every one of these subjects separately; I present the whole train and progress of opinions that have been held concerning it; and I state the grounds upon which they rest, passing slightly over those opinions which are now forgotten, or whose extravagance prevents any danger of their being revived, and dwelling upon those whose plausibility gave them at any time a general possession of the minds of men, or which still retain their influence and credit amongst some denominations of Christians.

In selecting the great subjects to be thus brought forward, I was guided by that general view of the Gospel which was formerly illustrated. We found its distinguishing character to be the religion of sinners,-a remedy for the present state of moral evil, provided by the love of God the Father, brought into the world by Jesus Christ, and applied by the influences of the Spirit. All the controversies which are scattered through the ordinary systems, and which have been classed under the different heads, Arianism, Pelagianism, Arminianism, and Socinianism, respect either the Persons by whom the remedy is brought and applied, or the remedy itself. The different opinions respecting the Persons comprehend the whole of the Arian, a part of the Socinian, and all that is commonly called the Trinitarian controversy, upon which so much has been written since the beginning of the last century. The different opinions concerning the remedy itself respect either the nature of the remedy, the extent of the remedy, or the application of it; and they comprehend the whole system of Pelagian and Arminian principles, a part of the Socinian, and many of the doctrines of Popery. Opinions as to the nature of the remedy depend upon the apprehensions entertained of the nature of the disease; so that all the questions concerning original sin, the demerit of sin, and the manner in which guilt can be expiated, fall under this head. Opinions as to the extent of the remedy embrace the questions concerning universal and particular redemption, and concerning the decrees of God. Opinions as to the application of the remedy turn upon the necessity of divine assistance, the manner in which it is bestowed and received, and the effects which it produces upon the mind and the conduct of those to whom it is given.

It appears to me, therefore, that by this distribution we do not omit any of the great controversies, with which students of divinity ought to be acquainted: at the same time, by tracing with undistracted attention the progress of opinions upon every subject, by viewing their points of opposition, and examining their respective merits, we consider one subject closely upon all sides before we proceed to another, and are thus saved the necessity of returning at any future period upon the ground which we had formerly trodden. Much light will probably be struck from this collision of different opinions. You have experience that you are never so thoroughly acquainted with a subject, as when you have heard the discussion of the several questions to which it gives rise, either in conversation, or in more formal debate; and therefore you have reason to expect that your knowledge of theology will be rendered much more accurate and profound, by canvassing the different opinions held in a succession of ages by very able men, and defended by them with a zeal that cannot be supposed

to have omitted any argument, because it was dictated not merely by the love of truth, but in many instances by the desire of victory.

After I have derived all the benefit which the labours of these men can afford, in opening to you those doctrines of Christianity which are the great subject of your studies, I next consider the church of Christ as a society founded by its Author. This branch of our course entered into the general view of the Scripture system; and it demands your particular attention, not only from the mention made of it in Scripture, but also from the many violent controversies to which it has given birth. The notion of a society implies the use of certain external observances, which are necessary to distinguish it from other societies, and to maintain order amongst the members. It is natural, therefore, in speaking of the Christian society, to give a history of church government, or an account of the various practices and questions which have occurred upon this head; and in this account I am led to investigate the grounds of that claim advanced by the Bishop of Rome, as the head of the church, and the Vicar of Christ upon earth. There are many of the doctrines of the church of Rome, which fall under some of the controversies that we propose to review. these doctrines were only called in as auxiliaries of the hierarchy, to lend their aid in supporting that system of spiritual power, of which the claim made by the Bishop of Rome was the principal pillar; so that by much the greater part of the Popish controversy belongs to the head of church government.

But

It is impossible, in this country, to consider Church government without bestowing attention upon the claims of Episcopacy and Presbytery. After examining the support which they derive from the word of God, and from the practice of antiquity, the transition is natural to the constitution of that Church, of which you expect to become members. The Church of Scotland, like every other established Church, requires her office-bearers to subscribe a declaration of their faith. It is proper, therefore, to consider the right upon which such requisition rests, and the propriety of that right being exercised. The peculiar doctrines contained in that declaration, which we call the Confession of Faith, will have passed in review before we come to this part of our course. But it will be proper that you then attend to the reason of the peculiarities of that worship, in which you may soon be called to preside, and to the principles of that discipline and government, of which you may soon be called to be the guardians and the administrators.

The different parts of the office of a parish minister are familiar to those who live in this country, where they are not neglected. But some observations, with regard to the importance of performing them properly, and the manner in which they may be rendered most useful, will not appear unseasonable to those who are about to enter upon the office of the ministry; and there is one branch of that office, I mean the preparation and the delivery of sermons, concerning which, after all that you have heard of composition elsewhere, you will naturally expect some practical rules in a place where your own discourses, the legal specimen of your proficiency in the study of theology, are exhibited and judged.

When I have filled up this plan to my own satisfaction, I shall think

that I discharge that part of the public duties of my station which consists in lecturing, by contributing the whole stock of my information and experience for your advantage. My principle is, to condense the execution of the plan as much as possible. I shall be disappointed, if I be not able to comprise my whole course in such a period as will give to every residing student of divinity an opportunity, if he chooses, of hearing all the parts of it; and I shall think it an advantage, if, by omitting some parts, and abridging others, I can so reduce the course, as to admit of passing over it twice, in the time prescribed for regular attendance at college.

Turretin, abridged by Russenius, is a very useful book for giving a short view of all the controverted points.

Stapferi Instit. Theol. Polemicæ, in 5 vols. is a valuable work. The different systems of opinions concerning the truths of religion are there separately arranged.

BOOK III.

OPINIONS CONCERNING THE SON, THE SPIRIT, AND THE MANNER OF THEIR BEING UNITED

WITH THE FATHER.

THE Gospel reveals two persons, whose existence was not known by the light of nature; the Son, by whom the remedy offered in the Gospel was brought into the world, and the Spirit, by whom it is applied. The revelation concerning the first of these persons is much more full than that concerning the second, and has given occasion to a greater variety of opinions. I shall begin therefore with stating the opinions concerning the Son; I shall next give a short view of the opinions concerning the Spirit; after which, there will remain a general subject, arising, as we shall find, out of the illustration of these separate branches; and, in speaking of this, I shall have to state the opinions respecting the manner in which these two persons are united with the Father.

CHAPTER I.

OPINIONS CONCERNING THE PERSON OF THE SON.

In entering upon the opinions concerning the person of the Son, I must warn you not to consider the subject as unimportant. It is the language of Dr. Priestley, that the value of the Gospel does not, in any degree, depend upon the idea which we may entertain concerning the person of Christ, because all that is truly interesting to us, is the object of his mission, and the authority with which his doctrine is promulgated. But this language is inconsistent with the general strain of the New Testament, a great part of which we shall find occupied in giving us just conceptions of the person of Christ: It is inconsistent with the general sentiments of the Christian Church, who have canvassed this subject with much diligence, and with deep interest, ever since the Gospel appeared: It is inconsistent with the zeal which Dr. Priestley and his associates have discovered in com

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municating their opinions upon this subject to the world; and it is inconsistent with the natural propensity to which the Scriptures have graciously accommodated themselves, and by which every one is led to connect the importance of a message with the dignity of the messenger. It does not become any one to suppose, that the discoveries made in the gospel concerning the person of Christ contain merely a popular argument, to which it is unnecessary for him to attend. But it becomes every person, who believes that the message proceeds from heaven, to receive with reverence the discoveries concerning the messenger, as conveying important truth, which claims the attention of every understanding to which it is made known, and creates duties which a Christian ought not to neglect.

With this impression of the importance of the subject, I proceed to analyse the opinions concerning the Person of Christ. I do not propose to follow the order of time, because there is some difficulty in ascertaining the dates of particular opinions, because the order in which they arose is not always very material, and because the frequent revival of old opinions in new systems would render a chronology of them full of repetitions. Neither do I propose to fatigue your attention with the useless uninteresting detail of all the extravagant conceits broached by particular men, or of the minute shades of difference among those who agreed in their general system. I shall furnish you with the information that is of real importance, by bringing forward the three great systems upon this subject. Their features are strongly marked and clearly discriminated, and they appear to comprehend all the variety of which the subject admits, because the several opinions which have at some times been exploded and at other times revived, are always reducible to one or other of these three systems.

The simplest opinion concerning the person of Christ is, that he was merely a man who had no existence before he was born of Mary; who was distinguished from the former messengers of heaven, not by any thing more sacred in his original character, but by the virtues of his life, and by the extraordinary powers with which, upon account of the peculiar importance of his commission, he was invested; who, after he had executed this commission with fidelity, with fortitude, and zeal, was rewarded for his obedience to God, his good-will to men, and his patience under suffering, by being raised from the dead, and exalted to the highest honour, being constituted at his resurrection the Lord of the creation, and entering at that time into a kingdom which is to continue to the end of the world, and the administration of which entitles him to reverence and submission from the human race. Some who held this general system admitted that Jesus was born in a miraculous manner of a virgin ; while others contended that he was literally the son of Joseph and Mary. Some said that Jesus might be worshipped upon account of the dominion to which he is raised; while others, who allow that gratitude and honour are due to him, confine adoration to the Father. But these two differences do not affect the general principle of the system. In whatsoever manner Jesus came into the world, he is, according to this system, os avogaros, a mere man ; and whether reverence in general, or that particular expression of reverence that is