pline, we have power to accept of salvation hereafter; therefore, when we get to Europe, or at some future day, we intend to exert this power, and accept of proffered salvation; and your money will do us good at the present time." In such a case no man could say but that this was fair reasoning, according to the above principle, and would be only a natural fruit of the doctrine.

Perhaps our reader may think, that he could help the matter a little by pleading the doctrine of the pope's mortal sins, which kill the soul and destroy that life of it, by which men are enabled to accept of salvation; or, in other words, he might tell them, that this crime, which they were now committing, was so great that it would amount to a mortal sin; that their day of grace might be taken from them, and they would have no more the power of willing, or of accepting of proffered salvation. It would appear as though the pope had either foreseen or experienced this evil in the freewill scheme, and invented the doctrine of mortal sin for a remedy. But these sailors, or other villains, might not be as credulous as his followers were. They might demand proof that there were any such things as mortal sins; and, if there were, in what they consisted; it would be for you to prove that this robbery and wickedness was among their number, even provided such sins did exist. These things, you know, could not be proven, neither by the Bible, nor by rea

son; but, on the contrary, the Bible says, that the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin. Or, again, they might demand of you to show when this day of grace would be past; or to show, either from Scripture, or reason, that a man will ever have less power to exercise his will, than he has at present. Because the will is one of the faculties of the soul, and, as long as we see a man in this world, this faculty of the soul continues with him; he is either willing or unwilling to take medicine, or to do other things. Therefore, except the freewiller could prove this doctrine of mortal sin, &c. he must acknowledge that the robbery of these sailors was perfectly consistent, and nothing more than a natural fruit of the doctrine of the freewill scheme. Besides, there are very few among men who are willing to take the pains of pondering on all these exceptions, if they were even true. They barely hear and attend to this clay principle, that man has "liberty and power to accept of proffered salvation." This suits their feelings; they believe it, and act upon it; and it is the fountain from which almost all the iniquity in the world proceeds.

This case of the sailors, which we have supposed, is no extraordinary one; it happens every day, though not precisely in this same form. When the thief or robber commits his crime, he expects to escape punishment from the civil authority, and often does. But when be first conceives his plan of iniquity, a faithful

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conscience warns him of an after judgment. This he fears, and at first pauses a little, until he can be persuaded to believe that he has "liberty and power to accept of proffered salvation." Then the danger of eternal judgment. is removed: hoping to escape punishment from men, every barrier is out of the way, and he is ready to proceed in the contemplated iniqui ty, with the idea that he can enjoy the profit or pleasure to be had in the crime, and accept of proffered salvation afterwards.

For the truth of this hypothesis, we appeal to every man's own conscience; if in the days of his thoughtlessness, he has not committed sins for which bis conscience smote him at the time, yet still he did the act? If he had known with certainty, that God would punish him with eternal death for that crime, he would not have committed it. But his secret plan was, that he had power to repent and accept of salvation afterwards. With this idea, a young man is often led from step to step in iniquity, until he becomes a pest to society, and falls a sacrifice to the laws of his country; and all, in the full belief that he has power to accept of proffered salvation at any time. He is often angry with the man who will dispute the principle, until he comes under the gallows then his power fails him he finds that he has believed a lie, and he dies in awful fear.

Again. The fear of God, and his just judg ment, is the only self-guard we can have to se

care the truth or fidelity of a witness in our courts of justice. It is for this reason that a witness is put under a solemn oath to declare the truth in the presence of that God who knows what is the fact, and who will award him for his perfidy if he testifies to a falsehood. It is true, a witness can be punished by men for perjury, provided he be detected; but it is often difficult to detect him. Therefore we will now suppose, dear reader, that had a you suit depending in court, in which all your property, or even your life itself, was at stake, and there was a material witness about to appear against you: if he told the truth, you had nothing to fear; but it was in his power to swear away either your property or life. If one of your neighbours, in that case, should secretly plead this doctrine to that witness, telling him, "I want to have this man condemned; it is of consequence to me; and I will give you a reward, if you will swear as I direct you. None in this world can ever know that you have sworn falsely; and you need not fear the judgment of God, because none can prove it to be a mortal sin, that will destroy your power to accept of salvation. Indeed, the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin; and to-morrow, or any other time, you have liberty and power to accept of proffered salvation."

This would perfectly comport with the freewill scheme. But we ask the reader if this doctrine would suit him, if he were in such cir

cumstances? We presume that it would not. In cases like this, (and they are not seldom,) we presume you had much rather that an holy God alone should have the power of changing the heart, and pardoning whom he pleased, than that wicked men should have the power of accepting of salvation for themselves, when they pleased. And if you should know that your neighbour was pleading such a doctrine to a witness, in order to suborn testimony against you, you would exclaim with the apostle, "O! thou enemy of all righteousness, thou child of the devil, how long wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord ?""; It has been decided by one of our supreme judges, that a man who did not believe in rewards and punishments, was an incompetent witness in a court of justice. We ask, what is the difference whether a man believes that there is no punishment for crimes hereafter, or believes he has power to escape that punishment when he pleases? If you say that "he cannot escape without the help of God"-true. But the Methodist discipline says, that God' gives this help or power to all men: therefore it amounts to the same thing at last.

Once more. There is a law now existing in our State, to punish offenders with death, fine, or imprisonment, according to the nature of the offence. Supposing the Congress were to pass a general law, declaring that every offender hereafter should have it in his power, and be