they may differ in opinion, in name, or in many of their practices. 66 When men profess to be Christians, how is it to be ascertained whether their profession be sincere or not? Is it by reference to their opinions? No. Is it by reference to outward ordinances? No. It is by reference to their general conduct; and, especially, by reference to their temper and dispositions towards their brethren. This has been noticed by my opponent. On this point, we to some extent agree; perhaps not, however, fully. There may be a wide difference; and I shall therefore state my views with perfect freedom. In the 8th chapter of John's gospel, from the 30th to the 32nd verse, you have these words: As he spake these words, many believed on him. Then said Jesus to those Jews who believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed." If ye continue in my word, still holding the doctrines I teach, and ready to obey the precepts I enjoin, then “ ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." In John, chapter 13, and verses 34 and 35, we have these words:-"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples"-How? If ye believe in the Trinity? No. If ye believe in satisfaction to divine justice? No. If ye believe in adult immersion? No. If ye believe in total, hereditary depravity? No. If ye believe in eternal torments? No. "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." In the 15th - chapter of John, and the 8th verse, we have these words :"Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; sɔ shall ye be my disciples." In the first epistle of John, the second chapter and the 5th verse, we have the same sign given:"But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected hereby know we that we are in him." In the same epistle, 3rd chapter, from the 15th to the 19th verses, we have the same sign or test of true discipleship :- "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer :-and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of Christ, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him. My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him." This view is in perfect accordance with what is taught throughout the sacred writings generally. When James gives us a description of pure and undefiled religion, he says it is,- "To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." Paul, in his epistle to the Galatians, at the 5th chapter, and 6th verse, tells 66 In us what will avail under the Christian dispensation in the following words :-"For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love." In his 6th chap., about the 15th verse, he says:-"In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature." And he adds, as many as walk according to this" simple, practical and common-sense "rule, peace be on them." In the first epistle to the Corinthians the 7th chapter, and 19th verse, he gives the same principle in another form :-" Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God." the first of these three passages, we have the root and spring of true religion, a belief in Jesus as the Christ-"faith working by love." In the second passage, we have the effect produced-becoming a "new creature;" that is, being brought under the influence of the love of God and of mankind. In the third passage we have the outward manifestations of that inward change-"keeping the commandments of God." Those commandments are, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and thy neighbour as thyself;" still making the practice and the spirit of Christianity to consist in the love of God and in love to our fellow-men, in perfect accordance with the doctrines which Jesus Christ teaches. In the 5th chapter of Matthew we are taught that those are the children of God, who love their fellow-men as God loves them. Beginning at the 43rd verse, we find these words:"Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the Publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the Publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, or merciful, even as your father which is in heaven is perfect, or merciful." model, then, is our Father in heaven. In the 7th chapter, he speaks thus, beginning at the 21st verse:-"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of hea but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven." And 66 therefore," ," he says afterwards, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock and the rain descended and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the ven Our floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell and great was the fall of it." Here Christ makes man's fitness for heaven to depend upon doing the will of his Father in heaven. The individual who hears Christ's sayings, and does them, and thus hopes to obtain everlasting life, is represented as resting his hopes upon a firm and immutable foundation. The man who hears, and does not obey, the orthodox professor, who rests in forms or opinions, or feeling and excitement, or rests entirely on the merits of Christ, lays them on a sandy foundation; and when the time of trial comes, his hopes will be disappointed, and his expectations fail. In the 11th chapter of Matthew, at the 28th and following verse, Christ teaches people who labour and are heavy laden, to come unto him, and he will give them rest. "Take my yoke upon you," says, "and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart : and ye shall find rest unto your souls." And in the 12th chapter, at the close of the chapter, he teaches that all who do the will of his Father in heaven are his brothers, his sisters, his most intimate relations. "While he yet talked to the people," to those who were learning, in order that they might know and practice his instructions, while he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my, mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand towards his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." he 66 To those passages we may add other passages in which Jesus Christ pronounces blessings, not upon the Orthodox, not upon the Papist or the Protestant, the Methodist or the Calvinist, the Baptist or the Quaker, the Trinitarian or the Anti-Trinitarian, but on the men who yield obedience to his doctrine; who receive Jesus as their teacher; and who make it their study to understand and to obey his precepts. A number of these passages I shall give you-for they are passages which are scarce ever insisted upon, or held forth prominently by most of those who profess to teach the Gospel. "Blessed are the meek," those who thankfully receive the instructions of Christ, and humbly strive to obey them. "Blessed are the merciful,” those who pity their unhappy fellow-men, and labour to promote their welfarewho can regard with pity even those who offend, and can forgive their brethren their trespasses. "Blessed are the pure in heart," the men whose simple object is to please God. "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake; for their's is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you for my sake." "And blessed is he who shall not be offended in me." In Matthew, the 24th chapter, and 46ths verse, he teaches and enforces the necessity of watchfulness and constant obedience to duty, and the improvement of our talents in serving God, and leading obedient lives: and he says,. "Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing." In the 11th chapter of Luke and 27th verse, we read that "a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked." But Jesus says,-"Yea, rather blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it." In Luke, 14th chapter and 12th verse, he teaches men that when they made a feast they were not to call the rich, nor their relations, who had need of nothing; but the poor and the maimed, the lame and the blind, who had nothing wherewith to support them. And he adds, " And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompence thee for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." In John, the 13th chapter, Christ teaches us humility by washing his disciples' feet, And after having given us this example, and said to his disciples, "Know ye what I have done unto you?" he adds, at the 17th verse, "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." And James, when speaking against people who hear the word, and do not obey it; men who never correct their faults; exhorts and encourages men to be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving themselves; saying they shall be blessed in their deed. Thus Christ and his apostles unite together, throughout the whole of the New Testament, to pronounce a blessing, not on men whose opinions are orthodox, or who conform to prevailing, ceremonies, and the teachings of existing priesthoods, but on those men who accept Jesus as their guide, their governor, and their saviour; and who, receiving God's truth at his lips, cherish it in their hearts; who receive God's law into their minds, and reduce it to practice in their lives. In accordance with this view of the question, we find that Jesus Christ, when people came to ask what they should do to inherit eternal life, naturally directs those who were not believers, to begin with the belief in him. "What shall we do," said the Jews, "that we might work the works of God?" And Jesus answered, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent." But when persons did believe, and said, "Good teacher, what shall we do, that we may have eternal life?" Jesus directed them to keep the commandments "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbour as thyself." And when the lawyer came tempting Christ, under profession of being one of his disciples, and said, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus gave him the same answer. "He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? and he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all 66 thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right; this do, and thou shalt live." He then gave him the parable of the good Samaritan to illustrate what love requires; and after giving that beautiful exemplification of the spirit of charity, he said, "Go thou and do likewise." And on this simple condition Jesus promised him the eternal life which he professed to seek. We are told that we must believe in Christ, and have a right faith, in order to be Christians. We agree to this; but the question is, What is a right faith-a New Testament faith? What is that faith in Jesus which the New Testament requires of us? Is it to trust in Christ's merits? Is it to believe in the Trinity?-in the universality of hereditary depravity?--in the doctrine of satisfaction to justice by the death of Christ? We will not answer, No; but ask you to go to the New Testament for yourselves, and look at the New Testament teachings on these subjects; and so leave you to answer, Yes, or No, as your own consciences shall prompt you to do. I shall refer you to a few passages where the faith which is required of us is spoken of; and you shall see for yourselves whether a belief in Jesus as the Christ is not the true New Testament faith? Take first, the 20th chapter of John's Gospel, ver. 30, 31. "And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: but these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God: and that believing ye might have life through his name." Here you see the signs recorded in the New Testament are recorded not to convince you of the truth of the Trinity-of three co-equal, co-eternal persons in one Godhead; are not written to prove the notion that Jesus is the supreme God, or God the Son ; are not written to prove to us that Jesus was required to give up his life in satisfaction to his Father's justice; but they are written to convince us that Jesus is the Christ-the Messiah -the person appointed and anointed by God to be the teacher and Saviour of mankind. He who believes that Jesus was the Christ, has the faith the New Testament was intended to produce; for the signs therein recorded were written "that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that, believing in this simple way, ye might have life through his name." We are told that we must receive every word which God has spoken; and that we must not attempt to evade the force of God's word by philosophical speculation or hypercriticism. Well, then, here are some plain words; and they tell us that the Gospel was written that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing in this simple, heterodox way, we might have life in his name. We have another illustration of this point in the 8th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, where we read that Philip had been directed to go and visit a eunuch on his journey. He went, |