stitutes no part of that righteousness by which a sinner is justified. See pages of said book, 257, 261, and 264; 3d corollary.

"Doctrine 2d, That obedience to the moral law was not required as the condition of the covenant of works. See pages 178 and 180. The aforesaid pages being read, it was on motion, Resolved, that this Assembly do consider these doctrines as contrary to the Confession of Faith of our church.

"Doctrine 3d, God himself is as firmly bound in duty (not obedience) to his creatures, as his creatures are bound in duty or obedience to him. See pages 164 and 166; also that God's will is not the standard of right and wrong. If God's will is the primary rule of his or our actions, he would be,-1. Entirely void of all holiness;-2. There could be no justice in God;-3. It would be impossible for God to be unchangeable;-4. If the will of God is the standard of right and wrong, then it would be no infringement on the divine character to be unfaithful to his word and promise. See pages 168, 171. These pages were read.

"Resolved, that without deciding on the question, whether these sentiments are contrary to our Confession of Faith, the Assembly consider the mode in which they are expressed as unhappy, and calculated to mislead the reader.

"Doctrine 4th, That God could not make Adam, or any other creature, either holy or unholy. See page 194, compared with 166.

"Doctrine 5th, Regeneration must be a consequence of faith. Faith precedes regeneration. See page 352.

"Doctrine 6th, That faith, in the first act of it, is not an holy act. See page 358. The pages above referred to beingread, it was on motion, Resolved, That the Assembly do consider the three last mentioned doctrines contrary to the Confession of Faith of our church.

"Doctrin. 7. That Christians may sin wilfully and habitually. S pages 532 and 534. These pages were read. "Resolved, That the Assembly consider the expressions in the pages referred to, as very unguarded; and so far as

they intimate it to be the author's opinion, that a person may live in habitual sin and yet be a Christian, the Assembly considers them contrary to the letter and spirit of the Confession of Faith of our church, and in their tendency highly dangerous.

"Doctrine 8th, If God has to plant all the principal parts of salvation in the sinner's heart, to enable him to believe, the gospel plan is quite out of his reach, and consequently does not suit his case; and it must be impossible for God to condemn a man for unbelief; for no just law condemns or criminates any person for not doing what he cannot do. See page 413. This page and several others on the same subject, being read,

"Resolved, That the Assembly do consider this last mentioned doctrine contrary to the Confession of Faith of our church.

"On the whole, Resolved, That this Assembly cannot but view with disapprobation various parts of the work entitled "The Gospel Plan," of which William C. Davis is stated in the title page to be the author.

"In several instances in this work modes of expression are adopted, so different from those which are sanctioned by use and by the best orthodox writers, that the Assembly consider them as calculated to produce useless or mischiev ous speculations.

"In several other instances, there are doctrines asserted and vindicated, as have been already decided, contrary to the Confession of Faith of our church, and the word of God, which doctrines the Assembly feel constrained to pronounce to be of very dangerous tendency; that the preaching or publishing them ought to subject the person or persons so doing to be dealt with by their respective presbyteries according to the discipline of the church relative to the propagation of errors.”

In this business, the General Assembly acted with a noble firmness and decision, which we hope they will always display on similar occasions. Had the Reformed church in France used as much faithfulness, their affairs would not

have been reduced to such a state of desperation as they soon were by a contrary course.

Twenty years ago, there was scarcely one Hopkinsian minister connected with the General Assembly, and now we are astonished and alarmed at the rapid increase of them. In Kentucky, it is said that more than one half of the ministers belonging to the General Assembly are Hopkinsian, at least in part. The Boston Unitarians have their missionaries in that state, who are making some progress, but not among the Presbyterians. In the synod of Pittsburgh there are probably not more than three or four ministers who hold the doctrine of general or indefinite atonement; and of these one is a thorough disciple of Hopkins. But were the great question brought to a decision before the Assembly, the weight of that synod would be found in the orthodox scale; and it is a powerful body. Nearly all the presbyterian clergy in the state of Ohio, are anti-Hopkinsian. It is about twenty years since Hopkinsianism became known in the state of Tennessee. The Rev. Hezekiah Balch from that state, spent some time with Dr. Emmons, embraced his errors, and taught them both in the pulpit and in private. Many of his brethren soon imbibed them. The most distinguished of his converts is, the Rev. Gideon Blackburn, who was settled in the congregation of Maryville, in east Tennessee, where his ministry had been remarkably successful. Soon after he embraced Hopkinsianism, disturbances arose in his congregation, and he migrated to west Tennessee, where he opened a school, and was settled in the pastoral charge of a congregation. Dr. Coffin too, the principal of Washington College, came from Newburyport warm with the sentiments of Dr. Spring, and has taught them from the pulpit and the press. There is still in east Tennessee much opposition to Hopkinsianism. The Rev. Mr. Doak, principal of Greenville college, is a sound, sensible divine, and has educated a considerable number of clergymen, who unite with him in defence of the truth. Through the instrumentality of Mr. Doak, Mr. Balch was brought before the General Assembly at its sessions of 1798,

for his Hopkinsian delusions; which after a patient examination were condemned. The false doctrines enumerated are nearly the same with those which we have before delineated, as taught in the north. Every one of them was condemned. It is gratifying, that in this condemnatory sentence there was not one dissenting voice among the Presbyterian delegates to the General Assembly. Two ministers indeed, did vote against it, but they were both delegates from a northern association. Like Amyraut, Mr. Balch did not regard the decision of the Assembly. Few who embrace these errors are ever reclaimed. "Backsliders are filled with their own ways." His errors struck deep their roots. The controversy in Tennessee has raged with violence; and as it has done in every other place, deprived the church of repose. Upon the whole, both in east and west Tennessee, the parties are probably at present nearly equal. In Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina, the northern tares are gaining ground. The Rev. Dr. Maxcy, the principal of South Carolina college, a very powerful seminary, is decidedly anti-Calvinistic on several subjects. This gentleman belongs to the Baptist church.

In Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware, few of the Presbyterians have yet abandoned the good old paths of righteousness. The Rev. Mr. Baxter, the principal of Washington college at Lexington in Virginia, is orthodox. Hampden-Sidney college has been lately connected with the theological school of the synod of Virginia, in which there are between thirty and forty students, a considerable portion of whom are preparing for the gospel ministry. The Rev. Moses Hoge, D. D. a gentleman of high standing as a scholar, a divine, and a preacher, who is sound in the faith, occupies the two offices of president and professor. This theological seminary must produce a very salutary effect on the affairs of the Presbyterian church in the south.

The synod of Philadelphia is a numerous and respectable body, in the Calvinistic interest. Though there is not an entire harmony among the members on all points, yet a very great majority of them are opposed to the Hopkinsian

opinions. Events which occurred in the city of Philadelphia during the winter of 1815-16, gave occasion for an expression of the opinion of this synod. A Mr. Cox, who was educated in the Quaker society, renounced the Quaker creed, united himself with the Presbyterian church, and entered upon the study of theology. Though he did not possess a liberal education, yet such was his zeal, that without waiting to go through a collegiate course, he resolved to become a preacher after some preparatory studies in the ology. The Rev. James Patterson, who had formerly been settled in a congregation in New Jersey, had been more than a year before installed in a pastoral charge in the Northern Liberties. His earnest addresses from the pulpit produced a great awakening among the people who worshipped in his church, and upwards of seventy persons were admitted to membership at one sacramental solemnity. The excitement extended itself partially into other congregations in the northern part of the city. Many week evening societies were held for prayer and exhortation. At these meetings, Mr. Cox took a very conspicuous part, and while pressing religion upon the worshippers, in his exhortations, taught with great zeal the Hopkinsian errors which he had been primarily taught in Newark. Two or three ministers of the Presbyterian church were also charged with incul cating both publicly and privately the same opinions, while they were very active in endeavours to increase the religi ous excitement. The Hopkinsian controversy began to be kindled, and serious fears were entertained by the orthodox that injurious opinions would be propagated too success. fully, while feeling, instead of judgment, conscience, and revelation, predominated.

The presbytery of Philadelphia contained at this time the Rev. Dr. Janeway, then senior and now sole pastor of the Second Presbyterian church, who was educated in, and has ever maintained, all the systematic consistency in Calvinism of the venerable president Livingston; the Rev. George C. Potts, a sound Presbyterian, who was educated at Glasgow college; the Rev. Mr. How, who has lately been re