of a second cause. To suppose, therefore, that creatures cause their own moral exercises, implies, that a second cause can be made a first cause; and an instrumental cause, an efficient

cause.

God did indeed originally make man in his own image in certain respects, viz: in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness. But this image did not imply either self-existence, omnipotence, or independence.

Dependence enters into the very idea of creatures; so that it is susceptible of strict demonstration, that they have not a self-determining, or independent power of acting. It is absolutely certain, therefore, that God cannot be prevented from hindering the existence of sin by the independence of his creatures. For they are constantly and entirely dependent upon their Creator. It is in him they live, and move, and have their being.

This leads me to say,

5. That there is nothing in the nature of moral agency which can render it impossible for God to prevent the existence of sin in a moral system. Dr. Taylor, however, [see his έσ Concio ad Clerum"] thinks there" may be" a limitation of the power of God in the very nature of moral agency. Dr. Taylor's argument on this point, [Concio ad Clerum, p. 31, and onward] is substantially as follows: Moral beings must have as much power to sin as to be holy; and there is no evidence that God can hinder them all from sinning without taking this power away, which would destroy their moral agency.

Now if moral agents must have a self-determining power to be either sinful or holy, Dr. Taylor's argument would be unanswerable. In this case it is plain that God could not prevent his moral beings from sinning without taking away the power which is necessary to their moral agency. But as crea tures have no self-determining or independent power of acting, the Dr.'s argument falls to the ground. Only make the distinction between natural and moral ability and inability,

and the argument loses not only all its force, but all its plausibility. A natural ability to be either sinful or holy, is all the power which is necessary to moral agency. But God can render his creatures naturally able to do a thing, and at the same time render them morally unable. Paul and his company were naturally able to flee out of the ship. But God rendered them unwilling; that is, morally unable. Saints are naturally able to commit the unpardonable sin. But God always renders them morally unable. There is, therefore, not a particle of force in Dr. Taylor's reasoning on this subject. For God's rendering his creatures morally unable, or unwilling to sin, has not the slightest tendency either to destroy or diminish their natural ability. The willingness or unwillingness which God produces in his creatures, leaves their perception, memory, reason, and conscience, and all the natural powers and faculties of their minds, unaltered and unimpaired. It is therefore, susceptible of strict demonstration, that there is no absurdity in the prevention of sin in a moral system, arising from the nature of moral agency.

It appears, then, that God could not have been prevented from hindering sin in a moral system, by chance; nor by fate; nor by a necessary tendency to sin in the nature of moral beings; nor by the independence of his creatures; nor by the nature of moral agency; and I will now add,

6. That God could not have been hindered from preventing sin in a moral system, by the influence of motives. For all means and secondary causes are under the Divine control. God can always present just such motives to the minds of his creatures as he pleases, both in time and eternity. It is plain, then, that there is nothing in the nature of things which can render it a natural impossibility for Omnipotence to prevent the existence of sin in a moral system.

I intend to pursue this subject in my next number,

NUMBER II.

THAT GOD COULD HAVE PREVENTED ALL SIN, OR AT LEAST THE PRESENT DEGREE OF SIN IN A MORAL SYSTEM, IS not A GROUNDLESS ASSUMPTION."

In my last number it was shown, that creatures do not sin by chance; nor by fate; nor by a necessity of nature; nor by an independent, or self-determining power; nor because they cannot be rendered morally unable to sin, without losing their natural ability; nor because they are under the influence of motives, which are not under the Divine control. It is plain, then, that the entire prevention of sin, in a moral system, involves no contradiction or absurdity. Hence it follows that God was able to prevent all sin in a moral system. He can

do every thing which does not involve a contradiction. He is omnipotent.

1. He can create. He can create mind as well as matter. He can create the essential properties of mind, as well as the essential properties of matter. Take away extension and solidity from matter, and it ceases to be matter. And take away perception, memory, reason, conscience and volition from mind, and it ceases to exist. God has created both the spiritual and material world. And therefore he has created, and he can again create all those properties which are essential to mind, as well as all those properties which are essential to matter. God cannot create a rational soul, without creating its understanding and heart, which are essential to its very existence. If he has not created the hearts of all his creatures, then he is not the entire Creator of their existence. If he has not made the hearts of angels and men, then he has not made them moral agents. For, take away their hearts, and you take away all their moral exercises. Leave them destitute of hearts, and you leave them destitute of moral agency.

Now since God creates the hearts, as well as the under standings of his intelligent creatures, it is certain, that he ca

create just such hearts as he pleases. He can as easily cre ate holy hearts, as sinful hearts. Indeed, when he created the heavens and earth, he created none but holy hearts. He made both angels and man in his own image in knowledge and holiness. He has created all the holiness which exists in the created universe. The holiness of creatures is something which is brought into existence out of nothing. And this is creation in its strictest sense. David prays, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." To his elect, God says, "I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and will give you a heart of flesh; and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them." Love is the fruit of the Spirit. Repentance and faith are the gift of God. The saints are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto love and good works. The saints of old acknowledged, that God had wrought all their works in them.

Regeneration and sanctification are the new creation, which is represented in Scripture, as surpassing the creation of the visible heavens and earth. God says, "Behold I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. Rejoice and be glad forever in the thing which I create. For behold I create Jeru

salem a rejoicing, and her people a joy." God works in all the saints to will and to do, of his good pleasure.

Since God is the Creator, or efficient cause of holiness, it is demonstrably certain, that he could prevent all sin in a moral system. For if he can bring holiness into existence at all, he can cause it to exist, wherever it is capable of existing. He can make every being holy, who has a capacity for holiness. He can make every moral agent perfect to do his will, by working in him that which is well pleasing in his sight. He could create a moral system, and preclude the existence of sin, by causing the universal and uninterrupted existence of holiness. And this would not destroy the moral agency of creatures; for holiness is moral agency itself.

Is it then "a groundless assumption," that God is the Creator of all things; that he could CREATE angels holy; and MAKE man upright; that he is the efficient cause of regeneration and sanctification; that he can CAUSE holiness to exist, wherever it CAN exist; or, in every capacity, to the extent of that capacity? Is it "a groundless assumption," that God can cause any thing whatever to exist, which is neither self-existent, nor a contradiction? Then, it is not a groundless assumption, that God could prevent all sin, by causing the universal and uninterrupted existence of holiness, in a moral system.

2. God has power to preserve whatever he is able to create. To create and to preserve, require the exertion of the same Almighty Power. If he can create matter he can preserve matter. If he can create mind he can preserve mind. If he can create moral agents he can preserve moral agents. If he could create their understandings and hearts, he could preserve their understandings and hearts. If he could create a moral system, he could preserve a moral system.

God is not only able to preserve whatever he has created; but he is able to preserve it in the same state, in which he created it. If God could make man upright, he could preserve him upright. If he could make angels innocent, he could preserve them innocent. If he could create moral agents holy, he could preserve them holy. If he could make their hearts benevolent, he could preserve them benevolent. If he could make a moral system sinless, he could preserve it sinless.

It is in vain to say, as Dr. Taylor does, that the preservation of a moral system from sin, "might" involve a contradiction. For it does most plainly involve a contradiction to say, that God "might not" have been able to preserve, what he was able to create, or that he “might not " have been able to preserve it in the same state in which he created it.

It is susceptible of strict demonstration, that it is no contradiction to say, that God could have prevented all sin in a moral system. Because, during a certain length of time, God