tue, though greatly modified by But every one perceives that the tradition, by the state of society, distribution of good and evil, pain or by the influence of religious and pleasure, is exceedingly discreeds, be traced alone to these proportionate and uncertain, incauses, irrespectively of the na-fluenced in a small degree only, by tural order and essential fitness of the rectitude or obliquity of human things. The difference between conduct. Though some notorious right and wrong is indeed founded crimes are punished by the magison nature, and cannot be destroy-trates, others are committed with ed. Truth and falsehood, love and impunity, while few appear to be hatred, justice and oppression, so-cut off by the immediate judgment briety and excess, are essentially of some invisible power. The most different in their own nature, and impious and profligate sometimes must necessarily remain so, what- flourish in uninterrupted prosperity, ever may be the opinions, feelings, while the most virtuous are perseor conduct of mankind. Ignor-cuted and depressed, harassed by ance or depravity may stupify the misfortune, and leftwith few sources moral sense, and induce men to of consolation, but the conscious put good for evil, and evil for good, rectitude of their own minds. From light for darkness, and darkness this circumstance it seems to folfor light; but they can never an- low as a natural inference, that, if nihilate the essential difference man be accountable to his Maker, which exists between them. The and if the divine government be obligations of virtue may therefore just, the present life will be followbe deemed eternal, universal and ed by the rewards of a future state, unchangeable, independently of the when temporal inequalities will be law which specifies, or the sanc- rectified, and the happiness or mitions which enforce their autho- sery of mankind proportioned to rity. their character and works. I therefore conclude that these are principles which the light of nature suggests to the thinking mind, and the truth of which is admitted and assumed in the sacred writings. In every stage of human society, some intimation has been given to all men of the destiny that awaited them, and the course of conduct which it behoved them to pursue. Whether these intimations have been listened to and improved, or wholly disregarded, is a consideration of the greatest moment to the human race, while the rectitude of the divine government must be allowed to stand unimpeached and unimpeachable.

It is observable, however, that the natural obligations of piety and virtue, always have respect to something future, and are accompanied with the fear of punishment or the hope of a reward. As the best of laws are useless or insufficient without sanctions, God has evidently established in the perceptions and experience of our moral nature, an intimate connection between present conduct and future happiness, as a preservative from sin, and an excitement to virtue. It is therefore a general persuasion of mankind, that as every cause in nature produces a corresponding effect, so piety and

virtue will be some time or other followed by the happiest effects, while vice and irreligion must sooner or later be productive of dangerous or fatal consequences.

PHILAGATHON.

REMARKSON AQUATIC EXCURSIONS,&c. | prove acceptable?" My king

To the Editor of the Baptist Magazine.

SIR,

dom is not of this world"—" Abstain from all appearance of evil" -"How long halt ye between I CONFESS that I am one of those two opinions? if the Lord be God, persons who regard with unmin- follow him; but if Baal, then folgled disapprobation, those despi- low him"-"Come out from cable attempts which, I regret to among them, and be ye separate, say, are becoming frequent, and saith the Lord"--"Set your affecby which our common Christianity tions on things above". "Make is outraged in the very presence of not provision for the flesh, to fulits professed advocates. I allude, fil the lusts thereof." If these Sir, to the modern invention of should be approved, you know, raising funds for benevolent insti- Sir, nothing can be more easy than tutions, by "AQUATIC EXCUR- to multiply them by others equally SIONS," PUBLIC RELIGIOUS suitable to almost any required TEA AND COFFEE PARTIES," extent. accompanied by "SELECT MUThat any of the decided friends SIC," &c. &c. If, Sir, things are of the religion of Jesus Christ permitted to proceed much further should countenance such extremein this direction, we may expect ly questionable measures, is great shortly, in passing through the ly to be deplored. Such conduct streets of this great city, to be certainly cannot be hailed as afarrested by huge placards, inform-fording the most satisfactory eviing us, that "In aid of the funds, dence of the latter-day glory. If and by consent of the Committee benevolent institutions cannot be of," &c. "a public religious" play sustained without having recourse will be performed; and, for a si- to these unbecoming expedients milar purpose, "A public religi- for their support, then I, for one, ous" ball will take place, on which would say, let them sink; because occasions the Rev. Mr.**** has neither at any time, nor under any kindly consented to afford his pre- pretence, is it lawful to do evil siding influence !!! After this, Sir, that good may come. But, Sir, it will become necessary, if it be my persuasion is, that such menot already, that we should have thods of raising money essentially "a Public Religious" Masque-injure the cause they profess to rade; for it has been ascertained, serve, by their being so dissimilar that both among professors and in spirit and character to the simprofane, there are those who would plicity and purity of the Christian very cheerfully unite in these economy. Is there not even rea"public religious" carousings, but son to fear, that not a few of the they have mutual scruples about persons who frequent these "pubbeing seen in association. An ap-lic religious" entertainments leave propriate disguise, therefore, might obviate this difficulty, and at least augment "the funds" of somebody.

I believe, Sir, that on some of the above occasions the use of banners has been thought desirable: now it has occurred to me, how far might the following mottoes

families at home very indifferently supplied; and it can scarcely be doubted that there are cases in which the money thus imprudently expended is the just claim of some needy and industrious creditor. It should be remembered, too, that on the most moderate scale of computation, one moiety of the expense

goes "in aid of the funds" of vint- stances, and their good sense in ners, and purveyors, &c. In short, all, assure them can never be Sir, my apprehensions are, that the united; and, at length, by the pertendency of these very equivocal nicious influence of these stratapractices is to hinder the gospel of gems, they are under a temptation Christ; for there are multitudes to denounce religion as an imposwhose objections to evangelical ture, and its followers as hypoprinciples are rather strengthened crites.

than subdued by such compromis- Desirous, Sir, of contributing to ing schemes; they are completely check what I fear is a growing disgusted by these attempts to evil, I beg insertion of this paper combine opposing interests, which, in your valuable and benevolent however deficient they may be in work, and remain, Sir, yours, &c. religious sentiment and feeling, AMICUS. their own experience, in many in

REVIEW.

Theology; or an Attempt towards a con-government, from which his holiness altogesistent View of the whole Counsel of ther excludes it."

These are not to be regarded as re

God. With a Preliminary Essay on the Practicability and Importance of the Attainment. By JOHN HOWARD marks, incidentally occurring in the HINTON, A.M. London: Wightman and Cramp. 12mo. bds. Price 4s.

(Continued from p. 314.)

progress of discussion. The sentiment they contain is interwoven with our author's system, and constitutes one of its identifying features. And our readTHE equity of the divine procedure, and ers must accept of this apology, if our the free agency of man, and of every animadversions upon it, should extend being who is held responsible for his farther than would be otherwise comactions, are principles which we main-patible with our prescribed limits. tain with as much tenacity as our au- Whether we view the character of thor: but we do not feel, as he seems God in relation to the ordinary divisions to do, that the consistent belief of these, of nature, providence and grace: or in requires us to conceive the sovereignty reference to those of our author; his of God as precluded from his moral natural dominion, his moral governgovernment. This is a mode of meet-ment, and the work of redemption; we ing a theological difficulty, which ap- cannot conceive of either as placed bepears to us, more like cutting the knot, yond the sphere of his influence; or as than successfully untying it. "For constituting a sacred enclosure, whose glorious purposes," he says, 66 a limit is hallowed lines it would be intrusion in voluntarily set to his own sovereignty, the Deity to penetrate. The sovewhich now operates only in cases be- reignty of God must be as extensive as yond the scope of his moral govern- his dominions, under whatever denomiment." And at the close of the volume nation we arrange them. All being he observes, that rests upon his power. And he doeth according to his will in the army in heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, what doest thou?

Although the assertion of God's sovereignty is true respecting a part of his ways, those namely, comprehended in his natural dominion, it has no relation to his moral

reignty of God acts only in cases beyond the scope of his moral government; and that the former has no relation to the latter?"

We have already seen that Mr. H. explicitly states, concerning the work "That its exercise parof redemption,

takes of the unquestionable sovereignty which characterizes his natural dominion;" and he seems also to admit, that this glorious work constitutes an original element in God's moral government: for thus he writes,—

"If the whole mass of his operations should appear like the work of a being, who, having intended something better, was frustrated, and availed himself of after-thought to devise a remedy, which, after all, to his view would be altogether incorrect. It has dishonour, is of partial efficacy; such a been no disappointment, no surprise; and all which appears, perhaps, as an afterthought, because it operates as an afterremedy, is in reality the development of his eternal purpose, and the introduction of arrangements before prepared."

The institution of God's moral government, is itself an act of his sovereignty. It was not essential in the nature of things to the happiness of its divine Founder. "As the sphere of his moral government," says our author "the Almighty selects a portion of the objects which are subject to his natural dominion," and in page 59, 60, he gives a fuller development of his views on this subject, to which we can only refer. By these passages it is evident that our author agrees with us, in considering the constitution of God's moral government, as originating in his will and pleasure. Now it is certain that the Almighty originates nothing without an object. In founding his moral empire, he had doubtless an object in view, worthy of himself. Can we imagine that he would afterwards abandon that object; or lose sight of it for a moment; or that he would risk its ultimate accomplishment, by entrusting the reins of his government into other hands than his own? What is a governor, although nominally seated at the head of affairs, without power or influence to control and direct their movements? With respect to the introduction of moral evil into the world, our author remarks, "The existence of it was permitted for ends quite worthy of his dominion." And referring to the work of redemption, which was devised by infinite wisdom, to countervail its damages, he observes, "That its exercise partakes of the unquestionable so- The determination of the Almighty, vereignty, which characterizes his na- to create moral agents, was a determitural dominion." Now connecting to- nation to create them free from those gether these three concessions, what is physical impulses and restraints their bearing on the doctrine which which he subjected material beings,-to denies all relation between the sove- possess them of all the freedom that reignty of God, and his moral govern- was necessary to their responsibility, ment? If the foundations of that go- all which a consciousness of right and vernment are laid in the divine will; wrong could require, or the strictest and if moral evil itself, whose tendency equity demand, but not of a freedom it is to derange, and to destroy it, could which should invest his creatures with not have entered it, but by this permis- independence of himself; or remove sion; and if that glorious work, which them beyond the sphere of his influence was designed to counteract its tendency and agency. The respective laws under and defeat its aim, originated solely in which he placed the material and the the benevolent will of the Deity, in what moral worlds, were not so independent sense can it be true, "That the sove-in their operation, as to allow the being

To affirm that, "sovereignty has no relation to the moral government of God," but is restricted to "his natural dominion," and at the same time to admit of its exercise in the work of redemption, which is represented as a constituent part of God's moral government; appears to us very much like maintaining, that light and heat, which are properties of the sun, are confined to regions exterior to the solar system.

to

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who instituted them to retire from the | around the moral government of God,