that "in the image of God created He him."

We thus have a

firm standing-point, in the human, whence to look off and catch true glimpses of the uncreated First Cause. Dissenting here from Mansel and the Hamiltonians, (who are not altogether self-consistent at this point,) we consequently affirm that we are capable of a correct, if partial, understanding of the limitless attributes of the Divine nature. We can grasp the idea of God; and this as a real not a merely phenomenal knowledge — that is, as God actually exists, not as he seems to exist. Else the Bible is continually commanding us to know that which is unknowable; to put faith in that which to us is a shadow. And so (though contradicting his main argument in doing it,) Mansel in one place concedes, that through our "consciousness alone we can raise ourselves to the faintest image of the supreme reality of God." But this is a very different position from Schelling's fantasy of seeing the full-orbed Divinity in the reflection of our own bosoms, through the power of the "intellectual intuition," that is, the faculty of knowing what lies beyond conception, reflection, perception, and the grasp of the reason alike. Truth like this lies at the bottom of no such well, if indeed it has a bottom to it. It is one thing to apprehend the Divine as a fact, from the correlative fact of the human, and wholly a different and utterly fanciful thing to pretend to exhaust that fact by any introspective process. If all which has been written within fifty years about the "Infinite" and the "Absolute," the "Oversoul" and the "To Pan" does not demonstrate the need of Faith in a supernatural revelation to help out Reasoning from its fatal embarrassments, then the argumentum ad adsurdum has no further work to do in or out of the schools. Here is where this train sets us down as its terminus. Are we ready to call it the end of our journey godward? We quote from the latest pronunciamento of "Modern Thought":—

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Religious science sees the mind of man by means of its highest faculties painting itself in the image of God; forming a vast and shadowy representation of human lineaments thrown out before it upon the surface of the unknown:" thus God is only "a reflected image of the human intellect projected upon vacancy—not only in his attributes, but in his very existence demonstrable to have no other than this deceitful origination."

In the opening paragraphs of our paper, we remarked upon the tranquillizing power of Faith in the working out of convictions in respect to personal confidences, and also to physical truths, however unreceived by the majority. But now we have gone up to altitudes far more commanding and sublime. We have reached a broad table-land of equable temperature and invigorating atmosphere, as in the interior of some wide continent, where habitations of rest, and sanctuaries of converse with God, may be built; where faith may repose in the assurances of no change until it shall pass into vision. The text-book of our belief does not indeed give us a systematic theory of theological science, not yet a complete system of the universe. But, as Butler wisely observes in the "Analogy," what is revealed "is fully sufficient for all those purposes of probation, how far soever it is from being satisfactory as to the purposes of curiosity, or any other." Hence, within the circle of an experimental Christianity, how slight the disturbance from the many perplexing queries which vex the pride of the undevout philosopher, engendering infidelity in the understanding and tumult in the heart. The believer may not be able, more than the acutest of his challengers, to explain many things connected with his own being; the relations of human and Divine agency, the origin of moral evil, and other abstruse matters. But then he has learned (as Arnold of Rugby advised his friend) to pray these disturbers into silence and submission. And the great central spaces of truth are brightly luminous; the main inquiries are elucidated; especially the curse of sin, its condemnation, its guilty dread are gone; freedom in the soul has expelled slavery; holiness is an attainable and an attained good; duty is ennobled into a gladsome imitation of Christ; life is no more a cheating speculation, nor eternity a baffling riddle. Christ has come, has lived, has spoken, has suffered, has died, has risen, has sat down in intercessory power and love at God's right hand. The Christian life is begun, and is going on unto perfection. It is a life of Faith. We walk by faith and not by sight. We know in whom we have believed.

"The steps of Faith

Fall on the seeming void, and find

The Rock beneath."

ARTICLE VI.

HISTORIC ARMINIANISM.

HISTORIC Arminianism may be regarded as a long, futile struggle to form a compromise between full, round faith in revealed religion, and Rationalism, or Naturalism.

Rationalism boldly sets aside the supernatural events of the Bible by ingenious attempts to account for them in some natural way. Arminianism only rejects several leading revealed doctrines, by substituting labored interpretations, and plausible philosophical theories, which are more agreeable to man's fallen nature. Both set up reason and probability as superior to, and tests of Revelation, though to a different extent.

At first, the Rationalists were contented with demolishing what they regarded as the more unreasonable miracles, specially those of the Old Testament. But once on that inclined plane, it was inevitable that similar reasoning and criticism should be applied to all that is supernatural in the New Testament, until, at last, Strauss and Parker swept away all confidence in the divine record, and flung contemptuous darkness over the great lighthouse which God in his infinite grace has built upon the dangerous shore of sin and death. So also the Arminians, for a time, are satisfied if they can be allowed to demolish a few of what they call the harder doctrines of Paul's Epistles, such as real depravity, sovereign election, and effectual calling. But this also is sooner or later found to be an inclined plane; and multitudes are carried forward by very consistency to apply similar reasonings and criticisms to all that is mysterious in religion and faith, until they arrive at utter rejection of the divinity of Christ, real atonement, and the lost condition of the race.

Arminianism is in reality much older than its present name. It is called after James Arminius, who by his popular eloquence introduced it into the reformed churches, raising up a party, and causing much controversy, which finally resulted in the adoption by its advocates of almost every error. He was born in Onderwater, in Holland, in 1560. After studying in Utrecht

and Marburg he attended the lectures of Theodore Beza at Geneva. His difference from Calvinism began, as he contended, only in the mode of explaining the sovereignty of divine decrees, and the effectual operations of divine grace. But his followers, led on at first by Episcopus, soon came to see that the explanations involved the abandonment of the doctrines themselves. A thousand times has the same experiment been made, and with similar results. The idea of substantially setting aside the distinguishing doctrines of the Pauline and Calvinistic faith is not entertained, and may be stoutly denied. But explanations, philosophy, a different use of terms, is sought for the purpose of softening down these deep, faith-requiring doctrines, and bringing them completely within the range of human reason and wisdom. But the field remains still open and exhaustless, like the problems for squaring the circle and producing perpetual motion.

The introduction of Arminianism into the reformed churches, then as now and ever, soon brought on earnest discussion and final separation. So fierce was the contest between the followers of Arminius and of Calvin, that in nine years after the death of Arminius, and fifty-four years after the death of Calvin, the States-General of Holland convoked the famous Synod of Dort, (1618,) inviting not only the Belgic, but all the reformed churches of Europe to send deputies, for the purpose of restoring order and harmony to the agitated churches of Holland. The five articles which the Arminians had published, in a paper entitled a Remonstrance, came before the synod for thorough discussion, and were all rejected. The synod then proceeded with wonderful harmony, to draw up and adopt what are known as the five points of Calvinism. The following are the five articles of the Arminians which came before the synod, as given by Mosheim :

"1. That God has not fixed the future state of mankind by an absolute unconditional decree; but determined from all eternity to bestow salvation on those whom he foresaw would persevere unto the end in their faith in Jesus Christ, and to inflict everlasting punishment on those who should continue in their unbelief, and resist unto the end his divine succors.

2. That Christ by his death and sufferings made an atone

ment for the sins of all mankind in general, and of every individual in particular. That, however, none but those who believe in Him can be partakers of the divine benefit.

"3. That true faith cannot proceed from the exercise of our natural faculties and powers, nor from the force and operation of free-will; since man, in consequence of his natural corruption, is incapable either of thinking or doing any good; and ⚫ that therefore it is necessary to his conversion and salvation, that he be regenerated and renewed by the operations of the Holy Ghost, which is the gift of God through Jesus Christ.

"4. That this divine grace, or energy of the Holy Ghost, which heals the disorders of a corrupt nature, begins, advances, and brings to perfection, everything that can be called good in man; and that, consequently, all good works, without exception, are to be attributed to God alone, and to the operation of his grace; that, nevertheless, this grace is offered to all, and does not force men to act against their inclinations; but may be resisted, and rendered ineffectual, by the perverse will of the impenitent sinner.

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"5. That they who are united to Christ, by faith, are thereby furnished with abundant strength, and with succors sufficient to enable them to triumph over the seduction of Satan, and the allurements of sin and temptation; but that the question, 'whether such may fall from their faith, and forfeit finally this state of grace,' has not yet been resolved with sufficient perspicuity; and must therefore be yet more carefully examined, by an attentive study of what the Holy Scriptures have declared, in relation to this important point."

It is very evident that Dr. Alexander is right in the following remarks on this summary:

"In these five articles the Arminian theory is not fully developed. The object was to present the new opinions in the most plausible dress, and in that form which would seem to deviate the least from the public standards of the Belgic churches. But it was alleged by their opponents, that the real opinions of the Remonstrants were not fully expressed in these articles; and that, under the cover of orthodox expressions great and dangerous errors lay concealed. And that they were not mistaken in these views became evident in the conferences which took place between the leading theologians of both par