GERMAN CAVALRY SONG.

FROM T. KÔRNER,

1.

Os, brothers, on! with sweeping wing-the world before you opens free; Though spread around with art and wile, the föeman's deadly nets we see, On, noble steed; my fiery barb, dash on--to where the oakleaf crown Floats high, and bear thy master's form, the battle's joyous sword dance down.

2.

The rider, carried high in air, goes forward with unconquered soul—
The dust beneath his charger's feet, his rushing blood cannot control;
And far behind lie care and want; his wife, his children, and his hearth;
His sword alone beside him hangs-Freedom or Death before his path.

3.

Thus to the joyous marriage-feast he goes, a bridal crown to win,
Let him who lets his loved one wait, not dare to step our ranks within;
And to our bridal, HONOR comes, and FATHERLAND's, the lovely bride;
He who embraces her, shall sink in Death's sweet slumber by her side.

4.

Ah! very sweet that sleep shall fold thee. Passionate thy dreams and warm; Faithfully thy true one watches, holding close thy slumbering form.

But when the German oaks shake out their buds in fluttering leaves again, In a better world she 'll wake thee, to eternal freedom's reign.:

5.

Little will their mockery help them, when our God the victory gives—
We wait His time, in faith and patience; HE, our sword and buckler, lives.
Fierce and wild the tempest rages; forward, then-be firm and true!
Tho' the world were full of Demon's, this shall be our watchword-THROUGH.

J. F. C.

ART. VI.-PRESBYTERIANISM AND CHRISTIANITY. Every body knows, that Dr. Beecher and Dr. Wilson spent a week or more, not long since, in disputation before the presbytery and the public, each attempting-so we think it might be stated to prove that he and his party were christians. But the way in which each attempted to show that he received christianity in its pure and undefiled form, was by showing that he and his party believed the confession of faith, according to its original meaning. Now we think, that befor

making a belief in the confession of faith, identical with a belief of christian truth, they should have very carefully enquired, whether the confession of faith teaches the same doctrines as the bible. It seems to us that there is some doubt about this. At any rate, the confession of faith is capable of such different interpretations, that while both parties receive it as containing the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, Dr. Beecher regards Dr. Wilson as rejecting the fundamental doctrines of the bible relating to moral obligation and accountability, while Dr. Wilson looks on Dr. Beecher as a heretic, a deceiver of the people, imposing another gospel on their easy faith, and very nearly, if not quite, as bad as a Unitarian. Considering that the confession of faith was framed as an improvement on the language of God's word, for the purpose of furnishing the simple minded with a clear, safe, and infallible standard of christian doctrine, we think it is very difficult of interpretation. But, whether it be easy or hard to be understood, it must be granted to be a very important question, whether it does in fact contain a true representation of the doctrines of the bible.

We propose then to take up the previous question, omitted by the two theologians above referred to, and to consider whether the doctrines of Presbyterianism, as set forth in the confession of faith, are the doctrines of the bible.

In examining the doctrines of the Presbyterian church, we refer in our statements of them, particularly to the confession of faith, because it is the most generally received standard in our country. We ought, however, to premise, and we say it once for all, that we give the system, according as we understand the confession of faith, and as.we believe every one must understand it, except, it may be, a theologian who looks at it through the disguising medium of some pre-established system of his own.

It is proper to state, that every Presbyterian minister on his ordination, and every ruling elder and deacon, is obliged, under the most solemn circumstances, before man and God, to answer in the affirmative, to several questions. They are found in the book, called the "Confession of Faith," in the common edition, at the 378th page; and among these questions is this, "Do you sincerely receive and adopt the confession of faith, of this church, as containing the system of doctrine taught in the holy scriptures." No one is under the necessity of signing such a creed. All do it voluntarily, and therefore, we are to suppose it is done truly, and from the heart. We are thus explicit, for the purpose of avoiding the appearance of misstatement.

I shall now quote from the creed, thus widely received, enough to show the nature of those doctrines to which we object, and to give a just idea of the leading features of the system.

Having stated that our first parents having sinned, in eating the forbidden fruit, which sin, God permitted in order to promote his own glory, it proceeds in these words: "By this sin, they fell from their original righteousness, and so became dead in sin, and wholly defiled in all the faculties and parts of soul and body"-"they being the root of all mankind, the guilt of this sin was imputed, and the same death in sin and corrupted nature, conveyed to all their posterity, descending by ordinary generation."-"From this original corruption, whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly inclined to all evil, do proceed all actual transgressions." "Every sin, both original and actual, being a transgression of the righteous law of God, and contrary thereunto, doth, in its own nature, bring guilt upon the sinner, whereby he is bound over to the wrath of God, and curse of the law, and so made subject to death, with all miseries, spiritual, temporal and eternal." Having thus informed us, that man cannot conform to the requirements of God, and that every sin deserveth God's wrath and curse, both in this life and that which is to come, it tells us what that curse is, by which God manifests his glorious justice. It is this; "that they are cast into hell, to be punished with unspeakable torments, both of body and soul, with the devil and his angels forever."

But, in order to show more plainly, that our sins result, not from our freedom of choice, but from the irresistible will of God who gave us the natures with which we are born, it states, "that God, from all eternity, by the most wise and holy counsel of his own will, freely and unchangeably did ordain whatsoever comes to pass. By the decree of God, for the manifestion of his glory, some men and angels are predestined unto everlasting life, and others fore-ordained to everlasting death. Then angels and men, thus pre-destinated and fore-ordained, are particularly and unchangeably designated; and their number is so certain and definite, that it cannot be either increased or diminished. Those of mankind that are predestined unto life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid, hath chosen unto everlasting glory, without any foresight of faith or good works-and all to the praise of his glorious grace." "As God hath appointed the elect unto glory, so he hath also fore-ordained all the means thereunto." Thus it is with those who are to be saved: but how is it with others?

"The rest of mankind," it proceeds to say, "God was pleased, according to the unsearchable counsel of his own will, whereby he withholdeth or extendeth mercy as he pleaseth, for the glory of his sovereign power over his creatures, the rest he was pleased to pass by, and to ordain them to dishonor and wrath, for their sin, to the praise of his glorious justice”—i. è. Men are first doomed to sin by their Maker, and then, according to what I have before quoted, are cast into hell to be punished with unspeakable torments, both of body and soul forever, for conformity to the will of God.

This doctrine is, without doubt, an important one, and so the next words that follow seem not inappropriate; which words are these: "The doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to be handled with special prudence and care," and having stated the reason, it concludes with these words: "So shall this doctrine afford matter of praise, reverence and admiration of God; and of humility, diligence and abundant consolation, to all that sincerely obey, the gospel."

But this being an important doctrine, it seems to have been deemed necessary, to make assurance doubly sure. Hence we find the same fundamental ideas again and again repeated. Thus, under the head of Free will, we read, "Man, in his state of innocency," i. e. Adam before his fall, "had freedom and power, to will and do, that which is good and well-pleasing to God; but man by his fall into a state of sin, has wholly lost all ability of will to any spiritual good, accompanying salvation; so, as a natural man, being altogether averse from that which is good, and dead in sin, is not able by his own strength, to convert himself, or to prepare himself thereunto." "When God converts a sinner, he freeth him from his natural bondage under sin, and by his grace alone, enables him freely to will and to do, that which is spiritually good." And this is again repeated, if possible, more strongly, under the head of effectual calling. "All those," it says, "whom God hath predestinated unto life, and those only, he is pleased in his appointed and accepted time, effectually to call out of that state of sin and death, in which they are by nature, to grace and salvation." "This effectual call, is of God's free and special grace, not from any thing at all foreseen in man, who is passive therein, until, being quickened and renewed by the Holy Spirit, he is thereby enabled to answer this call, and to embrace the grace . offered and conveyed in it." From this, it would be supposed, that no heathens could be saved, and none in christian countries, but those who had arrived at sufficient age to be converted. But we should judge wrongly. There are ex

ceptions. And the creed goes on to state the exceptions. The exceptions are, "Elect infants, dying in infancy, are regenerated and saved by Christ, through the spirit." "So also are other elect persons, who are incapable of being outwardly called, by the ministry of the word." So it seems, that there are some infants who will not be damned.

But, in order to reconcile forgiveness of sin, with justice, something more is to be done. What that is, is stated under the head of Justification: "Those whom God effectually calleth, he also freely justifieth"-How? "by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them.". Christ, by his obedience and death, did fully discharge the debt of all those, that are thus justified, and did make a proper, real and full satisfaction to his Father's justice, in their behalf." "God did, from all eternity, decree to justify the elect. But their justification is only of free grace, so that both the exact justice and rich grace of God, might be glorified in the justification of sinners." Finding man thus perfectly incapable of doing any thing, made so by his Creator, the question naturally arises, of what use is the moral law? The catechism? which is little more than a repetition of the confession, solves the difficulty by saying, "Although no man since the fall, can attain to righteousness and life by the moral law, yet there is great use thereof to all men, to the regenerate, and the unregenerate." And the use is this, "to inform them of the holy will of God, and of their duty, binding them to walk accordingly, to convince them of their disability to keep it, and of the sinful pollution of their natural hearts and lives, to humble them in the sense of their sin and misery, and thereby help them to a clear sight, of the need they have of Christ, and of the perfection of his obedience.

We have quoted too much, perhaps, for the patience of our readers; but even at the risk of being tedious, we prefer to quote these doctrines in the language of those who hold them.

All this might be expressed, much more concisely, by avoiding the repetitions. God, from all eternity, has decreed whatsoever comes to pass. Among other things, permitting the fall of Adam, and on account of that fall, changing his nature to complete corruption, and perpetuating that corruption of nature through all his posterity, and creating them to live and die, under his wrath and curse, for "the manifestation of his glorious justice." However, for "the manifestation of his glorious grace," he will save some. These, without any foresight of faith, or good works, he elects. The elect, he calls, he justi fies, he saves. But as it would be inconsistent with justice.