20-22: "That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous. For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it." In this passage it is obvious, that good men, the righte ous, the upright, and the perfect, are all only different names for the same sort of men; and also, that these men are contrasted with the wicked, and with transgressors: This implies, that all who are not perfect, are to be denominated wicked and transgressors. But there is a passage, 1 Cor. ii. 6, which more conclusively proves, that all who are born of God are, in scripture language, perfect. "Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect." The apostle had in the preceding chapter shown, that Christ crucified was to the unbelieving Jews a stumbling block, and to the unbelieving Greeks foolishness, but unto them which were called both Jews and Greeks, Christ was the power of God and the wisdom of God. In the beginning of this chapter he tells them, he did not come to them with the excellency of speech, or wisdom, declaring unto them the testimony of God. In connexion with this declaration it is that he says, "Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect :" As much as to say, Tho' I do not come to preach the philosophy of the schools, nor to make a display of eloquence, still I would not be understood, that the doctrine which we preach is really foolish; it is wisdom, even the height of wisdom,and so it will appear to real christians, to them who are called, both Jews and Greeks. All these he evidently denominates perfect. In the 14th verse he says; "But the natural inan receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God." The natural mạn

is contrasted with them that are perfect; all therefore who are not natural, that is, unregenerate men, are in the language of the apostle perfect.

All the regenerate are also called saints, that is, holy ones. Mr. B. seeks to prove the sinless perfection of David by this, that he said, "I am holy." But this ar

gument, if it be a good one, would prove the sinless perfection of all the christian family on earth; for all the christians who were at Rome, and Corinth, and other places, to whom the apostles directed epistles, are termed saints, or holy persons. All the converted are described as being righteous, just, good, &c. Now all the names, by which the children of God are diștinguished from the children of the devil. are expressive of that part of their character, wherein they are made to differ. The inspired writers have not been led to invent any means, which shall, at one view, exhibit both parts of their character, the renewed and unrenewcd nature. The colleges have invented a compound name for one of their classes, calling them Sophomores, i. e. (being literally translated into English) wise fools. It is no doubt designed to express this idea, that they are, in this period of their academic life just emerging from ignorance to wisdom, still retaining much of the But the scriptures have not furnished us with any such compound terms, to distinguish such as have some holiness mixed with some sin; some wisdom with some folly. All the children of God are denominated wise. The wise, and the fools, in scripture language, comprehend all mankind; tho' some of the wise have much more heavenly wisdom than others, and none of them are wholly free from moral folly.

former.

If it should be asked, What propriety is there in giving such characteristic names to christians, if they are sinfully imperfect; and why do not the scriptures give them a name descriptive of the other part of their character? We answer, 1. That holiness is the thing wherein they differ from their fellow men; therefore, saints, or some other name of the like import, is proper to distinguish them. 2. Holiness, without any mixture of sin, is the point of perfection to which their present character, according to the covenant of grace, continually tends, and to which it will at length arrive;