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how many take God's name in vain. As if God bore the same relation to us with an earthly ruler; how has his name 'been banded about, his character aspersed, his actions misconstrued. Who has not been astonished at the not unfrequent temerity of theological speculations? Verily, "Fools rush in where angels dare not tread." Who has not been shocked by the levity with which some have approached his august throne-the terms of familiarity in which some who minister at the altar have spoken of God,-as if God were altogether such an one as themselves!

The old Jews would not willingly tread on a bit of paper in their way, but took it up, for said they, the name of God may be on it. But among Christians, how many are there who sit in judgement on God, as if he were their fellowvirtually trampling the revelation of himself into the dust.

Ah, we have not the knowledge of God, if we have not learned that compared with his perfections, our wisdom is folly, our excellence is dross, our very being a shadow which is on the point of vanishing away; that before him, all the inhabitants of the earth are as grasshoppers; that the worlds which he has made are as the small dust of the balance.

Let us recollect, that the Being who comprehends in himself all that is great and pure; who fills all space and inhabits the praises of eternity can be likened to none of his creatures; that we can gather nothing respecting him save the few scattered rays which glimmer through his Word; that we are concerned to know nothing save the ways of God as revealed in his word and carried out in his providence. This, indeed, as has been remarked, is the only proper object of religious contemplation ;-the object too, of a truly spiritual faith, the ways of God to man.

Of himself, he has said-I AM THAT I AM of the operations of his own uncreated, independently existent SELF, he has told us, MY WAYS ARE NOT AS YOUR WAYS, AND MY

THOUGHTS are not aS YOUR THOUGHTS.

ART. IV.--REVIEW of Dr, Wayland on the Limitations OF RESPONSIBILITY.

WE now proceed to notice a popular but most licentious and detestable notion which Dr. Wayland passed by on the other side. We allude to the doctrine of the supremacy of conscience in point of religious authority. The author states the false principle, but without that reprobation which it merits. He should have cut off the diseased limb; whether he has wrapped it up and left it to putrefy on the body, our readers can judge from what follows.

Pages 4. 5. "And in short every one feels that he must do what his conscience commands, and that he must not do what his conscience forbids, all things else to the contrary notwithstanding; he feels too that the word must in this case expresses a form of obligation more distinctly and peculiarly imperative than in any other of which he can conceive. We do not say that the consciences of men are all equally well informed, or that they decide in all cases with equal accuracy; all we say is, that such is the authority of this impulse wherever it is distinctly perceived. If such be the power of the moral impulse, we can easily foresee the consequences which must result from its receiving a wrong direction. The man feels that he must obey his conscience at all hazards. No motives of wisdom or prudence or advantage or loss can be allowed to come in competition with this, the supreme authority of his being, Nay more, he must devote his whole intellectual and physical force to the accomplishment of the purpose to which he is urged by the voice of God, thus speaking in his own bosom. But unfortunately he hath misinterpreted this voice, the whole power of the man is enlisted in the work of mischief. He bids defiance to human law or principle, consequences to himself not only, but especially to others are as nothing. Opposition by convincing him the more strongly of his own rectitude and of the wickedness of others, only renders him the more ferocious. Thus it comes to pass, that evil of every kind is stimulated into activity by the very principle which God ordained to be the antagonist of all evil," &c.

We fear all is here granted that Loyola or Peter the

hermit or Mahomet or the Pope need to establish their sort of dominion over the souls of men. The authority of conscience omnipotent! This dogma is the seminal principle of fanatic insanity. True the author adds on pages 8 and 9, "That no question can be presented which we are under so imperative obligations to examine as to what conscience does really command" but this sentiment does not cure the evil, conscience is still upon the throne, and this caution is but a rag of royal purple that serves only to conceal the usurper. Conscience is still supreme. This is a fundamental error. The law of God is the true and only rule of obligation. The only true interpreter of this law is God the lawgiver. Conscientious interpretation is no more binding on the interpreter than on others. Conscience has no jurisdiction to interpret law authoritatively. Conscience is a Pagan oracle, Dodona or Delphi or Ammon. It is "the man within the breast" and not the man at the right hand of God. We might leave this topic here, but fatal delusions are abroad, and we shall call upon conscience, this modest pretender to sovereignty for the muniments of her title. "For this burden concerns the Prince that is in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel."

What is conscience? the moral sense: in action the perceptions of the moral man, his convictions of right and wrong, it is the light within and if that is darkness it is great. In holy beings, who know good and not evil, conscience is a true guide; if thine eye be single very well, but if thine eye be evil, thy whole body is full of darkness. Math. 6: 23.

Scripture never calls conscience a judge or a prophet; Itself is the subject of law. As a guide it is blind, and needs illumination from the word and Spirit of God, Rom. 9: 1. and purification by the blood of Christ, Tit. 1: 15. Heb. 9: 14. 1 Tim. 3: 9. It demonstrates accountability; for moral sentiments are based on its accusings and excusings, Rom. 2: 15. 1 Jno. 3: 20. 21. John 8: 9. It convinces the man that he is under law; but if when arraigned, it assumes the office of judge, there is no prisoner at the bar! His honor has his own reason and the written law; but not the mind of the lawmaker within his breast: he has no authority to interpret, he is only a self constituted officer and all his dicta are coram non judice: 2 Pet. 1: 20. It is the office of the Holy Spirit alone to reveal and interpret the law, 1 Cor. 2: 10-16, and the very essence of Popery consists in arrogating

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this very office. Putting conscience in this matter upon the judgement seat is a practical imputation of infallibility and a grant of plenary indulgence to every creature! It is DEMOCRATIC POPERY. Supreme dominion, legislative, judicial, and executive, are indispensable to sovereignty. It is the man of sin that opposeth and exalteth himself above God in this thing. 2 Thes. 2: 8, 4.

Antichrist has assumed three prominent forms,

1st. Monarchical, as the Roman and Mohammedan, “the man within the breast" of Mahomet or the Pope, interprets the law infallibly for the world.

2d. Aristocratic, where some select spiritual nobility or society assumes the interpretation of law for the world.

3d. Democratic, where the final arbiter of right and wrong for every man is his own conscience.

Antichrist is infallible in every form. The principle is the same in each. All in terms acknowledge God to be sovereign legislator; but man the subject assumes the supreme judicial and executive authority. He determines in the last resort upon the canons of Heaven and executes his decrees "regardless of consequences"! Here are, Jupiter optimus, the Dii Majores, and the household gods.

There is but one God and Mahomet is his prophet. There is but one God and the Pope is his prophet. There is but one God and my Conscience is his prophet. According to the word of God they are all false prophets. 1 Jno. 2: 9, 11, 20, 27; Jno. 6: 68; John 14: 26; John 12: 16; Jno. 16: 13. That the popular democratic form of Antichrist is in fact Popery, the man of sin, is most manifest because the man does exalt himself to the place of God shewing himself that he is God. 2 Thes. 2: 4.

Such is the nature of sovereignty, that whoever usurps the judicial function, puts the law under his feet. Now this is the very soul of Popery whether democratic or not. It says, with its father the devil, to the son of God, “I will give you the kingdoms of this world, &c. if you will fall down and worship me, Math. 4: 8, 9. If Jesus will receive of man the investiture of the empire, he can have the "iron crown." He must however do homage to man and acknowledge his spiritual supremacy.

Whether conscience is the "officina diaboli," or the "sanctum sanctorum," whether the will of man or the will of God is law, to the simplicity of little children, appear ques

tions of the most momentous import: but many masters in Israel, chief priests, scribes and rulers of the people say that there is "no difference:" that the controversies on these subjects are "vain janglings;" that the warfare is a mere logomachy, a dispute about words, and that true philosophy of explanation according to the modern principles of mental science, harmonises all appearances of diversity.

The elect corner stone Isa. 28: 16; 1 Pet. 2: 6; Math. 21: 44, 45; or the precious stones laid by Buffier, Reid, and other Solomons, may be at the foundation; it is immaterial, and all will be right, if men are doing good. So say the rulers of the people. "Doing good" is the summum bonum. Conscience knows and feels what is good and the will is selfdetermined in all conscientious people to do it, "regardless of consequences." John 16: 2. Every one of the people becomes not only a "sovereign" king, but a priest and a prophet. Doing good, "the greatest good of the greatest number," is the common fundamental maxim of Church and State. In principle, politics and religion are fused into one mass, and under the influence of this system, every_man becomes a democratic absolutist and a democratic Pope. Like their ghostly fathers and royal allies over the water, they form orders, institutions, societies and "holy alliances," to "do good" and maintain their legimitate supremacy and while the same principles remain as the animating soul of benevolent action, there will be nothing in truth better than "dead works" or works of death in church or state:

Democratic popery not only denies Christ, his gospel and his kingdom: but destroys the great MORAL SECURITY of mankind, by rejecting the NEGATIVE FORM OF LAW, divine

and human.

Every veto vanishes before an omnipotent volo; the fence of the law is demolished, the tiger is unchained, the lion uncaged, conscience has taken the responsibility," commands with supreme authority, and must be obeyed, regardless of consequences!"

The great protestant principle of religious liberty dies in the embrace of popular popery. The true doctrine denies and opposes the right of any man or set of men to judge and determine in matters of conscience for another. It emancipates the conscience from the dominion of man. It affirms not the self-sufficiency of man infallibly to determine the

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