sation, and well skilled in logic, and all the improvements of the human mind, then fashionable in the world. (See Milner's Church History, Vol. II. p. 50.)

As to the period of this heresy, it has been lamented that practical religion was too much forgotten; and that the orthodox who contended for the faith in that day, were, from the low state of experimental religion, deprived of the very best method of supporting the truth; that of showing its necessary connexion with the foundation of true piety and virtue. However, after much controversy on both sides, this heresy was condemned, by the largest council of bishops ever held in the Christian church-the famous Council of Nice; and the heretic was banished from Alexandria. But the poison was not eradicated; it spread and prevailed both in the East and West, but particularly in the Eastern church; and I fear it is a matter which admits of no doubt, that this heresy has ever since, under various modifications, existed in the church of Christ. The Socinian heresy, which arose in the sixteenth century, appears to have been but a modification of this for, though the advocates of each, profess to hold different tenets respecting our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, yet they are both agreed in robbing Him of his divinity, and his church of the great comfort of his atoning sacrifice. But as this heresy, which would at

once deprive Christianity of its substance and its comfort, has in fact existed from the apostolic age down to the present day, it pleased God, in every period of the church, to raise up able defenders of these fundamental truths; men who, from feeling their necessity, could appreciate their value. I have already mentioned, that St. Paul and St. John earnestly contended for this faith: Alexander and Athanasius also, both bishops of Alexandria, warmly opposed the Arian heresy, and particularly the latter, whose sentiments were perfectly conformable to the creed which bears his name, though it is said to have been improperly attributed to him; but, be that as it may, the Church of England have cause to be thankful that it has been retained in her Liturgy, and defended in her Articles; for, while it remains there, it forms a barrier which one would think, must prevent any man of an honest mind, from entering into her ministry, who was even tinctured with that heresy.

Another way in which the great subtlety of the enemy of all righteousness was manifested, was this: his suiting the heresies he introduced, exactly to the spirit and circumstances of the times. Thus, while the church lived more under the influence of the Holy Spirit, he well knew that it would be in vain to endeavour to persuade men, that that influence was unnecessary, and therefore withheld from the church in those

days: this caused him to lead men to counterfeit or abuse that Divine influence; and hence appear to have arisen, Montanism, and other enthusiastic delusions in the primitive ages. But when in the fifth century that holy influence of the Spirit of God began to be damped by superstition, or quenched by licentiousness, the enemy erected a new heresy, in which it was maintained, that it was in the power of human nature, unassisted by Divine grace, to turn to God, and bring itself to a state of purity. This heresy was denominated Pelagianism, after its founder Pelagius. But it pleased God to prepare in Augustine, a fit instrument to oppose the growing evil, and to contend earnestly for the faith, in opposition to a most destructive heresy. Being a monk, and a man of fair moral character and conduct, Pelagius could in that day, when the difference between spiritual religion and mere morality was little known or understood, easily pass for a man of eminent piety. His erroneous views as to the doctrines of grace, were expressed with so much subtlety, and guarded with such caution, that Augustine acknowledged that he was almost deceived by them. It appears that in his writings he introduced the term grace, to avoid prejudice; but it was with such ambiguity, as to do away the force and meaning of it altogether. Whoever reads the Pelagian controversy of that day, will perceive the subtlety and

perseverance with which it was carried on, and to what a very low state spiritual religion must have been reduced, when even some of the bishops were found to support this heresy, as they had done that of Arius. These men, under the plausible pretext of opposing the licentious abuses of Gospel grace, appear to have denied the doctrines of grace altogether. Note (c). However, the heresy of Pelagius was publicly condemned in the Council of Carthage, when sixty-eight bishops signed a declaration against it; but, notwithstanding, it continued secretly to spread, and so prevailed, that Augustine found it necessary to write and preach against it for more than twenty years. It was also strenuously opposed by Jerome and Chrysostom in their respective situations. Note (d). After this, a kind of Semi-pelagianism arose, which has ever since existed in the church. Its leading feature is, that though man cannot persevere in virtue, without the grace of God, yet in his unregenerate state, he can prepare and turn himself to God. Against this, Prosper and Hilary contended for some time; and against both Pelagian and Semi-pelagian principles, the ninth and tenth Articles of the Church of England are directly levelled and opposed.

In the seventh century it appears that the true spirit of Christianity was so lost or corrupted by the mixture of false philosophy, or philosophy

misapplied, with religion, that the way was prepared for the encroachment of Mahometanism in the East, and Popery in the West; so that, notwithstanding the pious labours of Sophronius, who warned his flock against the imposture of Mahomet, yet his heresy, or apostacy, as it may be better termed, prevailed; insomuch that Jerusalem, Antioch, and Alexandria, were successively overcome, and brought under his dominion; and thus both the idolatrous persecutors, and the corrupt professors of a corrupted faith, were justly doomed to suffer a long and dark servitude, under the reign of the Eastern impostor and his successors.

In like manner we find Popery making a rapid progress at this period in the Western church. In the purer ages of Christianity, while God in Christ was worshipped in spirit and in truth, there was no room for the introduction of idolatry; but when the Gospel was adulterated, and the minds of men were drawn from the simplicity of the truth, from looking to Christ alone for salvation and deliverance from sin, and to the influence of the Holy Spirit, for light and sanctification, they were led to look to other mediators and intercessors, such as saints and angels, and having lost all spiritual affections, to depend on pictures and images to excite in their breasts a forced feeling of religion. Note (e). The doctrine of justification through faith in Christ